Conference Realignments - Take 2

[Siouxphan27]

Haven't we moved on to "Conference Realignments, Take 3" ??

or 3000??

[SiouxVolley]

So the Fort Wayne newspaper is officially panic stricken over IPFW's lack of Horizon move.

Think that justifies needing to find out-of-box answers instead of new DII moveups.

http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/column_the_time_is_now_for_fort_wayne_to_step_up_athletically_20170628

[The Sicatoka]

From SV's link:

Quote

The (IPFW) Mastodons now find themselves in a conference in which six of the remaining seven members are at least a 10-hour drive, and to add insult to the matter, Fort Wayne is the worst performer in that conference. ...

The time is now for Fort Wayne, IPFW, whatever the school is called, to be “kinda forced to deal with” the fact that it lags behind its brethren and step up.

Step up is going to mean leaving the 10-hours away Summit behind and competing with regional peers. (See article.) 

[zonadub]

There has been so much hand-wringing, so many theories for strengthening the Summit...

Would really like to see the formation of a Great Northern Conference - add the Montanas, Idaho, EWU. Probably a long shot to get them to leave the Big Sky.

Doubt the MVC will be willing to give up control of the MVFC to the Summit, even though they share offices, iirc. A nice idea though, if you could pull it off.

Get the MVC to add the Dakota 4. Their recent solution of adding Valpo suggests that will not happen.

IMHO, it seems that the fastest way to 'fix' this is by <choke> getting the old band back together. Entice Northern Colorado to leave the Big Sky and reunite the former NCC schools who have moved to D-I under the Summit banner. It will give the Summit 6 football teams, add a basketball team that has made a March Madness appearance and adds a baseball team (which wouldn't be as important if the Summit were to break off into their own football conference), but no men's soccer.

For soccer, the answer is probably to add UMKC.

The addition of UNC and UMKC would bring the Summit back to 10 after IPFW bolts next year and gives the Summit the baseball and soccer teams it needs. Plus it would make the option of Summit football possible with the Dakota 4, Western Illinos and Northern Colorado. Then add Minnesota State and/or Minnesota Dukuth as a move-up for insurance for WIU and Oral Roberts.

Don't like this idea as much as just staying put in the Big Sky, but afraid that ship has sailed and UND's move to the Summit is inevitable.

[AJS]

34 minutes ago, zonadub said:

IMHO, it seems that the fastest way to 'fix' this is by <choke> getting the old band back together. Entice Northern Colorado to leave the Big Sky and reunite the former NCC schools who have moved to D-I under the Summit banner. It will give the Summit 6 football teams, add a basketball team that has made a March Madness appearance and adds a baseball team (which wouldn't be as important if the Summit were to break off into their own football conference), but no men's soccer.

For soccer, the answer is probably to add UMKC.

The addition of UNC and UMKC would bring the Summit back to 10 after IPFW bolts next year and gives the Summit the baseball and soccer teams it needs. Plus it would make the option of Summit football possible with the Dakota 4, Western Illinos and Northern Colorado. Then add Minnesota State and/or Minnesota Dukuth as a move-up for insurance for WIU and Oral Roberts.

Don't like this idea as much as just staying put in the Big Sky, but afraid that ship has sailed and UND's move to the Summit is inevitable.

This would be my vote every time. Add UNC / UMKC now, get Augustana and one other to begin the transition processes.

The hypothetical 'Great North' conference would be my first choice, but why are so many against more or less trying to get the NCC back together? It would bring stability, help with travel costs, which in turn could be put back into the programs. Looking at the current situation realistically, what hypothetical team would the conference bring in that would get everyone excited? I believe more people would want to play an Augustana that joined the Summit over a GCU or Chicago State.

[Siouxperfan7]

UNC - I'd take them for the Summit, but what about football?  Does the MVFC want to go to 12?

UMKC - get them back.  I have a feeling that travel costs for playing in the WAC may force their hand.

Augustana - No thanks.  They barely qualify as a d2 school.  Don't think they can afford the move up. Also, no place for football.

