Oral Roberts to the Southland?

[dbackjon]

Oral Roberts University will enter talks about possibly joining the Southland Conference, ORU athletic director Mike Carter confirmed Thursday.

“No invitation is expected any time soon. Nothing is pending,” Carter said. “They’re interested in us and they’ve asked us to come and visit with them about it.”

Carter said such talks would occur in the next couple of weeks.

A highly placed Tulsa World source said, “There is interest both ways, and most people (involved) think it will happen.”

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=298&articleid=20110929_298_0_OralRo588207&rss_lnk=440

[superman7515]

Oral belongs in the Southland

[darell1976]

So the Summit will replace Centenary and ORU with South Dakota and Omaha.

[dbackjon]

So the Summit will replace Centenary and ORU with South Dakota and Omaha.

And SUU is leaving as well - to the Big Sky next year!

[darell1976]

The New Summit would look like this:

NDSU
SDSU
USD
UNO
WIU
IPFW
IUPUI
UMKC
Oakland

[TexasTerror]

Ooops... added this to SLC expansion thread. Sorry, missed this...

Oral Roberts makes tons of sense based on how the Summit League has progressed into its current form. If ORU were to jump into the SLC, it would be an immediate bolster for the league and put the conference in a state it has never been before.

If Oral Roberts is brought in before Houston Baptist - that would be REALLY interesting.

I would like to see UALR join the Southland, but the Sun Belt is not being proactive in expanding to 12 football teams and booting the lone non-football out. Still got that football issue to solve and the only likely football schools outside of a start-up in HBU would come from Div II level or if some reason or another, ULM drops from FBS.

[Mr. C]

Oral Roberts would be a great addition for Southland hoops and baseball. Maybe we could talk the Titan-Eagles into starting a football program.

[TexasTerror]

Moving quick?


Oral Roberts University athletic director Mike Carter and school president Mark Rutland met Wednesday with Southland Conference officials about the possibility of the Golden Eagles joining the Texas-based league.

"Information has been exchanged, and there is curiosity on both sides," Carter said.

Carter could not predict when a potential invitation might be extended because he said he didn't know how quickly the league might convene its athletic directors and presidents to consider the matter - or whether the Eagles would accept if invited.

"Probably sometime in the next few weeks" is the best way to describe the timeline, he said.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/ORU/article.aspx?subjectid=95&articleid=20111006_95_B5_OralRo356632

[BearsCountry]

ORU has a press conference today
http://orugoldeneagles.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17000&ATCLID=205321822

[TexasTerror]

The SLC Commish indicated in an interview over the weekend that it would be a 'little later' this fall. Guess this should be considered a 'little later'.

In the same interview, the Commish indicated that football was the priority, but if a potential member that did not play football and could help immediately was available, that would be appealing. Would believe that Oral Roberts is the most appealing of the non-football members at the Div I level in the vicinity (TX/LA/OK/ARK)- even more so than a UALR and definitely more so than a HBU or UT-Pan American.

I truly anticipate HBU to be invited with ramifications of their invite included - namely adding football and facility upgrades.

[superman7515]

I truly anticipate HBU to be invited with ramifications of their invite included - namely adding football and facility upgrades.

What would you propose the penalty and/or timeline to be? The MEAC allowed UMES back in under the specific guideline that they absolutely must restart football within 5 years. UMES agreed to that and the MEAC voted them back in, but forgot to set any penalties. That was 1981.

[darell1976]

Let the panic in the Summit League begin!! Possible teams being thrown around: MSU-Mankato, St. Cloud State (both DII). If Oakland bolts and IPFW and IUPUI leaves too, the Summit will be nothing but a glorified Great West Conference but with DII starter teams.

[darell1976]

When ORU leaves probably next season they will have 9. Nebraska Omaha joins next season to replace Southern Utah (Big Sky). South Dakota joins this season so 10 teams in 2011 and if ORU leaves in 2012....9 teams. ORU will become team number 20 to leave since UNI left in 1991. Thats an average of a team per year.

From what i heard CSU left the Summit under ugly terms so I don't think that will be an option.

[TexasTerror]

Presser is starting momentarily... video stream is already up on SLC NOW...

http://www.southland.org/newMediaPlayer/sl/console.htm?type=live&id=&oemid=18400&KEY=

[TexasTerror]

UPDATES...

Effective July 1, 2012...

ORU is ecstatic about geographic fit, but also recruiting student-athletes and student body...
Communicating between SLC, ORU for a few years...
Will miss Summit League, but excited about joining the SLC...

Commissioner...

Pleased with news...
SLC is closing in on 49th basketball season, great history...
Numerous competitive accomplishments - national championships, All-Americans, Olympians, Sweet 16, Elite 8's, Final Fours (Women's NCAA hoops).
Presidents examined numerous institutions - not just adding for sake of adding. Wanted value. Hard to find sometimes - strong competitive, academic, media market size, presence in media market, facilities.
ORU exceeded in categories - focused in on what ORU brings to SLC and what SLC brings to ORU
Not only is ORU good, but they do it the right way.
Great opportunity to be competitive and win - tough competition, nine other schools that will fight - tough places to win on road
Traveling & recruiting advantages in TX, LA, AR and now OK
Warm weather makes for competitive scheduling
Major airports throughout conference

[TexasTerror]

Hosting Conference Tournament
(ORU AD) - Conference has tournaments open to bid with several at spots contracted out like basketball in Houston. Plan to get involved.

