Summit League Football? (with the end of Great West)?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

New Summit League?

NDSU
SDSU
UND
USD
Southern Utah
Western Illinois

With the exception of UND, all will be permanent members of the Summit in all other sports.

All three Great West schools not named Cal Poly or UC Davis continue to play football.

Three Missouri Valley schools leave the 9-team conference as a result - but they can add three. The new MVC looks like:

UNI
Illinois State
Indiana State
Missouri State
Youngstown State
Southern Illinois
Wichita State (adds football again)
Nebraska-Omaha (transition from D-II)
Drake (from Pioneer)

With six "original members", they retain their autobid. The Summit either has to earn an autobid - or gets an exception.

Will this be the way things go?

[darell1976]

http://news.collegesportsinfo.com/2010/09/summit-league-football-dilemna-house-of.html

After reading this story about the SFL (Summit Football League) it doesn't look like it will happen.


So the house of cards of what would be Summit League football has it's biggest issue: what happens if they form a conference with six willing members, only to have Southern Utah leave? The result: a dead football conference.

[Professor Chaos]

It would be a slippery slope for the Summit League to push for this. I don't see NSDU, SDSU, and WIU being in any hurry to leave the MVFC (especially if an autobid isn't gauranteed) and I'm not sure the Summit is willing to give those schools the play-football-or-leave ultimatum and risk losing them. SUU's imminent departure to the Big Sky also is a big blocker for the Summit League football talk.

I think the most likely solution is that the Summit continues being a non-football league. The most likely scenario regarding them picking up football is to have some sort of partnership with the MVFC for football. MVFC commish Patty Viverito hasn't ruled that out but I would also think that the MVFC membership would be loathe to do this considering the fact that NDSU and SDSU had to do some serious lobbying to get in and even then it wasn't unanimous.

[darell1976]

It would be a slippery slope for the Summit League to push for this. I don't see NSDU, SDSU, and WIU being in any hurry to leave the MVFC (especially if an autobid isn't gauranteed) and I'm not sure the Summit is willing to give those schools the play-football-or-leave ultimatum and risk losing them. SUU's imminent departure to the Big Sky also is a big blocker for the Summit League football talk.

I think the most likely solution is that the Summit continues being a non-football league. The most likely scenario regarding them picking up football is to have some sort of partnership with the MVFC for football. MVFC commish Patty Viverito hasn't ruled that out but I would also think that the MVFC membership would be loathe to do this considering the fact that NDSU and SDSU had to do some serious lobbying to get in and even then it wasn't unanimous.

I think NDSU and SDSU are 100% against leaving in favor of the SFL. They are in a comfy spot in the MVFC and unless the Summit says join or your out. The SU's are going to remain in the MVFC. This just doesn't look good for UND and USD. SUU has an outside chance at the BSC but who knows.

[DFW HOYA]

Wichita State (adds football again)
Nebraska-Omaha (transition from D-II)
Drake (from Pioneer)
Will this be the way things go?

These three seem the least likely.

[NorCalJack]

Well this is what SDSU President Chicoine said about the Summit League Football

Q. The first Summit League football feasibility study committee held its first meeting Monday in Chicago. What's your take on that situation?

A. My position has been firm all along: We're in a very good football conference. It's served our student-athletes as well as any conference I can think of. We're going to want to help support the strengthening of that conference. I know the Summit League is studying football and the Missouri Valley Football Conference commissioner is participating in that study. We just have to be prepared for things that might change around us that would cause us to have to reposition ourselves. We have to be open about what might happen.

You can read the entire article here (http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100922/SPORTS0202/9220325/1002/sports)

Basically SDSU is very happy to be in the MVFC. I think NDSU is in the same boat , as is Western Illinois. I don't see any of these universities changing leagues without kicking and screaming. I don't think the non-Football members of the Summit really care one way or the other. The only schools that do want a Summit League Football conference is SUU and USD. But that is not enough to start a league.

[FargoBison]

This idea is officially dead...


As for the Summit League and the possibility of football, Taylor said that SL Commish Tom Douple said with the imminent departure of Southern Utah to the Big Sky to discuss adding football is a moot point, and didnt want to waste time. The Summit League is at a crossroads though, the league will lose Centenary after this season and looks like Southern Utah fairly soon.

http://bisonmedia.areavoices.com/2010/10/29/georgia-southern-is-out/

[Sec310]

If/when SUU & USD leave the SL, and UND goes Big Sky, will the SL still have their auto bid in basketball-six schools that have been together for past five years, I believe is the rule.