UMD/MSU-Mankato - The only D1 school currently in Minnesota is the UofM.  There are powers that be that intend to keep it that way for a long time.

 

[darell1976]

1 hour ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

UNC - I'd take them for the Summit, but what about football?  Does the MVFC want to go to 12?

UMKC - get them back.  I have a feeling that travel costs for playing in the WAC may force their hand.

Augustana - No thanks.  They barely qualify as a d2 school.  Don't think they can afford the move up. Also, no place for football.

UMD/MSU-Mankato - The only D1 school currently in Minnesota is the UofM.  There are powers that be that intend to keep it that way for a long time.

 

How about instead of Augy substitute Sioux Falls. We know all too well about their football team, and maybe Sanford could help them ($$$$) move up.

[Yote 53]

Ugh.  I hope this doesn't have any legs.  Augustana...puke.  USF has already said no way. 

These schools were barely D2.  D1, no way.

 

http://kwsn.com/news/articles/2017/jun/29/augustana-usf-ads-no-contact-with-summit-but-augie-to-have-discussions-about-future/

[Siouxperfan7]

Just now, Yote 53 said:

Ugh.  I hope this doesn't have any legs.  Augustana...puke.  USF has already said no way. 

These schools were barely D2.  D1, no way.

 

http://kwsn.com/news/articles/2017/jun/29/augustana-usf-ads-no-contact-with-summit-but-augie-to-have-discussions-about-future/

USF's A.D. Josh Snyder already gave his stance via text message to KWSN.

"No, I cannot imagine USF going D1, certainly not anytime soon," Snyder said.

"It would cost us at least $10M more per year and probably $20M-plus in facility improvements to be competitive."

That isn't on the table at all.   "If football was dropped like Omaha it would be more realistic, but that isn't an option at USF."    

[UNDColorado]

1 hour ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

UNC - I'd take them for the Summit, but what about football?  Does the MVFC want to go to 12?

UMKC - get them back.  I have a feeling that travel costs for playing in the WAC may force their hand.

Augustana - No thanks.  They barely qualify as a d2 school.  Don't think they can afford the move up. Also, no place for football.

UMD/MSU-Mankato - The only D1 school currently in Minnesota is the UofM.  There are powers that be that intend to keep it that way for a long time.

 

Which has a positive impact on our recruiting! 

[SiouxVolley]

Here's an article that says the Summit may have to take Big Sky teams.  

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2017/6/29/15890852/

Relying on men's soccer and baseball to keep the Summit's autobid is pure lunacy from a Dakota perspective, as none have men's soccer and only two have baseball.  Football should carry the day, and the NCAA gives it more credit while the Summit ignores it.

[SiouxVolley]

Dom Izzo doesn't have solutions for the Summit League quandary, as he says it's facing dissolution:

http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/now-what-for-the-summit-league/

He hasn't considered going west though, with football.

UND dropping baseball was either a mad genius move to get football in the Summit, or it was profoundly stupid.

[UNDBIZ]

42 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

Dom Izzo doesn't have solutions for the Summit League quandary, as he says it's facing dissolution:

http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/now-what-for-the-summit-league/

He hasn't considered going west though, with football.

UND dropping baseball was either a mad genius move to get football in the Summit, or it was profoundly stupid.

I doubt Schafer had given any consideration to the Summit when he dropped baseball. 

[nodakvindy]

The Summit should be working with the Big Sky. Hopefully UNC is facilitating such discussions.  For now take on UNC and the two California football affiliates.

That gets the Big Sky down to 10 teams which makes scheduling easier for all sports and means only missing one team a season for football. It also puts Summit back to 10 schools for all sports and 8 for football.  It also leaves a stable core of former NCC schools  (plus Denver) should Western Illinois Fort Wayne and Oral Roberts depart.  

If that happens then grab UMKC for an eight team league based along I29 plus the Colorado schools.  That would have a stable Summit and a stable Big Sky and the leagues could add a scheduling alliance to help fill nonconference games.

[Stromer]

31 minutes ago, nodakvindy said:

The Summit should be working with the Big Sky. Hopefully UNC is facilitating such discussions.  For now take on UNC and the two California football affiliates.

