Conference Realignments - Take 2

[UNDColorado]

The Boston Globe, which has broken most of the realignment stories from the Big East, is reporting that the Big East, CUSA, and MWC may form 32 team league with playoffs:

http://www.boston.co...ast_mwc_c-.html

Technically, that new conference could only have a championship game as an extra game. But, if it creatively scheduled to have a TBD conference opponent during its last weekend for divisional championships (as well as #2's playing each other), this could actually happen.

The BCS conferences might be livid.

The setup would steal three schools from the WAC: Utah State, San Jose St, and La Tech.

Say what?? Well what a development. What will happen to the Wac after it gets raided again? Would Montana and M State even think about moving to the Wac at this point?

[The Sicatoka]

Thirty-two teams is not a conference; it's a league (see: National Football League).

[zonadub]

The setup would steal three schools from the WAC: Utah State, San Jose St, and La Tech.

boy, would that suck for the Idaho Vandals

[star2city]

boy, would that suck for the Idaho Vandals

And may be exactly what the Big Sky is waiting for: 12 all-sport teams + 14 football teams in two divisions.

If the Big Sky added Idaho and went to divisions, it would probably look like this:

FB: Pacific - Cal Poly, UC Davis, Sac St, Portland St, NAU, SUU, Weber St

Mountain - E Wash, Idaho, Montana, Montana St, Idaho St, UNC, UND

BB: Move Idaho State to Pacific Division (travel partner for Weber St)

[zonadub]

And may be exactly what the Big Sky is waiting for: 12 all-sport teams + 14 football teams in two divisions.

If the Big Sky added Idaho and went to divisions, it would probably look like this:

FB: Pacific - Cal Poly, UC Davis, Sac St, Portland St, NAU, SUU, Weber St

Mountain - E Wash, Idaho, Montana, Montana St, Idaho St, UNC, UND

BB: Move Idaho State to Pacific Division (travel partner for Weber St)

swap Northern Colorado and Weber & it could keep the remaining four original members together and reunite them with another of the founders. call it north/south. still think its a long shot to get Idaho back in the Big Sky

[star2city]

swap Northern Colorado and Weber & it could keep the remaining four original members together and reunite them with another of the founders. call it north/south. still think its a long shot to get Idaho back in the Big Sky

UNC and UND practically have to be travel partners for sports that need that type arrangement: therefore UND and UNC have to be in the same division. It's possible that for basketball the Big Sky won't even have divisions even with 12 teams: just go double round robin.

NAU has to be matched with SUU (NAU has been matched with Sac St and that was a travel nightmare)

Weber and Idaho St go together

Montana and Montana St

E Wash and Idaho (if it comes back) or Portland St (if it doesn't)

Portland St is the best travel partner for Sac St

As long as Utah State and/or San Jose St are still in a conference with the Vandals, Idaho will stay FBS. But if both are gone, Idaho's football program would become a financial and performance disaster. Idaho was stuck playing in the Sunbelt as an affiliate for a couple of years, and that killed recruiting (California and Washington kids had no interest in playing in the Sunbelt) and their budget. Idaho isn't a very big school (smaller than Idaho State and Boise as well as UND). Idaho doesn't have the option to raise student fees to pay FBS bills (like some new FBS schools - UTSA, Texas State) or improve facilities. Idaho's facilities are the FCS level are really no different than USD's, as both play almost all their sports in a 1970's dome that needs refurbishment.

[JohnboyND7]

We just need to follow Montana and Montana State where ever they go.

Denver, Seattle, Air Force, Boise St, UT-Arlington - rather decent company to be in.

There's actually a rumor among Boise St fans that their administration wants to start hockey. Boise has an arena and a hockey fan base, so its not that far fetched.

So what color would the crease(I think thats the blue goalie area?) be if BSU added hockey...God knows they'd insist on having smurf blue ice.

[zonadub]

UNC and UND practically have to be travel partners for sports that need that type arrangement: therefore UND and UNC have to be in the same division. It's possible that for basketball the Big Sky won't even have divisions even with 12 teams: just go double round robin.

