Conference Realignments - Take 2

[supersioux]

I believe that UNC and us could stablize the summit and a summit plus unc and und would be a better fit for us, simply because of travel cost for sports like vb, soccer, softball and bb. Reduced travel cost would provide the ability to do more for those sports from a facility, equipment and budget stand point.

[darell1976]

I hope UND stays away from the Summit League. They had their shot since the times of the GWC, but they were scared to let UND in because of the nickname, they never invited UND's baseball team, so I say screw em. UND is in a stable conference and if NDSU, SDSU and USD wants to join that's fine if they want to stay in the Slummit League that's up to them too. I saw on BV someone mentioned NDSU joining the WAC...are you sure you want to go that route?

New Mexico St

Seattle

CSU Bakersfield

Chicago St

Grand Canyon Univ.

UMKC

UTPA

Utah Valley

Didn't they say the BSC was bad for UND due to travel.

[homer]

Faison's decision to cancel the Summit league meeting is looking pretty good right now.

[North Dakota]

I'd rather see a new conference including:

UND

NDSU

SDSU

USD

UM

MSU

UNC

UNI

UNO - Olympic only

UD - Olympic only

SIU

WIU

Won't happen but that would be an awesome conference!

[darell1976]

Faison's decision to cancel the Summit league meeting is looking pretty good right now.

Where would we be if UND was given the same deal as USD (MVFC, SL)? Would the SL be more sturdy or would us UND fans be brainstorming on where we could go next.

[homer]

Where would we be if UND was given the same deal as USD (MVFC, SL)? Would the SL be more sturdy or would us UND fans be brainstorming on where we could go next.

UND is even further outside any conference footprint than FU and geography is what will hold them back from getting into a new conference. I'm not saying UND couldn't help stabalize the Summit and some former NCC schools could make it a decent conference, but the other schools need to prove they don't already have a foot out the door before we entertain the thougt to join.

[jdub27]

Can anyone fill me in why UNC is always mentioned as a possibility for the Summit other than they used to be in the NCC? I can't see them wanting to move their athletics into a midwest based conference. I know they are in the NE corner of Colorado but even so, I don't think their travel gets easier than it would be in the Big Sky.

[darell1976]

UND is even further outside any conference footprint than FU and geography is what will hold them back from getting into a new conference. I'm not saying UND couldn't help stabalize the Summit and some former NCC schools could make it a decent conference, but the other schools need to prove they don't already have a foot out the door before we entertain the thougt to join.

Which I am glad UND is in the BSC. Or else if we had to go conference hunting UND could end up in the WAC.

[JohnboyND7]

Can anyone fill me in why UNC is always mentioned as a possibility for the Summit other than they used to be in the NCC? I can't see them wanting to move their athletics into a midwest based conference. I know they are in the NE corner of Colorado but even so, I don't think their travel gets easier than it would be in the Big Sky.

Denver.

[jdub27]

Denver.

They just joined the Summit and are likely looking for a new home anyway. UNC has always been mentioned as a possibility, long before Denver was on the Summit's radar.

[Dagger]

The only people that seriously say UND should look at joining the Summit are Bison fans. It is laughable to think that UND would want to join the Summit the ways things are going down in that conference. The only realisitic question that should be asked is whether NDSU is going to try one more time to join the Big Sky.

[zonadub]

UND just got rid of Bruce McLeod. Why would they want to replace him with Tom Douple? I know, different sports, BUT just as inept.

[zonadub]

the WAC could have been attractive last summer when they were down to Idaho, New Mexico State, Denver and Seattle. that was the time to pick up Montana, Montana State, UND, NDSU, Idaho State and maybe the South Dakota schools and Northern Colorado. star2city/siouxfan was posting that something like that was being discussed on other boards. Not sure why it fell thru, but can't see UND giving up a position in a destination FCS conference for a no football Summit League that is quickly becoming Great West II.

[Dagger]

We acually owe Douple a big thank you for not inviting UND earlier than they did. If he had been quicker UND would be in the Summit. Of course another big thank you for Douple and GT for making up all the excuses as to why they couldn't invite UND earlier. That really was an embarassing time for Douple and his cohorts. Didn't Douple get caught up in some lies too?