That gets the Big Sky down to 10 teams which makes scheduling easier for all sports and means only missing one team a season for football. It also puts Summit back to 10 schools for all sports and 8 for football.  It also leaves a stable core of former NCC schools  (plus Denver) should Western Illinois Fort Wayne and Oral Roberts depart.  

If that happens then grab UMKC for an eight team league based along I29 plus the Colorado schools.  That would have a stable Summit and a stable Big Sky and the leagues could add a scheduling alliance to help fill nonconference games.

Best idea anyone has presented. Solves the complaints about the size of the big sky while also addressing summit football without moving entire mvfc to summit. Let the remaining mvfc teams fend for themselves.

[SiouxVolley]

1 hour ago, UNDBIZ said:

I doubt Schafer had given any consideration to the Summit when he dropped baseball. 

This coming year has been carefully planned out for a decade.  Dropping baseball had everything to do with taking over the Summit with new football teams, but admittedly I don't have proof.

[UNDBIZ]

I thought the plan of the decade was to take over the WAC with football teams. 

[SiouxVolley]

16 minutes ago, Stromer said:

Best idea anyone has presented. Solves the complaints about the size of the big sky while also addressing summit football without moving entire mvfc to summit. Let the remaining mvfc teams fend for themselves.

The UC Davis and Cal Poly would never chose a Summit Football League affiliation unless the Big Sky kicked them out.

The Big Sky teams often  depend on California for recruiting.  Why would they be kicked out?

[SiouxVolley]

1 minute ago, UNDBIZ said:

I thought the plan of the decade was to take over the WAC with football teams. 

The plan was FBS.  WAC was the only vehicle to do that at the time.

[nodakvindy]

10 minutes ago, SiouxVolley said:

The UC Davis and Cal Poly would never chose a Summit Football League affiliation unless the Big Sky kicked them out.

The Big Sky teams often  depend on California for recruiting.  Why would they be kicked out?

The big sky teams can still play them non conference and Sac st. Is still in the league.  They may also see the possibility of a Montana Idaho departure and see this as a way to head that off.  Keeping both conferences geographically compact makes sense until/if an FBS move ever happens.

[jdub27]

2 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

This coming year has been carefully planned out for a decade.  Dropping baseball had everything to do with taking over the Summit with new football teams, but admittedly I don't have proof.

I'd love to hear what exactly was planned out, because there is no chance in hell it was. And that's coming from many conversations over that frame with people within UND and the athletic department. 

[SiouxVolley]

7 hours ago, jdub27 said:

I'd love to hear what exactly was planned out, because there is no chance in hell it was. And that's coming from many conversations over that frame with people within UND and the athletic department. 

As always, you are conflating talking with a Southpaw level person, with someone like Deanna Zina talking with a billionaire.  The athletic department would only have one person, Faison, who would be privy to info.

[jdub27]

2 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

As always, you are conflating talking with a Southpaw level person, with someone like Deanna Zina talking with a billionaire.  The athletic department would only have one person, Faison, who would be privy to info.

I'm comfortable with the people I talked with having the right info.

I'm curious how publicly spurning the Summit, spending years in the Big Sky and then working back channels for multiple years to get into Summit, which ended up requiring a bunch of things happening that were well out of UND's control, was all part of a decade long plan. 

[MJG]

Realignment happens one move at a time IUPUI leaves now it's the next move. Northern Colorado works for really everyone and doesn't hold back any future moves.Ideally a conference with six good travel partners that bring something to the table is ideal. UNC-Denver, Dakota four, Montana's, EWU-Idaho, UNO-Northern Iowa. Northern Iowa would have to be the last pick up as this conference would be superior to the MVC.

[Siouxphan27]

There is no way what's happening now and what ends up happening is part of some grand plan UND is somehow orchestrating.  Way too many moving parts and conflicting interests.  

If UND actually could have foreseen the future and wanted more power in current negotiations, we would have either kept baseball, or stayed in the big sky until after the Summit started to crumble like it's currently doing.