Summit League Expansion Targets?

[filbert]

Nine members is a really sub-optimal number of members for a conference.

As far as I know, there's really been nothing, not even rumors, of potential Summit League expansion targets. There are two groups of potential SL members: current D-1 schools and D-II's. (St. Thomas is a unicorn as a direct D-III to D-I transfer, and NAIA to D-I would I think be even more unicorn-ish.)

I realize it's all the vogue in college athletics to totally ignore such trivial things as geographic fit, but I'm a traditionalist so that's what I'm going with--geographical fit defined vaguely as currently in or adjacent to a state with a Summit League team (and leaving off Texas as definitely out of SL territory)..

Given that, there are very few current D-I schools that might even contemplate a Summit League membership, as most are either geographically unsuited or in a "better" (FBS or high-end D-I-AAA) conference. I suppose there may be some perennial bottom-feeders in those conferences that might consider a move to the Summit League to "get right" but let's gloss over them for now. So, for giggles, these are the only two schools I'd realistically consider potential current D-I targets for the SL:

Central Arkansas (A-Sun)
Northern Colorado (Big Sky)

Reclassing from D-II to D-I now costs $5 million payable to the NCAA which makes it significantly more difficult. Even so, there are D-II's in the NSIC, RMAC, and MIAA that are large enough institutions (8-10k or larger student bodies) and/or in/close to decent enough markets to even consider the move:

NSIC:
Concordia-St. Paul
Minnesota-Duluth
Minnesota State-Mankato
St. Cloud State

RMAC
Colorado-Colorado Springs
Colorado School of Mines

MIAA
Central Missouri
Central Oklahoma
Washburn

So that's eleven targets. Some are more realistic than others, for all kinds of reasons, but ya work with what ya got.

[hareball]

Need to get to 10 members. Possible options (not necessarily in order of preference)
1) Northern Colorado - obvious travel partner with Denver. If not Northern Colorado, wouldn't bother me to see Denver find a new home.
2) Central Arkansas & UALR - 2 schools are less than 40 miles apart. Would provide somewhat more regional competition for ORU.
3) UNI & Drake - only happen if MVC blows up

[GoJacks2011]

Good list. I'd prefer either one of the D1 schools mentioned or Mankato/Duluth. Both Mankato's men and women are in the NSIC championship today.

[MontanaRabbit]

No more DII schools. We went DI to get away from those types of schools. We need to strive to stay with the Northern Iowa's and Drakes of the world.

[JACKGUYII]

St Cloud is a non-starter as have lost over 6,000 students in the last decade and faces a 24 million dollar budget deficit. The only D2 school that could make sense would be Minnesota State. Would love to see a new FBS conference with the Montana Schools. Will be interesting to see what happens with PAC 2 and Mountain West once the dust settles. SDSU and NDSU well positioned to make a play there.

[OldHare]

Is a Minnesota school a serious candidate? It seems the ability to hold to the U of M as the only public institution as D1 makes any of those choices unlikely. The Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, & Colorado locations are good locations. Wisconsin could also be a state to check. Hopefully, Fenton can find members like Doupal found members. Many thought Doupal was not working until a new member hit the board. It is not likely recruiting members will be in the daily paper.

[filbert]

No more DII schools. We went DI to get away from those types of schools. We need to strive to stay with the Northern Iowa's and Drakes of the world.

I agree with the sentiment, but the currently-DI candidate list is extremely short. I thought about trying to poach UWGB and Milwaukee from the Horizon but that's probably at least a long shot as trying to poach Drake or UNI.

My personal favorites would be to add Northern Colorado (Denver travel partner), Central Oklahoma (ORU travel partner) and Central Missouri (UMKC travel partner) to get to a 12-school league. UND-NDSU, USD-SDSU and St. Thomas-Omaha would then be the other three travel partner pairs.

[filbert]

Is a Minnesota school a serious candidate? It seems the ability to hold to the U of M as the only public institution as D1 makes any of those choices unlikely. The Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, & Colorado locations are good locations. Wisconsin could also be a state to check. Hopefully, Fenton can find members like Doupal found members. Many thought Doupal was not working until a new member hit the board. It is not likely recruiting members will be in the daily paper.

It will be interesting to see if the ascent of St. Thomas will move the standing opposition of the Minnesota polity to any state-supported full D-! school other than U of M.

[MontanaRabbit]

I agree with the sentiment, but the currently-DI candidate list is extremely short. I thought about trying to poach UWGB and Milwaukee from the Horizon but that's probably at least a long shot as trying to poach Drake or UNI.

We are probably getting to the point where we need to look to move "up". Continuing to backfill the Summit is just going to weaken the conference.

[bigticket1]

We are probably getting to the point where we need to look to move "up". Continuing to backfill the Summit is just going to weaken the conference.

There definitely needs to be a plan in place if the chance to move up presents itself (and I'm sure there is one). With a reorganization of FBS and FCS likely to happen sooner rather than later, it doesn't make sense to me to pay the $ 5 million fee to jump up until that gets resolved. If a new division made up of G5 and the upper end of FCS happens, that would seem to be where we should land.

[MontanaRabbit]

There definitely needs to be a plan in place if the chance to move up presents itself (and I'm sure there is one). With a reorganization of FBS and FCS likely to happen sooner rather than later, it doesn't make sense to me to pay the $ 5 million fee to jump up until that gets resolved. If a new division made up of G5 and the upper end of FCS happens, that would seem to be where we should land.

100% agree. I hate the idea of moving up to FBS in its current format. We'd be playing football with no chance to ever win a championship. I don't think I'm in the minority in that I have no interest in playing in the Pop Tart bowl.

[DieselJacks]

https://www.argusleader.com/story/ne...a/72896333007/

Minnesota’s actions are going to continue to hurt every college but the Gophers. Aren’t they worried about their colleges’ rapidly declining enrollment?

[West-River_Jack]

I stumbled across this article a few days ago. I don't know if there is anything truly meaningful in it or not.

https://www.midmajormadness.com/2023...ivision-i-asap

[Grizzled_Jack]

Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma have Summit sized enrollments and are in exurban/suburban areas. Central Missouri has FCS/Mid Major facilities in football and basketball. Central Oklahoma might be a bit short in the basketball facilities but certainly not at the bottom of the Summit pack. Having seen both MIAA and OVC games @Lindenwood I think the MIAA's the better conference. If NW Missouri was in a better location and had better facilities they'd be a natural. Get both Centrals in there and add football. Better than playing Indiana State. Two adds would give you another odd member conference but I'm sure there's enough suggestions here to get you up to twelve. Personally I think that Augie is way above Centenary. Don't like Augie? Grab one of the Central's now, see who leaves and grab the other.

[perryc]

I don't believe there are any realistic candidates currently in D-I.

Washburn and Central Missouri will not be moving up in our lifetimes. No chance.

Northwest Missouri is happy in D-II. That may be subject to change with a future administration.

The only school ready to go is Augie. Let's rip the band-aid off and invite them already.