North Dakota to explore change in conference affiliation.
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/arti ... 032.html#2
North Dakota & A New Conference
That is one possibility, although another is to see about cutting a couple of sports. They have a shortfall of $1.4 million, so they need to cut something down.
One of the possibilities on the table (although likely option #2 or #3) is to seek a change of conference affiliation. This has been discussed quite a bit over at AnyGivenSaturday.com, but the general consensus is that the "smart" option would be to try to move all sports (except football and hockey) to the Summit League. It would save them quite a bit of travel costs...instead of sending all their sports teams on flights everywhere, they could bus them to all the other Dakota schools (NDSU, SDSU, and USD...all within ~5 hours drive), then do flights to the rest, rather than having to fly them all everywhere (nearest school in the Big Sky is Montana State, at 11 1/2 hours drive away). Also, it is much more likely that the Summit League would bring them in.
As for football, given the current situation in the conference (we already don't play every team every year) and the distance that the conference is spread out (Youngstown State is quite a ways out there), unless YSU decides to join a more East Coast-based conference, it's unlikely that the MVFC would offer UND an invite.
One of the "smartest" proposals that I've seen (just by fans, this is no way anything "official") would involve UND moving olympic sports to the Summit League but staying in the Big Sky for football, letting Sacramento State do the same thing, but with the Big West Conference (also makes a great deal of sense, the rest of the Big West is all in CA or Hawaii). Then when Idaho fully moves down to FCS/Big Sky for football, they'll have 14 teams, split into two divisions of 7 each.
One of the possibilities on the table (although likely option #2 or #3) is to seek a change of conference affiliation. This has been discussed quite a bit over at AnyGivenSaturday.com, but the general consensus is that the "smart" option would be to try to move all sports (except football and hockey) to the Summit League. It would save them quite a bit of travel costs...instead of sending all their sports teams on flights everywhere, they could bus them to all the other Dakota schools (NDSU, SDSU, and USD...all within ~5 hours drive), then do flights to the rest, rather than having to fly them all everywhere (nearest school in the Big Sky is Montana State, at 11 1/2 hours drive away). Also, it is much more likely that the Summit League would bring them in.
As for football, given the current situation in the conference (we already don't play every team every year) and the distance that the conference is spread out (Youngstown State is quite a ways out there), unless YSU decides to join a more East Coast-based conference, it's unlikely that the MVFC would offer UND an invite.
One of the "smartest" proposals that I've seen (just by fans, this is no way anything "official") would involve UND moving olympic sports to the Summit League but staying in the Big Sky for football, letting Sacramento State do the same thing, but with the Big West Conference (also makes a great deal of sense, the rest of the Big West is all in CA or Hawaii). Then when Idaho fully moves down to FCS/Big Sky for football, they'll have 14 teams, split into two divisions of 7 each.
Scott Lawson - Board AdminWestern Illinois University Alum/Fan/Employee
Member of the Marching Leathernecks - 1996-2000
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Western_101
- Posts: 1197
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- Location: Morton, IL
I don't know what the solution is for UND. I think the ideal membership number for the Summit would be 10. It certainly would be nice if Western could have SIUe join the Summit. That would have the potential to create a natural in-state rival, something we currently don't have. UND is a great University with a great tradition. However, it obviously wouldn't be very close.
I'm not a huge fan either of the continued morphing of the Summit into the new NCC. Check, that, actually having UNI in the Summit would be fantastic!
Another nice thing about SIUe, is no issue with football
I'm not a huge fan either of the continued morphing of the Summit into the new NCC. Check, that, actually having UNI in the Summit would be fantastic!
Another nice thing about SIUe, is no issue with football
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Tere North
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Why would SIUE be interested in the Summit? They're in the OVC. Changing would mean more travel given the Dakota, etc. teams. Plus, I think the OVC generally has more respect than the Summit.
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leatherneckcountry
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the travel doesn't make any sense but i think the respect levels are about the same but it just wouldn't be smart for SIUE.Tere North wrote:Why would SIUE be interested in the Summit? They're in the OVC. Changing would mean more travel given the Dakota, etc. teams. Plus, I think the OVC generally has more respect than the Summit.