UPDATED with Video Interview of NDSU Athletic Director Gene Taylor at bottom…
Well that happened fast. College re-alignment should not surprise us when we hear the news yet today’s bombshell that Missouri-Kansas City was leaving the Summit League for the WAC took me a while to process. In fact, I’m still processing it, because in my humble opinion; I just don’t get it. UMKC is a school of about 15,000 students that has struggled to compete in the Summit; their men’s basketball team has not won a postseason game since 2007, when the league was known as the Mid-Con. The women’s basketball team had a breakthrough season last year; nearly beating SDSU in the Summit League championship and making the NIT. The ‘Roos softball team made the Summit final in softball in 2011; before NDSU knocked them off. Anyone who has seen the basketball facility on campus at Kansas City would say that it’s not any better than the current status of the BSA. The UMKC Chancellor stated in the press release addressing leaving for the WAC; “we accepted to join the WAC because of the strong potential alignment it offers with our strategic objectives related to community engagement and financial strength.” This move reeks of desperation to me; and the finances to me make NO sense.
WAC 2013 Lineup – Cal State Bakersfield, Seattle, Utah Valley, New Mexico State, Texas-Pan American, Chicago State; Idaho(for ’13 only), UMKC; Grand Canyon University
- Why did UMKC leave? I believe they saw the writing on the wall, that Oakland wants to go and they believe that NDSU and SDSU aren’t far away from an invite to the Missouri Valley, more on that later. UMKC’s furthest trip in the Summit League was to Fort Wayne; now it’s 1800 miles to Seattle in it’s new league. And the WAC is far from stable; Idaho is only staying for a year before moving all of it’s teams besides football to the Big Sky; while New Mexico State is waiting for an invite from the Sun Belt or C-USA and they’re gone. Also, Grand Canyon is starting it’s transition, so they’re not eligible for 4 more years. The NCAA mandates you need to have 7 teams to have an automatic NCAA qualifier; you can receive a two year exemption at 6 and that’s what the WAC has done.
- What’s next for the Summit League? The conference is going with 9 teams this year and they’ll be fine next season with 9 teams(Denver joins the league in July), the biggest concern actually surrounds Oakland; as everyone and the league knows, the Grizzlies want the Horizon League; and will go at the first invite. Here’s the rub; the Summit only has 6 baseball playing members, if the Griz leave, then there’s no automatic qualifier for the baseball tournament and that’s really no good. There are certain schools that the league is interested in; Eastern Illinois comes right to mind; the Panthers would hop at the first invite for the Summit; but the real problem lies in a home for football. Would the Missouri Valley invite EIU? If anyone saw the playoff game between SDSU and EIU they know the Panthers do not play the same brand of football that the Valley schools do; but they are right in the footprint of the league and would give the conference basically the entire state covered with Southern, Western and Illinois State. Some may think about UND, and the same issue lays there; what would they do about football? I don’t think the Valley is beyond expanding, the Big Sky ballooned to 13 teams this past season, the Colonial lost 2 teams (Old Dominion and Georgia State) but did well in adding Stony Brook and Albany. Something that bears watching.
- What’s next for NDSU? Well here’s the biggest deal, the Missouri Valley is waiting and hoping that Creighton won’t leave and join the Big East basketball schools that are forming their own league. If the Blue Jays leave that opens a spot that most would covet. Plenty that read this would think it’s a slam dunk that the Valley would ask NDSU or SDSU, I don’t think that’s the case, I think an old Bison rival; Oral Roberts, would be up first. The Golden Eagles are a solid basketball team and great baseball team, the two premier sports in the conference, and they now are in a league that’s becoming more a football league(Southland- which is adding 2 more schools, Houston Baptist and Abilene Christian) than they ever thought. If the Bison want to be considered for the Valley, the BSA needs to see some progress and also need to convince the other private schools that a public land-grant school is the way to go(Drake, Evansville, Creighton and Bradley are the private schools). The Valley has been the ONE league untouched in all of this realignment nonsense and would take something huge for them to make a move. Some may think this coue years away, but if there’s one thing learned in realignment things happen fast.