Is UMKC coming back?

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

I just found this web page. Sure looks like a page about to be released/posted announcing the return of the Roos.

http://www.thesummitleague.org/members/umkc/index

Hard to argue with it. When the Summit League website is already showing stuff about UMKC it sounds like its a done deal.

SUPERBUNNY

[Rabbit74]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

It appears that it is an old page that still gets updated as the IUPUI similar page is still out there also. But i fully expect we will see UMKC back next year.

[jackdaniel]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

It appears that it is an old page that still gets updated as the IUPUI similar page is still out there also. But i fully expect we will see UMKC back next year.

Fire that guy....LOL,j/k

[LakeJack]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt...179955046.html

[filbert]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

I'll resurrect this thread with this:

UMKC's Move to Travel-Heavy Conference Strains Athletics Department Budget

The school hoped its move to the WAC — a mid-major conference that doesn’t have football — would bring more exposure to its athletics department. Instead, UMKC is taking a serious look at its five-year-old affiliation.
The UMKC athletics department’s total operating expenses for the 2016-17 school year was $15 million, while total revenues were $14.8 million, according to NCAA records filed with the University of Missouri System. Plus, UMKC trimmed $1.3 million from the athletics department this school year in part because of the UM System’s budget crunch.
“When you have a crisis like this and chaos, it does make you shake it all up and figure out what’s really important,” UMKC athletics director Carla Wilson says.

The athletics department itself is now operating at a basic level. Unlike their best years as a contender during the mid-2000s in the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League), the Kangaroos have no pep band nor cheerleaders at home basketball games. The men’s basketball radio announcer, Steven Davis, no longer travels to away games. Sports Information Director Shelby Hild left midseason, so the department doesn’t have a full-time director.

UMKC gets a new chancellor (president) in June. Change may be in the air. They may very well want back into the Summit League. I guess they'd be better than a D-II move-up like Central Missouri or one of the Minnesota schools . . . maybe.

[goon]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

not to sound to high and mighty, but would the summit really be that interested in bringing them back? ORU, yes, they seem to have something to offer and a history that suggests competitive atleast. UMKC? I would rather summit try to talk Augie into moving up. Go Pioneer in football and summit in other stuff. Or I think we need to recruit someone like UNC, a travel partner for Denver and something regional for them, and really I think UNI. probably more since the are a regional team, would be a good addition and have built in rivalry with several schools already from the old NCC days. depending on what UNIs budgets would look like between staying in MVC or leaving for summit I would find interesting.

A school like UMKC who can barely pay the bills, cant have a pep band, has no media coverage and minimal fan support doesn't really interest me. I know others and media took IUPUI leaving and thought it was a negative for the summit, but I only see it as a positive, a little annoying at the timing and have to reschedule some games, but as a whole we got rid of one of the weaker schools, adding umkc adds a little stability if any, and just a bunch of crappy teams that don't help raise the profile of the summit league.

[Rabbitball]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

I would rather summit try to talk Augie into moving up.

Lots of people are saying the decision to move up has already been made

[filbert]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

Lots of people are saying the decision to move up has already been made

I keep hearing this, but there are never any names associated with it.

The problem with "the decision having been made" is that a D-II school CAN NOT MOVE UP TO D-I WITHOUT AN INVITATION IN HAND FROM A D-I CONFERENCE.

Unless you're saying that Douple has already made that decision. It doesn't matter if Augie's administration or boosters have "decided" to move to D-I. They simply can not unless they obtain an invite from an existing D-I conference.

I suppose it's possible, but I'm intensely dubious at this point.

[filbert]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

not to sound to high and mighty, but would the summit really be that interested in bringing them back? ORU, yes, they seem to have something to offer and a history that suggests competitive atleast. UMKC? I would rather summit try to talk Augie into moving up. Go Pioneer in football and summit in other stuff. Or I think we need to recruit someone like UNC, a travel partner for Denver and something regional for them, and really I think UNI. probably more since the are a regional team, would be a good addition and have built in rivalry with several schools already from the old NCC days. depending on what UNIs budgets would look like between staying in MVC or leaving for summit I would find interesting.

A school like UMKC who can barely pay the bills, cant have a pep band, has no media coverage and minimal fan support doesn't really interest me. I know others and media took IUPUI leaving and thought it was a negative for the summit, but I only see it as a positive, a little annoying at the timing and have to reschedule some games, but as a whole we got rid of one of the weaker schools, adding umkc adds a little stability if any, and just a bunch of crappy teams that don't help raise the profile of the summit league.

I do not entirely disagree with what you say here.

UMKC is a marginal add to the Summit League.

I'd rather add Central Missouri (if they're even interested), Lindenwood outside St. Louis, or Concordia-St. Paul (just to piss off Minnesota fans). I don't see what adding Augie over a better-situated D-II move-up really gives the Summit League.

[LARabbit]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

Lots of people are saying the decision to move up has already been made

I hope this is just rumor and there’s no merit. I know the Sioux Falls media have been talking about this, but Augie does nothing for me. They’re an okay school, but not a national university. They don’t add a new media market, they don’t add new recruiting ground, and I don’t see them having sustained success. I wish one of the Minnesota schools would make the move, but I haven’t seen anything lead me to believe that will happen anytime soon.

[FeaRed]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

Too lazy to go look now but I believe UMKC did a study a year or so ago and a move to Division 2 was either recommended or listed as a solid option for them.

[Jacks-02]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

The only way I'd be interested in taking UMKC back is if it was necessary to save the conference's auto-bid, and we aren't in that situation right now.

We don't need more sub-300 RPI teams in the league. We need quality institutions to raise the profile, and UMKC doesn't do that in any fashion.

No cheerleaders, pep band, or traveling radio announcer? Other than a number, UMKC does nothing for the conference.

As to Augie, I'll believe it when I see the press conference. Unless they have a mega-donor ready to step up with $100M+ to fund the move, I just don't see how they can afford it, even with non-scholly football.

[NebraskaJack]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

I would hate to see Augie move up. I think they would be ok, but they would just be more competition for state funds, fan base, recruits, sponsorship dollars, media coverage, etc....

In my mind nothing good would come of them moving up. They would be my last option to save the conference from imploding. South Dakota can't support 3 DI universities.....especially if we aspire to be anything beyond a low major university. Success requires funding and splitting the pot more ways is a bad idea. Just my two cents.

[Nidaros]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

I would hate to see Augie move up. I think they would be ok, but they would just be more competition for state funds, fan base, recruits, sponsorship dollars, media coverage, etc....

In my mind nothing good would come of them moving up. They would be my last option to save the conference from imploding. South Dakota can't support 3 DI universities.....especially if we aspire to be anything beyond a low major university. Success requires funding and splitting the pot more ways is a bad idea. Just my two cents.

Craig and what’s his face on Kwsn have been promoting the Augie move, but when they asked Douple about it, he said there had been no contact with Augustana which tells you the current administration wants to stay put at D2.

[goon]

Re: Is UMKC coming back?

I would say that Angie would most years be top half IMHO in basketball. I think they would get the support and fans would get behind it. It would help secure the summit league and tourney. It's maybe not the greatest option but it's still a really good one. I would trade to add augie and drop ipfw or pufw what ever they are. Losing iupui and adding und I think are both positives. Adding umkc would be back tracking.