[UNDColorado]

They just joined the Summit and are likely looking for a new home anyway. UNC has always been mentioned as a possibility, long before Denver was on the Summit's radar.

That and from what I have gathered from Du fans, DU wants nothing to do with UNC. Sounds like an ego thing.

[SWSiouxMN]

http://www.brewcityball.com/forums/content.php?603-Oakland-to-be-first-of-hopefully-more

Interesting.....

[GeauxSioux]

http://www.brewcityb...-hopefully-more

According to an administration executive at a Horizon League university, the conference's impending addition of a new school will be the first of hopefully "several new members," the source told PantherU.com in an e-mail.

The source would not confirm or deny whether or not the ninth Horizon League school would be Oakland, only to say that "There will be an announcement soon on a new member." PantherU confirmed through four sources yesterday that Oakland would be the first new member, but none of them knew about anything beyond Oakland.

I wonder who the others are? Siouxfan is saying Robert Morris, Belmont and Northern Kentucky... http://csnbbs.com/sh...d=631333&page=3

I read somewhere that Belmont told the Horizon, no. I can't remember where, as there so much info out there.

Edit... Man, I was beaten to the punch by seconds.

[bincitysioux]

http://www.brewcityb...-hopefully-more

I wonder who the others are? Siouxfan is saying Robert Morris, Belmont and Northern Kentucky... http://csnbbs.com/sh...d=631333&page=3

I read somewhere that Belmont told the Horizon, no. I can't remember where, as there so much info out there.

Edit... Man, I was beaten to the punch by seconds.

I think Belmont actually was a MVC target and they told them no thanks. Summit has been interested in Northern Kentucky in recent years. If they they make the move, and the Horizon can display some stability, NKU would take the Horizon over the Summit every day of the week and twice on Sunday.....................

[darell1976]

http://www.brewcityb...-hopefully-more

I wonder who the others are? Siouxfan is saying Robert Morris, Belmont and Northern Kentucky... http://csnbbs.com/sh...d=631333&page=3

I read somewhere that Belmont told the Horizon, no. I can't remember where, as there so much info out there.

Edit... Man, I was beaten to the punch by seconds.

Wouldn't be something if SDSU and Omaha got chosen while NDSU sits on their island.

[GeauxSioux]

I think Belmont actually was a MVC target and they told them no thanks. Summit has been interested in Northern Kentucky in recent years. If they they make the move, and the Horizon can display some stability, NKU would take the Horizon over the Summit every day of the week and twice on Sunday.....................

http://wrightstate.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=2512&page=25

Belmont is not interested because they did a cost/income projection analysis and figured that the added travel costs would not be offset by the increase in income of NCAA tournament units/eventual television deals. I think that's hogwash and Belmont is afraid of being in a conference that it won't win more than 50% of the time - they're like Davidson and Murray State, they'd rather be the mid-sized finish in a puddle.

As for Oakland, our outgoing AD confirmed it to me at our third game sweep of UIC yesterday. Our chancellor, while not confirming or denying the name of the school, told me this morning that an announcement soon on a new member. When I ran the story yesterday I had four sources, today I've got 12 that say it's Oakland.

[Risky]

There is one real positive and refreshing aspect to all this conference situation stuff. No matter what happens to the other 3 Dakota schools. No matter whether the 3 schools end up in the Summit, MVC or Horizon (or the Great West). UND is in a destination conference. A very stable conference. What a happy relief.

[Herd]

We acually owe Douple a big thank you for not inviting UND earlier than they did. If he had been quicker UND would be in the Summit. Of course another big thank you for Douple and GT for making up all the excuses as to why they couldn't invite UND earlier. That really was an embarassing time for Douple and his cohorts. Didn't Douple get caught up in some lies too?