Shift in Conferences
(SLC Commish) - Waiting on Mizzou, Big East, C-USA, etc. Can't control and have to make decisions best for your conference, membership. Got to be proactive and reactive. Two opposites. Very difficult for a lot of commissioners. We're all trying to scramble. Difficult time.

Southland Divide
(SLC Commish) - No divisions with 10 teams. True round robin schedules in basketball, most of sports.

Travel Benefits
(ORU AD) - Significant travel savings into SLC. Easier to get around. Does not have figures on him.

ORU Soccer
(ORU AD) - Does have women's soccer. Plan to be in Summit League or Missouri Valley. Other options out there, trying to figure out best fit for men's soccer.

Conference Options
(ORU AD) - We weren't pursuing options. SLC was interested in us, came to us. We were not looking. We didn't pursue other options. Very content in Summit League, could've continue. SLC has much better student-athlete welfare (traveling, missed class time).

Feeling from Coaches on SLC
(ORU AD) - Once notified coaches, they were all very excited. We recruit much more 'south' than 'north' of us, so that excited them.

SLC TV Network
(ORU AD) - Money goes back into the conference coffers.

On SLC Football
(ORU AD) - No plans. Joining as non-football, no intention. It'd be a great initiative, but now is not the timing.

Attendance at SLC Schools (Student Body Size)
(ORU AD) - Comparable
(SLC Commish) Enrollment is from 7500 to 24000. All public. ORU is first private since early 70s.

Impact Scholarships
(ORU AD) - No changes. Recruiting will change our recruiting base is stronger in TX, LA. I think we'll be down there.

Conference Buyout to Summit
(ORU AD) - Paying early withdrawal of $250k

[TexasTerror]

Official release...


FRISCO, Texas - The Southland Conference and Oral Roberts University announced Tuesday that the institution will become the newest member of the NCAA Division I league. The Tulsa, Okla.-based university will become the 10th member of the Southland on July 1, 2012, and will begin competing for conference championships in the 2012-13 academic year.

The ORU Golden Eagles will participate in 15 of the Southland's 17 sponsored championships, including men's sports basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. On the women's side, ORU will compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball.

"The Southland Conference, after a unanimous vote of its Board of Directors, is very pleased to extend an offer of membership to Oral Roberts University," said Dr. Baker Pattillo, Southland Board Chairman and the president at Stephen F. Austin State University. "Further, we are honored to learn of the institution's acceptance of our offer, and we are gratified by the approval of the ORU Board of Trustees, the leadership of President Mark Rutland and the diligent work of Athletic Director Mike Carter. The Southland presidents look forward to a beneficial partnership with ORU and its athletic program."

http://www.southland.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=18400&ATCLID=205322100

[LakesBison]

DARREL go back to naiaboards.com you dont know anything about summit league.


Summit will be fine with 9 teams, and they will add a team from the east to appease Oakland/Iupui/Ipfw case closed, ORU are wimps. run away, run away!!

[dbackjon]

Key item:

Feeling from Coaches on SLC
(ORU AD) - Once notified coaches, they were all very excited. We recruit much more 'south' than 'north' of us, so that excited them.

ORU now has access to games in recruit rich (for all sports) Tx and LA, instead of the barren wastelands of NB/Dakotas/Western Illinois.
They will lose out KC, Detroit and Indy areas, but can't imagine those were big areas for them to begin with.

[darell1976]

DARREL go back to naiaboards.com you dont know anything about summit league.


Summit will be fine with 9 teams, and they will add a team from the east to appease Oakland/Iupui/Ipfw case closed, ORU are wimps. run away, run away!!

http://www.bloggingthebracket.com/2011/1/14/1936018/wac-likely-to-keep-auto-bid-as-long-as-no-one-else-leaves


Under this new rule, to hold an auto bid to the tournament, a Division I conference must have seven men's basketball playing members with no continuity of membership requirements. Six of those schools must conduct conference play in five or more other sports. Cutting it kinda close aren't they? UNO isn't full members until 2015. So technically UNO doesn't count towards the auto-bid number so the Summit is down to 8 members!! How many more teams from the Summit might be gone until then. http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2011/March/Nebraska-Omaha+to+join+Summit+League

[darell1976]

Darrell - I think they are a bit more laid back on that rule (see the soon-to-be WAC) or may have changed it. Believe it came up when the WAC re-structured itself.

The NCAA dropped the core membership rule because of the WAC. But not this one.

[TexasTerror]

ORU MB thread...

http://forum.orusports.com/index.php?/topic/8505-oru-to-hold-press-conference-at-230-on-tuesday/