ORU to Southland a done deal

[joeboo22]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

What about Nebraska Kearney??

You are the Nebraska one but do you think that they would make the move? Would UNL let them?

[The Sports Block]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

October 26th Sports Lounge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVGva3p7gpI

0:00 - 14:40 Oral Roberts leaving the Summit League for the Southland conference.
14:40 - 21:35 NDSU vs. Northern Iowa football preview
21:35 - 28:10 World Series talk
28:10 - 35:01 An 87 year old man with 229 pounds of cocaine and Vince Young wanting $8,000 in one dollar bills

[filbert]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

Mmmmm. I don't know that you want another D-1 school in this area. I miscounted the number of D-1 schools in this general area, and we're looking at 11 with roughly 11M people, and 4 BCS schools among that 11. I don't think a 12 school in the heart of the NE/MN/SD/ND/IA region can thrive without weakening every other school.

Apart from the comparative difference in prestige between the Summit, Valley & Horizon, if you look at a plot of the locations of schools, The Summit forms a kind of crescent around almost all of the Valley and most of the Horizon. Even if the Summit were on a peer level with the Valley & Horizon, it would be tough to draw members out of those conferences because of the increased travel costs.

Another outside the box thought: WKU. Are they going to hit a 'crap or get off the pot' stage with FBS football? I imagine that they would be welcomed back into the Valley, and would be a fit for the Summit in all other sports. The argument that they went FBS because they were overrepresented in women's sports is flat contradicted by Equity in Athletics data which suggests that, if anything, they are in need of reducing men's participation.

I don't disagree with anything you say. But, if a miracle happens and you happen to land two teams from the east, you need one in the west to balance out your conference at a 12-team, 2, division league.

(And, scheduling for sports like basketball with 12 teams in 2 divisions is rather advantageous--10 games home and home with your divisional opponents, and alternating years home/away with teams in the opposite division--sixteen conference games, which not only really cuts down conference travel costs but give you another couple of opportunities for either a guarantee game or another home game.)

Yes, the Minnesota/Dakotas market is at this point saturated with D-I schools and doesn't need additional entrants into the market. But that needs to be balanced against other considerations. Basically, we're brainstorming, here . . .

[GopherHole]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

What about Nebraska Kearney??

That would be a stretch. Nice program, nice facilities, nice people - but I'm afraid that would be too big of a pond for them to swim in. In addition, they are currently in the process of switching to a stronger D-II conference (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association).

As far as UNL is concerned, UNK struggles with home game crowds when the Huskers play day games. I swear Kearney High School draws better crowds than UNK and they play on the same field. Recruiting is also tough as they usually lost out to UNO on recruits and both lost out to UNL's walk-on program.

[The Sports Block]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

http://www.archive.org/details/South...ettNov.1st2011

- Southland Commissioner Tom Burnett joins the Sports Block with Nathan, Travis and Charlie to discuss Oral Roberts leaving the Summit League to go to the Southland conference. He also discusses paying student athletes and picks the LSU/Alabama game.

[joeybrownerHOF]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

It appears the OVC has decided against expansion. NKU(non football) and UNA(football) were both looking for an invite.

[filbert]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

I suspect the odds are that Northern Kentucky may wind up in the Summit League. I really don't see the Horizon taking a school directly out of D-II. (I'd rather that the days of the Summit doing it would be coming to an end as well, by the way.)

North Alabama might actually land in . . . um . . . Big South? Southland? Maybe the SoCon? Depends on whether they've been making take-our-FB-program-to-FBS noises, possibly. Not sure a FCS league would be all too eager to take them in on that basis. But if they are headed in that direction, the Sun Belt might be calling.

[joeybrownerHOF]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

I suspect the odds are that Northern Kentucky may wind up in the Summit League. I really don't see the Horizon taking a school directly out of D-II. (I'd rather that the days of the Summit doing it would be coming to an end as well, by the way.)

North Alabama might actually land in . . . um . . . Big South? Southland? Maybe the SoCon? Depends on whether they've been making take-our-FB-program-to-FBS noises, possibly. Not sure a FCS league would be all too eager to take them in on that basis. But if they are headed in that direction, the Sun Belt might be calling.

I fully agree with the comment concerning Summit League ending the days of taking direct D-II transition teams. I also have a hard time taking schools that don't have football and can put all their eggs in one basket with basketball. I understand that is the nature of the beast with the Summit/MVFC affiliation, and have to accept it. Doesn't mean I am overly enthused about it. Getting EIU to move out of the OVC would be more ideal (yes, understand issues with football and MVFC there) but I think that could be overcome and appease the eastern FB schools. Again, assuming EIU would want to make such move, which they probably don't. It appears that 8 of 11 schools in OVC voted for an invite but they needed 9 votes.

[Nidaros]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

I suspect the odds are that Northern Kentucky may wind up in the Summit League. I really don't see the Horizon taking a school directly out of D-II. (I'd rather that the days of the Summit doing it would be coming to an end as well, by the way.)

North Alabama might actually land in . . . um . . . Big South? Southland? Maybe the SoCon? Depends on whether they've been making take-our-FB-program-to-FBS noises, possibly. Not sure a FCS league would be all too eager to take them in on that basis. But if they are headed in that direction, the Sun Belt might be calling.

UNA Football is coached a son of Bobby Bowdon. If they are looking for some games, this would be a quality opponent.

[zooropa]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

all their eggs in one basket with basketball

The three best Summit MBB schools are Oakland, IUPUI and ORU. None of them have football. The Summit is better off with schools that can afford to spend money on their MBB program.

[joeybrownerHOF]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

The three best Summit MBB schools are Oakland, IUPUI and ORU. None of them have football. The Summit is better off with schools that can afford to spend money on their MBB program.

Not my point.

[zooropa]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

Not my point.

Then what was your point?

[JACKGUYII]

Re: ORU to Southland a done deal

You certainly hate to see a ORU leave the conference, but over the long haul Northern Kentucky will be a great addition to the Summit. Would not be surprised if ORU continues to have financial problems.