It was either Douple or your President Kelly who had truth issues. The possibilities of who was being honest was pretty much a coin flip. Douple said that your own President was influencing his universities nickname situation by asking the Summit to put a contingency on a UND invitiation. Like I said, pretty equal possibility of who was telling the truth. Pretty hard to understand how or why a conference commishioner could make something like that up. Equally as embarrasing for Kelly who made little attempt to expalin his role. He obviously said something to the Summit. Was his intended message not interpretted correctly?

UND fans have a boner about their Summit situation and Douple, but that is due to the lens in which they view the situation. The truth was never clarified. If you are saying that the story from Douple was 100% fabricated, and Kelly had said zero to the Summit, I think you quite nieve.

[FSSD]

It was either Douple or your President Kelly who had truth issues. The possibilities of who was being honest was pretty much a coin flip. Douple said that your own President was influencing his universities nickname situation by asking the Summit to put a contingency on a UND invitiation. Like I said, pretty equal possibility of who was telling the truth. Pretty hard to understand how or why a conference commishioner could make something like that up. Equally as embarrasing for Kelly who made little attempt to expalin his role. He obviously said something to the Summit. Was his intended message not interpretted correctly?

UND fans have a boner about their Summit situation and Douple, but that is due to the lens in which they view the situation. The truth was never clarified. If you are saying that the story from Douple was 100% fabricated, and Kelly had said zero to the Summit, I think you quite nieve.

Most UND fans point to two major dust ups that have left Douple and Summit in a questionable light:

1) After USD was invited to join the Summit League. The NDSU AD and Douple were quoted in the media as to why UND was not being considered for membership. Unfortunately, the two quotes did not mess. Then Douple tried to clean up the media mess with an extremely ambiguous follow-up interview - which did not answer anything. So, the first introduction to the Summit League was a bit awkward. Again, none of the quotes came from UND administration. This mess was solely a communications mess between NDSU and Douple.

2) The second media mess was after UND cancelled the Summit League site visit and joined the Big Sky. Douple stated something to the effect that UND asked the Summit League to make joining the conference conditional upon the retirement of the Sioux nickname. A statement that UND leaders are on record denying. I know that the media (GF Herald) has tried several times to interview Douple and he has denied those requests. So, who is telling the truth - no one knows that this point. But, Douple has been given every opportunity to make a statement on record in GF. He could be taking the high road who knows. But, he came off as whiny and vindictive after UND cancelled the site visit.

So the Summit League completely stumbled out of the gate and they have never recovered.

[jdub27]

It was either Douple or your President Kelly who had truth issues. The possibilities of who was being honest was pretty much a coin flip. Douple said that your own President was influencing his universities nickname situation by asking the Summit to put a contingency on a UND invitiation. Like I said, pretty equal possibility of who was telling the truth. Pretty hard to understand how or why a conference commishioner could make something like that up. Equally as embarrasing for Kelly who made little attempt to expalin his role. He obviously said something to the Summit. Was his intended message not interpretted correctly?

UND fans have a boner about their Summit situation and Douple, but that is due to the lens in which they view the situation. The truth was never clarified. If you are saying that the story from Douple was 100% fabricated, and Kelly had said zero to the Summit, I think you quite nieve.

Well, if you want to take Douple's side, you give Kelley a lot of credit for holding that much power over the commissioner of a conference that UND was not a member of. I wonder what Douple's actual bosses think of an outsider holding that kind of sway.

[JohnboyND7]

2) The second media mess was after UND cancelled the Summit League site visit and joined the Big Sky. Douple stated something to the effect that UND asked the Summit League to make joining the conference conditional upon the retirement of the Sioux nickname. A statement that UND leaders are on record denying. I know that the media (GF Herald) has tried several times to interview Douple and he has denied those requests. So, who is telling the truth - no one knows that this point. But, Douple has been given every opportunity to make a statement on record in GF. He could be taking the high road who knows. But, he came off as whiny and vindictive after UND cancelled the site visit.

So the Summit League completely stumbled out of the gate from the very beginning and they have never recovered.

I would take the Summit's word over the UND administration. Never a good idea for a president or administration to admit that they didn't want the nickname in Grand Forks.