The Summit League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Summit League
The Summit League
Data
Established 1982
Members 10
Sports fielded 19 (9 men's, 10 women's)
Region Midwest United States
States 9 - Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana,
Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah
Past names Association of Mid-Continent Universities
(AMCU) 1982-1989
Mid-Continent Conference 1989-2007
Headquarters Elmhurst, Illinois
Commissioner Tom Douple
Locations

The Summit League (or The Summit) is an NCAA Division I college athletic conference which operates primarily in the Midwestern United States, with outlying teams in Louisiana and Utah. On June 1, 2007, the conference changed its name from the Mid-Continent Conference.

Contents

[edit] Membership

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Joined Nickname
Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana 1825 Private/Methodist 1,017 2003 Gentlemen and Ladies
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana 1917 Public 11,672 2007 Mastodons
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana 1969 Public 27,184 1998 Jaguars
University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri 1933 Public 12,704 1994 Kangaroos
North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota 1890 Public 12,258 2007 Bison
Oakland University Rochester, Michigan 1957 Public 17,737 1998 Golden Grizzlies
Oral Roberts University Tulsa, Oklahoma 1963 Private/Christian 3,417 1997 Golden Eagles
South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota 1881 Public 11,706 2007 Jackrabbits
Southern Utah University Cedar City, Utah 1897 Public 7,509 1997 Thunderbirds and Lady Thunderbirds
Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois 1899 Public 13,602 1982 Fighting Leathernecks and Westerwinds

[edit] Associate members

[edit] Former members

Institution Years Moved To
University of Akron 1990-1992 Mid-American Conference
University at Buffalo 1994-1998 Mid-American Conference
Central Connecticut State University 1994-1998 Northeast Conference
Chicago State University 1994-2006 Independent
Cleveland State University 1982-1994 Horizon League
Eastern Illinois University 1982-1996 Ohio Valley Conference
University of Illinois at Chicago 1982-1994 Horizon League
Northeastern Illinois University 1994-1998 Disbanded sports
Northern Illinois University 1990-1994 Horizon League
University of Northern Iowa 1982-1991 Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri State University 1982-1990 Missouri Valley Conference
Troy University 1994-1997 Sun Belt
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 1982-1994 Horizon League
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee 1993-1994 Horizon League
Valparaiso University 1982-2007 Horizon League
Wright State University 1991-1994 Horizon League
Youngstown State University 1992-2001 Horizon League

[edit] History

[edit] Foundation

The conference was created in 1982 as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities (or AMCU or AMCU-8, pronounced Am-cue), which it was known as until 1989.[1] The conference sponsored football from 1982 until 1984 at the Division II level, and current members North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Southern Utah, and Western Illinois have Division I FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA) football programs.

Mid-Continent Conference logo, -2007
Mid-Continent Conference logo, -2007

[edit] Horizon and ECC transitions

In 1994, founding members Cleveland State University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay as well as new members University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wright State University left the conference to join the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, now known as the Horizon League. That same year, the Mid-Continent absorbed Central Connecticut State University, Chicago State University, the University at Buffalo, Troy State University and Northeastern Illinois University from the collapsed East Coast Conference. None of these members remain in the conference. Missouri-Kansas City, formerly an independent, also joined the conference in 1994.

[edit] Declining membership

Eastern Illinois departed for the Ohio Valley Conference in 1996. In 1997 Troy State University departed for the Trans America Athletic Conference. In 1998 Central Connecticut State University joined the Northeast Conference and the University at Buffalo joined the Mid-American Conference. Also that same year, Northeastern Illinois ceased athletic operations. Youngstown State University switched to the Horizon League in 2001, as did founding member Valparaiso University in 2007. As of 2007, seven of the ten Horizon League members are former members of the Summit League. In spring 2006, Chicago State University announced they were withdrawing from the conference and began competition as an independent for the 2006-07 school year.