NAU has to be matched with SUU (NAU has been matched with Sac St and that was a travel nightmare)

Weber and Idaho St go together

Montana and Montana St

E Wash and Idaho (if it comes back) or Portland St (if it doesn't)

Portland St is the best travel partner for Sac St

As long as Utah State and/or San Jose St are still in a conference with the Vandals, Idaho will stay FBS. But if both are gone, Idaho's football program would become a financial and performance disaster. Idaho was stuck playing in the Sunbelt as an affiliate for a couple of years, and that killed recruiting (California and Washington kids had no interest in playing in the Sunbelt) and their budget. Idaho isn't a very big school (smaller than Idaho State and Boise as well as UND). Idaho doesn't have the option to raise student fees to pay FBS bills (like some new FBS schools - UTSA, Texas State) or improve facilities. Idaho's facilities are the FCS level are really no different than USD's, as both play almost all their sports in a 1970's dome that needs refurbishment.

in the current 11/13 member Big Sky, UND does not have a natural travel partner, even with the addition of Idaho. Only choices being Northern Colorado (960 miles) and Montana State (825 miles). Whoever has the second night of that swing will be playing a travel-weary team unless someone like NDSU joins the Big Sky. Maybe, UND will be a one-night swing with opportunities for out of conference games with Summit/Missouri Valley teams.

[star2city]

in the current 11/13 member Big Sky, UND does not have a natural travel partner, even with the addition of Idaho. Only choices being Northern Colorado (960 miles) and Montana State (825 miles). Whoever has the second night of that swing will be playing a travel-weary team unless someone like NDSU joins the Big Sky. Maybe, UND will be a one-night swing with opportunities for out of conference games with Summit/Missouri Valley teams.

Northern Colorado simply doesn't have a natural travel partner either. UNC is actually a much better travel partner than USD ever would have been.

Until SUU came into the league, NAU was more isolated than UND from a travel perspective (teams had to fly into Phoenix or Las Vegas and then drive - as Flagstaff has very poor air service).

The Big Sky does not have a NCC-like schedule, where teams play on two consecutive nights. Typically they play Thursday and Saturday, with a travel day starting Friday morning.

[gfhockey]

Sounds like ORU is pretty much gone as they have a "historic annoucnement planned tomorrow regard their athletic program" per some tweets and a oru press release

BIson fans are not to happy about it and most of them want the Big sky if and thats a big if they get their football program invited with which idk why the big sky wouldnt invite their football program as it is tops in the country

Summit as becomethe old ncc

SDSU

USD

NDSU

UNO

maybe Mankato and SCSU if they pull a UNO type move

Long live the summit.

Thank god we arent in the old ncc

[star2city]

Sounds like ORU is pretty much gone as they have a "historic annoucnement planned tomorrow regard their athletic program" per some tweets and a oru press release

BIson fans are not to happy about it and most of them want the Big sky if and thats a big if they get their football program invited with which idk why the big sky wouldnt invite their football program as it is tops in the country

Summit as becomethe old ncc

SDSU

USD

NDSU

UNO

maybe Mankato and SCSU if they pull a UNO type move

Long live the summit.

Thank god we arent in the old ncc

When all is said and done, UND's option for the Big Sky just keeps looking better and better. The Summit totally screwed the pooch by rejecting us on the nickname. Guess where that has got them.

Been saying ORU has been gone for a while: Bison fans just wanted to stick their heads in the sands and be in denial.

As long as the Big East doesn't split, the Summit should still be O.K. If the Big East does split: watch out, as the dominos may take out Oakland, IUPUI, and IPFW, and then the Summit may have to absorb what's left of the Great West. Since UNO will be in transition for a few more years, the Summit will be down to 8 full members. Seven full members is needed to keep the conference together.

What the Summit really needs know is a team in St Louis to bridge the plains schools to the eastern Midwest. Lindenwood wants to move up eventually, but they are still only in their NAIA to DII transition. Maybe UMSL can be talked into it. Bellarmine, Southern Indiana, Grand Valley (big if especially with no place to park football), Wayne St (Oakland probably blocks them), St Cloud, Mankato, Duluth might be other possibilities. The $1.3 million NCAA payment for permission to move to DI is a killer for most of those schools in this economic climate.

[bincitysioux]

Will be fun to see how Douple approaches this round of expansion...............

[Risky]

That is a major kick in the butt to the Summit league. ORU was the only true signature high profile school in the league. When you look at the remaining teams it just doesn't have much zing. And yes it could very easily start looking like the old NCC. NDSU made the move to separate themselves from the NCC and now that is pretty much what the Summit is becoming. It is the NCC plus some directional schools. The Big Sky looks real good about now.

[Dagger]

I wouldn't be surprised if NDSU doesn't try again to get in the Big Sky.

