United Basketball Conference

[JACKGUYII]

Re: United Basketball Conference

I think the alliance is good idea to satisfy games in January and Febuary. I don't think anyone has the illusion this is the beginning of a conference. Mike on KWSN took shots at the potential alliance without any sound rational. He felt just keep doing what your doing in terms of scheduling for the next couple of years. They seemed to think we were compromising our integrity by creating this alliance with this collection of schools. They were talking with Chris Solari regarding the future of the NCC and whether the old schools would get back together in the form of a new DI conference. Chris alluded to the fact he was writing a piece for Sunday's paper on this very topic. Chris explained the whole 13 year situation before a conference could get an automatic bid. He alluded that if the Horizon or MVC had a large departure of schools a number of former NCC schools could join with the benefit of a auto bid once the school had put in their 5 years.  

[filbert]

Re: United Basketball Conference

Does anybody know if any official announcement is going to be made, and if so when/where? I still can't find a thing except the Kolpack article.

[JBNJBQ]

Re: United Basketball Conference

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...601190338/1002


SDSU forms basketball alliance
Five colleges, including NDSU, will start facing off next year



Chris Solari
csolari@argusleader.com

Article Published: 01/19/06, 2:55 am

It's not the Big Sky or the Mid-Continent. It's likely nothing more than a quick fix.

But when South Dakota State's basketball teams enter next season, they will have a pseudo-conference to play in - at least temporarily.

SDSU's men and women joined five other independent schools to form an alliance, which is being called the United Basketball Conference. Each school - SDSU, North Dakota State, Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley State - will play against the other "members" starting in January and February of 2007.

"I don't necessarily feel that we need to have it as a conference - I don't need a conference mug or letterhead with a conference logo," Jackrabbit women's coach Aaron Johnston said. "It's getting a competitive schedule, a balanced schedule, and creating some awards and recognition that all players in independent basketball should get."

In many ways, this is a home for wayward souls making their way into the Division I ranks. All of the schools involved are searching for permanent conference and could bolt at any second, with the coalition beginning and operating on a month-to-month lease.

NDSU Athletic Director Gene Taylor said no determinations have been made on whether there will be a name for what he referred to as a "scheduling agreement," nor could he say whether the schools involved will approach the NCAA about becoming a recognized conference.

He and the other schools' athletic directors, including SDSU's Fred Oien, met at the NCAA Convention two weeks ago to hammer out the details with the full understanding that this may not be a permanent setup.

"Everyone knows that if comes with an (automatic qualifier) and they offer it up, you're going to take it," Taylor said. "In the meantime before that, we'll act as a conference."

The NCAA requires any new conference in Division I to wait 13 years to even apply for an automatic qualifier. That is, when a school wins a conference championship, it receives an automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament's field of 65 teams for the men and 64 for women.

Some of the teams already play each other. SDSU's men and women, for instance, have home and away games this season with Utah Valley State and IPFW. The women play Texas-Pan American once in Edinburg, Texas, while the men will play two games.

But what the independent coaches have found to push along this agreement is that when creating their schedules, it's difficult to get games in January and February when established D-I teams are entrenched in conference play. And getting a game at home is virtually an impossibility during that time.

"It's a creation out of convenience," said NJIT men's coach Jim Casciano, whose school is a year behind SDSU in the transition to Division I. "When I put my schedule together and looked at mid-January on, it was pretty scary. Who the heck am I going to play?

"Even though it's not the most geographically attractive, it allows you to have games to carry you over until the first week of March."

The men's and women's teams will play home and away games with each other on a Wednesday-Saturday schedule, Taylor said. There was talk of possibly extending into postseason conference tournament, but that won't happen in the first year.

"It's truly a scheduling alliance that allows for more sane travel patterns, and it allows guys to get in and practice on a regular basis," said NDSU men's coach Tim Miles, a Doland native.

SDSU and NDSU both joined the United Soccer Conference in November, a similar grouping of D-I programs without an established league. The Dakota schools' wrestling programs also have been attempting to finalize a wrestling conference with schools in the western part of the country.

"I'm pleased with it. It's something we worked hard on to get done for this year's schedule, but we weren't able to get enough coaches on board for it," Johnston said. "The difference for next year is that the athletic directors got involved."

Taylor said the goal is to help unify the current D-I independent school's other championships under one umbrella and mentioned that volleyball could be the next sport with a similar arrangement.

"It's tough to justify round-robin scheduling for track and golf," Taylor said. "We've already got soccer, now we've got men's and women's basketball. Volleyball could be next and makes the most sense."

Reach Chris Solari at 977-3923.

[Jacks02]

Re: United Basketball Conference


The men's and women's teams will play home and away games with each other on a Wednesday-Saturday schedule, Taylor said.

Am I reading this correct that this means there will be some double headers again?

[jackmd]

Re: United Basketball Conference

The men's and women's teams will play home and away games with each other on a Wednesday-Saturday schedule, Taylor said.

Am I reading this correct that this means there will be some double headers again?

My understanding is that the women will be away while the men are at home and vice versa. So the women will play Wednesday at Utah Valley St. and the men against UVSt. at Frost the same night. Not sure if I am understanding correctly, however. I don't think any doubleheaders are planned, they are a thing of the DII years of the past.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: United Basketball Conference

My understanding is that the women will be away while the men are at home and vice versa.  So the women will play Wednesday at Utah Valley St. and the men against UVSt. at Frost the same night.  Not sure if I am understanding correctly, however.  I don't think any doubleheaders are planned, they are a thing of the DII years of the past.

I agree I dont expect to see double hitters. Its kind of interesting that two days after drawing nearly 4400 at the Bison Sports Arena, NDSU has a double hitter with the men playing UMKC and the women played Valley State of the DAC conference.  Their attendence was only 2000 and some change.  I think we are better off keeping them separate and playing different nights. If scheduling is a problem now it would be worse as an independant and trying to get a game for both men and women at home on any given night. Of course the UBC would lessen that some but I dont think this what any of the members would want.

[Jacks99]

Re: United Basketball Conference

A big bonus to this alliance is the fact that these teams are more on an even playing field. Some of these games may replace higher level teams meaning more wins for all involved. Getting a season over .500 would be nice for the men :-/

[jackmd]

Re: United Basketball Conference

A big bonus to this alliance is the fact that these teams are more on an even playing field.  Some of these games may replace higher level teams meaning more wins for all involved.  Getting a season over .500 would be nice for the men :-/  

Exactly what Nagy said earlier this season. He predicted that the difficult schedule would lead to some struggle but felt that without a conference affiliation he needed something to entice recruits with. Hence, playing at Kentucky and Illinois. I don't expect to see nearly as difficult an early season schedule next year.

[SiouxFallsJack]

Re: United Basketball Conference

Would they play on the same nights or set up a rotation where the women play Wed/Fri, men Thur/Sat or some other combination?

[jackmd]

Re: United Basketball Conference

Would they play on the same nights or set up a rotation where the women play Wed/Fri, men Thur/Sat or some other combination?  

Same night was my understanding. I'm sure the details will follow.

[89rabbit]

Re: United Basketball Conference

Link to the Brookings Register story:

http://www.brookingsregister.com/mai...18&page=25

Go State! ;D