The Quest for a 10th Team

[Coyote Fan]

or is there a quest?

In our new home I think most would agree that it's best to get back up to a 10 team conference at minumum. I would personally like to see 12 but 10 at the least.

Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention but ever since the USD announcement to the Summit and the UND announcement to the Big Sky I haven't really heard much in the effort to seek out a good fit as a new member.

I wonder, does the Summit have inside info on a potential #10? is UND still secretly on the table? I have heard Arkansas-Little Rock as an outside chance. Are there any potential D2 moveups that could fill this spot. With all the additions centered around the Dakota's will the Summit try to cater to Oral Roberts with a more southern team or possible an eastern team to satisfied the Illinois and Indiana schools.

I would assume if the #10 would eventually be filled that the travel partners would look as such. This would eliminate a possible triangle scheduling system (which I do not like).

IUPUI-Western Illinois
IPFW-Oakland
NDSU-SDSU
UMKC-USD
Oral Roberts - ?

Arkansas Little-Rock would seem to make sense with Oral Roberts being the odd team without a travel partner.

[#1CoyoteFan (Admin)]

Arkansas-Little Rock would be the only one I could think of. SCSU is out, which isn't surprised at all, plus I don't think UNO has any plans on moving up anytime within the next 2-3 years. So ALR is the only team I can think of.

[jacks02]

Denver would be a nice option. Partner with ORU and no football team to worry about finding a home for.

[#1CoyoteFan (Admin)]

The WAC just added Denver even though they don't have football. They are going with the two Texas schools the WAC picked up as well. So there goes that.

[Coyote Fan]

This entire discussion is exactly why I don't like having a different conference for football and basketball. Why have to worry about what to do with every program. If it was an all emcompassing conference we could just take Little Rock in full and call it a day.

Eventhough the Summit will be the home I don't think the effort should ever end until the Yotes find themselves in one conference for everything. If that means breaking off with SDSU, NDSU and whomever so be it.

[#1CoyoteFan (Admin)]

Yeah good idea, I mean it's really hindered Villanova throughout the years to be in different divisions, let alone conferences.....wait a minute.....

Seriously, it can definitely work. I am pretty sure USD can still prosper in both leagues.

I get how everyone wants to go bigger yet, but it seems everyone wants to kill the excitement of even being in the Summit League or the MVFC.

The more USD accomplishes in the move up, the less the excitement gets because it's not big enough. Just look at the attendance.

[Coyote Fan]

Of course it will work but I would think most everyone would like a sitatuation to be in a conference regardless of size (but at least 10 teams) that has all sports in one conference. For arguments sake if SDSU went to the Big Sky and had a conference situation like the above mentioned you can bet USD would be scraping and clawing to get into that conference.

Either way it's been about 8 years since USD has been in a full 10 team conference for basketball. It really hinders the scheduling and excitement to be in a conference with fewer than 10. I think that is why the Summit League needs to move on this and be aggressive because if they are not the better schools could get scooped up somewhere else. It nearly cost the Summit USD and might have cost them UND (if they were truley wanted, and I don't know why they wouldn't have been) if they hadn't dragged their feet.

With a 10 team conference it sets up 4 two-game weekends at home and on the road and sets the other 2 as one game weekends with the travel partner. It works out good that way. With a 9 team conference we probably are going to have a confusing pod system where who knows who the Coyotes are playing and when. Continuity is the goal of a conference membership and the Yotes haven't had that for awhile. In all honesty there is still as much instability as their is solidarity when it comes to the Summit.

[Coyote Fan]

This is my actual idea. Since USD is still filling their schedule with about 3 or 4 NAIA games why not fill those slots with an extended conference season.

This is my plan. Add Arkansas-Little Rock, Northern Kentucky and Nebraska-Omaha

Here are the travel partners and what I would consider a much more interesting Summit League.

NDSU-SDSU
USD-UNO
ALR-ORU
Oakland-IPFW
N.KY-IUPUI
UMKC-W-Ill (the odd one)

This still leaves plenty of non conference games to work with. I like the gaurantees alot better with the

[Coyote Fan]

This is what I would like to see 20 years from now. All an sports conference with no confussion as to membership. Here is a hopefull but also realistic senario where all sports are in 1 conference and also a very powerfull mid major midwest conference.

The travel partners for basketball

North Dakota and North Dakota State
South Dakota and South Dakota State
Nebraska-Omaha and Northern Iowa
Wichita State and Missouri State
Illinois State and Western Illinois
Southern Illinois and Indiana State

something to that effect.

Wichita would need to add football but I think they would be a nice member to have on board.

[#1CoyoteFan (Admin)]

I'm sorry Coyote Fan, but Wichita State is NEVER going to get football. They would have to go against Nebraska and UNO right off the bat and that puts them so far behind the 8-ball it wouldn't happen. Plus there is already enough people in the Neb. legislature that don't want UNO to move up because it would take away from Nebraska football.

But I do think there is a possibility UNO could move up, but I don't think they will. Is Northern Kentucky moving to D-I?

[Coyote Fan]

I wouldn't say Wichita is never going to add football because I have heard people discuss that option before, but take if as hearsay and hearsay only because I am not sure where I read it.

Wichita is in a good place for FCS football. They are closer to Oklahoma than they are to Nebraska and I don't think they have a whole lot of competition in FCS where they are. They are closer to the south for the southern talent but far enough north to create their own nitche and geographic area for recruiting. They would be losing recruits to Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma just as we would lose them to Nebraska, Iowa, Iowa State etc. The bonus they have is that the don't have so many other FCS's to deal with like the upper midwest has. Most of the FCS schools are in Texas, Lousiana etc which is a pretty decent haul from Wichita. Granted baseball is a bit more important to the Shockers than it is to areas around South Dakota but football at Witchita would be a hit IMO.

[Coyote Fan]

Just to add fuel to the fire there is a 7 page topic at the Shockers message board just to add the point that people are at least thinking of it.

shockernet.net/sn/viewtopic.php?t=17133