[Risky]

That is a major kick in the butt to the Summit league. ORU was the only true signature high profile school in the league. When you look at the remaining teams it just doesn't have much zing. And yes it could very easily start looking like the old NCC. NDSU made the move to separate themselves from the NCC and now that is pretty much what the Summit is becoming. It is the NCC plus some directional schools. The Big Sky looks real good about now.

I guess I was wrong. The Missouri valley is the league with all the directions. (just bring your compass) The Summit is the league with all the initials .( IUPUJ, IWFT, and MAKC or something like that)

[bincitysioux]

The Big Sky has plenty of "directional" schools too............

But it least it doesn't have 20 former members...................

[GeauxSioux]

I wonder if Fullerton and NDSU are talking?

[UND1983]

ORU left the Summit League for the Southland Conference, which is the 29th ranked RPI Conf. in Mens Basketball. They wanted out BAD.

[PhillySioux]

I wonder if Fullerton and NDSU are talking?

As long as The Summit doesn't lose its auto-bid, why would they leave? They are in the conference they want for football and the road to NCAA tourneys in basketball and baseball just got easier and cheaper.

In addition, how do you think that first TeamMakers meeting would go when Gene mentions looking at the Big Sky? Probably as well as Sioux Boosters would go if Faison suggested MVFC/Summit.

All that said, I'd welcome NDSU into the Big Sky with open arms.

[darell1976]

Whats the odds that Western Illinois tries to leave the Summit for the MVC? I would think the MVC would take WIU over both SU's.

[darell1976]

As long as The Summit doesn't lose its auto-bid, why would they leave? They are in the conference they want for football and the road to NCAA tourneys in basketball and baseball just got easier and cheaper.

In addition, how do you think that first TeamMakers meeting would go when Gene mentions looking at the Big Sky? Probably as well as Sioux Boosters would go if Faison suggested MVFC/Summit.

All that said, I'd welcome NDSU into the Big Sky with open arms.

Ask Lakesbison this!!! He is going to go even more crazy if NDSU ends up going to the Big Sky. Him and his Bison buddies have only been trashing the Big Sky since UND was accepted.

[GeauxSioux]

As long as The Summit doesn't lose its auto-bid, why would they leave? They are in the conference they want for football and the road to NCAA tourneys in basketball and baseball just got easier and cheaper.

In addition, how do you think that first TeamMakers meeting would go when Gene mentions looking at the Big Sky? Probably as well as Sioux Boosters would go if Faison suggested MVFC/Summit.

All that said, I'd welcome NDSU into the Big Sky with open arms.

Why? Because the Summit is becoming the NCC 2.0 that Sica and the often maligned Star2 said it would become.

ORU was the program that one could point to in the Summit and say that the Summit has a school with national recognition and prominence. Losing ORU is big hit to the conference. With the way conferences have been changing over the past 2 years, who else may be leaving the Summit?

[The Sicatoka]

Folks, UND has some housekeeping to get taken care of (moniker fiasco) before it is officially (first conference game, any sport, played) in the Big Sky.

I'd like that taken care of before I start worrying about other schools and conferences.

[darell1976]

From Bisonator

Re: ORU press conference tomorrow

Originally Posted by

Hambone

Let me ask you guys this - serious question that I'm curious on some thoughts. Let's say that ORU, Oakland, IUPUI and IPFW all bail in the next couple years. St Cloud, Mankato, Chicago State and some other random school are tabbed as replacements. Let's say the Big Sky comes calling and says "We want you to be football school 14 and all conference member 12." What would you, as fans, like to happen? Again, just curious and I'd like non-smacky responses........

Big Sky is

>

A Summit League in your scenario.

Hell, right now I think the Sky > A Summit League without ORU.

So, yes, I think it would be stupid for us to not take that.

At that point, I think IF UND is called the Roughriders or Rangers and no longer has the nickname thing threatening them from the Sky, it will be CRITICAL that UND STAYS in the Big Sky, because UND IS the other Dakota 3 school's means of getting into that conference.

Now that I think of it more, it's not Doug Elgin from the MVC I think Gene Taylor should be on the phone with, it's Doug Fullerton.

Classic quote from BVille!!!!

[UNDColorado]

It's funny because a couple of weeks ago I asked the question of why doesn't NDSU just come to the Big Sky and people really shot me down. It looks to me that this isn't a crazy idea after all.

If ORU does leave and a team like St. Cloud replaces them why wouldn't them come with us? The Sky would then be arguably the best FCS conference out there. (Idaho would be a great addition as well)