Here's something I wrote in the news section:



Read the entire piece...

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I wonder, would Western Illinois try to seek membership in the OVC (thus killing this potential football conference)? I think the MVFC right now is a step up from the OVC, but I think that the OVC might be a step above the Summit. On the flip side, would the OVC even want to invite Western Illinois? They have a geographic fit with some members, but the OVC isn't desperate for a football school (they seem happy with 9) or any school for that matter.

Well, the OVC invited upgrade school SIUE before they looked at WIU. So you'd think it the OVC was an option, it would have happened.

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Well then, would the Summit try to get the rest of the MVFC schools to become football affiliates of the Summit League? As nice as it would be for the Summit League to sponsor football, it's the MVFC that the has the FCS playoff autobid right now (the Great West does not have an autobid). The Summit League football conference would be a step down for what NDSU, SDSU, and WIU have right now, and I don't think the Summit wants to do that to their own members. If the Summit League can get the rest of the MVFC to become affiliates, then you have a conference that looks like this:

Summit League:
West:
Southern Utah
North Dakota
North Dakota State
South Dakota
South Dakota State
Northern Iowa (FB affiliate)

East:
Missouri State (FB affiliate)
Indiana State (FB affiliate)
Illinois State (FB affiliate)
Southern Illinois (FB affiliate)
Western Illinois
Youngstown State (FB affiliate)

This arrangement puts all 6 Summit League full-time members in a good position, in a conference with an FCS playoff autobid and with a bunch of FCS powers.

Since we are reviving some old threads, and the circumstances behind this idea have changed as well, let me explore an updated idea for the Summit League.

The Summit currently has 9 members, 3 of whom (IUPUI, IPFW, and Oakland) would love to be in the Horizon League. Out of the remaining 6, 4 sponsor football.

If it were feasible to get D-II upgrades to join, I would make the pitch to these 4 schools to join the Summit:

North Dakota (Big Sky)
Mankato State (D-II)
Minnesota-Duluth (D-II)
St. Cloud State (D-II)

This puts the Summit at 10 members (assuming IUPUI, IPFW, Oakland all go to the Horizon) and allows the Summit to take over the MVFC, sponsoring football as a full conference sport:

Summit West:
Mankato State
Minnesota-Duluth
North Dakota
North Dakota State
St. Cloud State
South Dakota
South Dakota State

Summit East:
Illinois State (FB affiliate)
Indiana State (FB affiliate)
Missouri State (FB affiliate)
Northern Iowa (FB affiliate)
Southern Illinois (FB affiliate)
Western Illinois
Youngstown State (FB affiliate)

This is clearly not likely (trying to avoid the wrath), but I think it could work since:
* The 3 Minnesota schools would make sense to upgrade together to the same conference, for travel
* The entire league would retain an autobid for the FCS playoffs
* Protects Summit football in case any affiliates want to upgrade to FBS

To be really bold the Summit could add Denver (being talked about in other threads)as #11 to get to 6 hockey-playing schools. Add Mankato State to the existing NCHC and create a 9-team Summit hockey league.

Imagine the Summit dramatically increasing its profile by sponsoring FCS football and D-I ice hockey! Have any of the Summit League brass dreamed of this scenario yet? Wouldn't hurt to try.

If the Summit wants football, Central Oklahoma should be in the radar. They'd be the only FCS program in the state once they move up, but the school has a larger enrollment than many FBS institutions. UCO also fits nicely with the current footprint. If the Summit takes in Denver and/or NMSU, UCO becomes a much more logical addition.

Given that the Summit is likely out of luck in meeting the multi-sport conference rules (men's basketball an two other team sports, or men's basketball and football), how easy would it be to merge with the Missouri Valley Football Conference? The MVFC and MVC are separate entities.

The MVFC teams are: 5 from MVC, 4 from Summit, 1 from Horizon (Youngstown State).

I think the members voted to keep the Gateway (now the MVFC) and the Pioneer as "separate independent entitites" but run out of the MVC office, since most are affiliates,
and the affiliates may not want to give undue influence to the MVC administrators....

I read in the context of the CAAFB (same set-up) that if a confernece actually sponsors FCS football and has 6 member schools within hte conferecnce (which neither CAA nor MVC have right now),
then they get voting privilieges on some "FCS Council". So there apears to be some incentive to pulling the foootball members into the "sponsoring conference".