Oakland
UMKC
IUPUI
Oral Roberts
WIU

That's only five schools

I believe IPFW, NDSU & SDSU have been full SL members for two years and this is their third.

[FargoBison]

If/when SUU & USD leave the SL, and UND goes Big Sky, will the SL still have their auto bid in basketball-six schools that have been together for past five years, I believe is the rule.

Oakland
UMKC
IUPUI
Oral Roberts
WIU

That's only five schools

I believe IPFW, NDSU & SDSU have been full SL members for two years and this is their third.

SUU will likley remain in the League for at least one year and maybe two and on top of that there is a two year grace period. So the Summit is fine for now.

[darell1976]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=whelliston_kyle&id=3609171


NCAA men's basketball rules require conferences to pass a three-step eligibility check for auto-bid qualification: at least seven fully fledged Div. I members, seven that have been Div. I for at least eight years (known as "core members"), and six core members who have been league mates for five years.SL could be in trouble. Unless they include transition years or else the SU's are fine but if not this is only year 3.

[FargoBison]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=whelliston_kyle&id=3609171

SL could be in trouble. Unless they include transition years or else the SU's are fine but if not this is only year 3.

The rules of what defines a conference have changed. The Summit is safe for now.

[darell1976]

The rules of what defines a conference have changed. The Summit is safe for now.

Until Centenary leaves next year and USD and SUU is gone probably 2012. That would leave the SU's at year 5. Still have 3 more years of no AQ.

This was as of 2008 for the GWC what changed in 2 years??

[FargoBison]

Until Centenary leaves next year and USD and SUU is gone probably 2012. That would leave the SU's at year 5. Still have 3 more years of no AQ.

There is no such thing as core member anymore. The rules changed when the NCAA changed the process of moving into DI.

Plus there is a two year grace period. As long as the Summit remains the same it is fine. The article you quoted is outdated.

[darell1976]

There is no such thing as core member anymore. The rules changed when the NCAA changed the process of moving into DI.

Plus there is a two year grace period. As long as the Summit remains the same it is fine. The article you quoted is outdated.

I couldn't find a damn rule on google except this one. So with no more core members as long as they have 7 members they are fine.

[Sec310]

So when did IPFW, SDSU, and NDSU become full D1 members? Even if SUU leaves in two years, would the SL have the seven schools needed?

If there are in fact, new rules, what are they?

[FargoBison]

This is the change that went or goes into effect.....


8. Eliminate the designations of “core” and “continuity” for Division I institutions and create a more meaningful definition of a multisport conference, including a minimum number of active members, minimum sport sponsorship, officiating and compliance program rules.

I haven't seen the new rule exactly but from what I remember hearing it is a lot softer than the old rule. Which was really pretty confusing because a school had to be in DI for so long and then together in the same conference for so long.

[UNIFanSince1983]

On the halftime show of the UNI game the the associate commish of the Valley said there is a chance of having a two division conference with the summit as one division and the MVC as the other. Personally this sounds like a great idea to me, but I think it is one of the least likely scenarios. What sounded most likely is having games scheduled with UND and USD, but them not really being members or something like that I didn't really understand what he was getting at.

[89rabbit]

On the halftime show of the UNI game the the associate commish of the Valley said there is a chance of having a two division conference with the summit as one division and the MVC as the other. Personally this sounds like a great idea to me, but I think it is one of the least likely scenarios. What sounded most likely is having games scheduled with UND and USD, but them not really being members or something like that I didn't really understand what he was getting at.

Interesting. xeyebrowx

[leatherneck177]

I can't see Western leaving the MVFC. They would lose some of the rivalries with Illinois State and Northern Iowa.

[Big Al]

On the halftime show of the UNI game the the associate commish of the Valley said there is a chance of having a two division conference with the summit as one division and the MVC as the other. Personally this sounds like a great idea to me, but I think it is one of the least likely scenarios. What sounded most likely is having games scheduled with UND and USD, but them not really being members or something like that I didn't really understand what he was getting at.

That's how I heard it, as well. I think he was saying it's better for the current MVFC members if the UxD schools are not in the conference, making it easier for MVFC schools to fill out their OOC schedules. He didn't shut the door on adding the UxDs in the future but sounded much more interested in setting up a scheduling agreement.