[edit] Renewed expansion

At the Mid-Continent Conference annual Presidents Council meeting in 2006, conference expansion was discussed at length, and IPFW, North Dakota State, and South Dakota State were approved for site visits. On August 30, 2006, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) accepted an invitation to join the Mid-Continent Conference as a full member starting July 1, 2007.[2] The following day, North Dakota State University and South Dakota State University also accepted invitations to join the conference.[3] [4]

The conference is in the process of acquiring and administering the Great West Football Conference, of which three current members are affiliated, however, two members will be leaving the Great West Football Conference and joining the Gateway Conference.[5]

[edit] Membership timeline

[edit] Men's basketball in the NCAA tournament

Year Team Seed Results
1983 none
1984 none
1985 none
1986 Cleveland State 14† defeated Indiana
defeated Saint Joseph's
lost to Navy
1987 Missouri State[6] 13 defeated Clemson
lost to Kansas
1988 Missouri State 13 lost to UNLV
1989 Missouri State 14 lost to Seton Hall
1990 Missouri State 9 lost to North Carolina
Northern Iowa 14 defeated Missouri
lost to Minnesota
1991 Wisconsin-Green Bay 12 lost to Michigan State
Northern Illinois 13† lost to St. John's
1992 Eastern Illinois 15 lost to Indiana
1993 Wright State 16 lost to Indiana
1994 UW-Green Bay 12 defeated California
lost to Syracuse
1995 none
1996 Valparaiso 14 lost to Arizona
1997 Valparaiso 12 lost to Boston College
1998 Valparaiso 13 defeated Ole Miss
defeated Florida State
lost to Rhode Island
1999 Valparaiso 15 lost to Maryland
2000 Valparaiso 16 lost to Michigan State
2001 Southern Utah 14 lost to Boston College
2002 Valparaiso 13 lost to Kentucky
2003 IUPUI 16 lost to Kentucky
2004 Valparaiso 15 lost to Gonzaga
2005 Oakland 16 defeated Alabama A&M‡
Lost to North Carolina
2006 Oral Roberts 16 lost to Memphis
2007 Oral Roberts 14 lost to Washington State
2008 Oral Roberts 13 lost to University of Pittsburgh

† at-large bid ‡ opening round game

[edit] Conference facilities

School Basketball arena Capacity Football stadium Capacity Baseball stadium Capacity
Centenary Gold Dome 3,000 Non-Football School Shehee Stadium
IPFW Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (men)
Hilliard Gates Sports Center (women)		 13,000
2,800		 Non-Football School Outdoor Sports Complex
IUPUI IUPUI Gymnasium 2,000 Non-Football School Non-Baseball School
UMKC Municipal Auditorium 9,287 Non-Football School Non-Baseball School
North Dakota State Bison Sports Arena 8,000 Fargodome 19,500 Newman Outdoor Field 4,600
Oakland Athletics Center O'Rena 4,005 Non-Football School OU Baseball Field 500
Oral Roberts Mabee Center 10,575 Non-Football School J.L. Johnson Stadium
South Dakota State Frost Arena 8,500 Coughlin-Alumni Stadium 16,000 Bob Shelden Field
Southern Utah Centrum Arena 5,300 Eccles Coliseum 8,500 Thunderbird Park
Western Illinois Western Hall 5,139 Hanson Field 17,168 Alfred D. Boyer Stadium 500

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The Spectrum - www.thespectrum.com
  2. ^ Press Release. IPFW accepts invitation to join Mid-Continent Conference, Mid-Continent Conference, August 30, 2006.
  3. ^ Press Release. North Dakota State University accepts invitation to join Mid-Continent Conference, Mid-Continent Conference, August 31, 2006.
  4. ^ Press Release. South Dakota State University accepts invitation to join Mid-Continent Conference, Mid-Continent Conference, August 31, 2006.
  5. ^ I-AA College Football: Welcome to I-AA.org, the worldwide leader in I-AA College Football official news!
  6. ^ MSU was known as Southwest Missouri State University until 2005.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Summit League
Members
Affiliates
Eastern Illinois (swimming and diving)