UMKC Studying Athletics Future

[Hammersmith]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

I am guessing that the UMKC AD was wagering that the Roos would have a better chance of walking into the WAC and winning a conference tourney. That did not materialize. Notice that AD is gone and I think that president is also gone. They spent many years with Matt Brown hoping he could put a team at the top of the Summit. The men's team has never cracked the seal even though the women's team nearly took one in Sioux Falls. Will the Summit welcome back a program that is tipping? UND, Denver, UNO, and the Yotes have been more solid for the growth curve than the Roos. Remember the Roos had the WAC pay the exit fee from the Summit. How will they pay the entrance fee? It is a good geographical fit, but I am not sure Douple is rushing to KC with an offer. UMKC will need to be the aggressor.

I strongly, strongly suspect money was the primary reason for the move. I believe the WAC was flush with cash after all the bigger name schools left. Didn't they vote on a big exit fee and then a bunch of schools left anyway? I bet the WAC used that money to subsidize a couple established DI schools like UMKC to join the WAC in order to keep the conference viable. One has to wonder how long that money will last and if the exhaustion of that money is one of the reasons UMKC is considering its options.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

I'd be all for them coming back into the Summit League. Geographical fit and helps sustain our membership. I also thought it was very short sighted when they went to the WAC. You have to think they thought it would be easier to make the NCAA tourney in the WAC. How did that work out for you?

Doesn't matter which conference you are in, you have to run a solid basketball program to make the big dance. This is D-I athletics...not SD HS sports where if it is too hard, just add another classification!

As OldHare mentioned on a similar post, the president at the time was quoted as saying that making the 64 was the Holy Grail in basketball, and they needed to find a conference where they could compete. As you say, it didn't work out, but remember when they went, the WAC had lost all but one of it's old members and was being assembled from (IMHO misfits) other teams in the process. There is no way they could add football. We went to UMKC for lots of games, and they had almost zero support.

[BTownJack]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

I'd be all for them coming back into the Summit League. Geographical fit and helps sustain our membership. I also thought it was very short sighted when they went to the WAC. You have to think they thought it would be easier to make the NCAA tourney in the WAC. How did that work out for you?

Doesn't matter which conference you are in, you have to run a solid basketball program to make the big dance. This is D-I athletics...not SD HS sports where if it is too hard, just add another classification!

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

http://umkcroos.proboards.com/thread...trying-send-d2

At least UMKC has a fan board. Does Ft Wayne? No. Does Chicago State? Don't know, afraid to look.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

I went to a couple of games at the Swinney. While playing in a high school gym was anything but pleasant, the it was better than IUPUI (at the Fairgrounds) or ORU. They're probably rattling around in their new venue. Nobody could figure out what they were thinking when they went to the WAC, but the move did give them a good source for December non-league games. I, for one, would be happy to have them back and it's certainly a better fit for them.

[Nidaros]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

GCU is Grand Canyon University, a for profit college in Phoenix. They are a up and coming basketball team and are in the WAC.

Thanks I once went to their game when they were D2 and played in a different facility. They did not have much support back then.

[Rabbit74]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

GCU is Grand Canyon University, a for profit college in Phoenix. They are a up and coming basketball team and are in the WAC.

[Nidaros]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

You could make the same argument about GCU, and they have good crowds, and get support from the community.

Most things are what you make of it.

I believe if they added baseball, had a 5-6K arena on campus and rejoined the Summit League that they could become a respectable D-I mid/low major school

I am stupid! Who is GCU?

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

UMKC is in a brutal spot. Reminds me a lot of UNO but worse. KC is a Chiefs and Royals town. For college, they care about Kansas, Kansas State, and Mizzou.

UMKC isn't even on the radar in KC. They get no coverage and no attendance. Pretty brutal to turn that around.

SUPERBUNNY

[joeboo22]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

This the other side of the coin, the following of athletics by UMKC students and alums is almost nonexistent. SDSU has this only game in town going for them and it makes a differnce. In the future with travel becoming easier, attractions in SF may become competion.

You could make the same argument about GCU, and they have good crowds, and get support from the community.

Most things are what you make of it.

I believe if they added baseball, had a 5-6K arena on campus and rejoined the Summit League that they could become a respectable D-I mid/low major school

[Nidaros]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

I don't see them as being able to afford football and/or baseball, there are few if any deep pockets IMO. Basketball has not been able to gain traction and the media has a full plate re athletics in the metro. I wish them the best but hard to visualize a successful strategy for the revenue sports. Time will tell.

This the other side of the coin, the following of athletics by UMKC students and alums is almost nonexistent. SDSU has this only game in town going for them and it makes a differnce. In the future with travel becoming easier, attractions in SF may become competion.

[jackdaniel]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

One thing about the SL tournament in SF . . . if a non-Dakota (okay, someone other than SDSU or USD) team wins the darn thing, they have a puncher's chance in the first round of an NCAA tournament, because the environment in Sioux Falls (assuming playing a Dakota school...okay, SDSU or USD) will be way more adverse than what they'll see in the NCAA tournament. (OK, the NCAA women's tournament is a clusterf*** on this, but go with me here.)

"What does not kill you makes you stronger." -Fredrich Nietzsche

True,it's hard to win in Sioux Falls,but is it that much different than having to play a top 4 seeded team basically on their home court,as is currently the case? Not much whining about that,even though whining probably wouldn't accomplish much when you are whining to the NCAA admittedly.Wait,am i saying the same thing you just said.....sorry.

[OldHare]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

I am guessing that the UMKC AD was wagering that the Roos would have a better chance of walking into the WAC and winning a conference tourney. That did not materialize. Notice that AD is gone and I think that president is also gone. They spent many years with Matt Brown hoping he could put a team at the top of the Summit. The men's team has never cracked the seal even though the women's team nearly took one in Sioux Falls. Will the Summit welcome back a program that is tipping? UND, Denver, UNO, and the Yotes have been more solid for the growth curve than the Roos. Remember the Roos had the WAC pay the exit fee from the Summit. How will they pay the entrance fee? It is a good geographical fit, but I am not sure Douple is rushing to KC with an offer. UMKC will need to be the aggressor.

[Roy]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

I don't see them as being able to afford football and/or baseball, there are few if any deep pockets IMO. Basketball has not been able to gain traction and the media has a full plate re athletics in the metro. I wish them the best but hard to visualize a successful strategy for the revenue sports. Time will tell.

[filbert]

Re: UMKC Studying Athletics Future

Does anyone know how UMKC was doing,Athletics budget wise,before they left for the WAC and when they were a member of the Summit league? No doubt ,joining the WAC was a big mistake in my opinion. Think back when Candice Whitaker was head coach at UMKC (now HC at Tex Tech ) and how close they came to an NCAA Tournament trip they were,the Jacks winning on a last second failed FG attempt by the Kangaroos. Everone wants to complain about the advantage the Jacks and Yotes enjoy by having the tournament in Sioux Falls, That may be true, but there haven't been too many dominate wins in the championship games in the SL Tournaments history since 2008. Western Illinois just did it last year in WBB,playing against IUPUI no less. Nothing's a guarantee when you play against equal caliber teams,no matter where.

One thing about the SL tournament in SF . . . if a non-Dakota (okay, someone other than SDSU or USD) team wins the darn thing, they have a puncher's chance in the first round of an NCAA tournament, because the environment in Sioux Falls (assuming playing a Dakota school...okay, SDSU or USD) will be way more adverse than what they'll see in the NCAA tournament. (OK, the NCAA women's tournament is a clusterf*** on this, but go with me here.)

"What does not kill you makes you stronger." -Fredrich Nietzsche