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Summit League Will Visit USD, Could Extend Membership
BY JEREMY HOECK
jeremy.hoeck@yankton.net
VERMILLION — The wheels have been formally set in motion for the University of South Dakota to possibly join its former rival in a Division I conference.
Yet, to re-establish its rivalry with South Dakota State, USD will first need to impress a group of seven Summit League officials.
Tuesday, The Summit League — of which SDSU is a member in all sports except football — announced that it will be making a site visit to Vermillion Jan. 20-21 to gather information about the university and its athletic programs.
With that info, the conference could potentially chose to extend a membership invitation to USD.
“Throughout our whole (Division I) process, Summit League membership has always been a priority for us,” USD athletic director Joel Nielsen said. “We feel that league best fits this program in the long run.”
The seven-person site team will consist of league office personnel, including commissioner Tom Douple, and selected institutional members. During its two-day visit, the team will conduct 177 meetings with various campus and community members — Nielsen called it a “cross-section of the entire Coyote family.”
These visits will be similar to the ones Summit League officials made to Brookings prior to SDSU being invited to join the conference in 2007.
“I want to give the university a fair shake, and I think this is the best way to do that,” Douple said. “We’ll get a very good feel of USD and its athletic programs.”
Site team members will then prepare a report for Douple to present at the league’s Presidents Council meeting in March at Sioux Falls. From there, the conference would decide whether or not to extend membership to USD.
“This is really just another step in our D-I process,” Nielsen said. “We want to put our coaches and athletes in the best possible position, and I think The Summit League could give us that. We’re excited for them to come and see what we offer.”
If the Coyotes were to join The Summit League, it would compete against the Jackrabbits in all sports but football. SDSU, along with NDSU, is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The Summit League, formerly known as the Mid-Continent Conference, currently consists of 10 member institutions, including SDSU and North Dakota State. However, Douple said Tuesday that his league has traditionally kept an “eye on potential new members.”
“Expansion has always been talked about,” Douple said. “It’s an on-going thing that we definitely consider.”
Yet, to re-establish its rivalry with South Dakota State, USD will first need to impress a group of seven Summit League officials.
Tuesday, The Summit League — of which SDSU is a member in all sports except football — announced that it will be making a site visit to Vermillion Jan. 20-21 to gather information about the university and its athletic programs.
With that info, the conference could potentially chose to extend a membership invitation to USD.
“Throughout our whole (Division I) process, Summit League membership has always been a priority for us,” USD athletic director Joel Nielsen said. “We feel that league best fits this program in the long run.”
The seven-person site team will consist of league office personnel, including commissioner Tom Douple, and selected institutional members. During its two-day visit, the team will conduct 177 meetings with various campus and community members — Nielsen called it a “cross-section of the entire Coyote family.”
These visits will be similar to the ones Summit League officials made to Brookings prior to SDSU being invited to join the conference in 2007.
“I want to give the university a fair shake, and I think this is the best way to do that,” Douple said. “We’ll get a very good feel of USD and its athletic programs.”
Site team members will then prepare a report for Douple to present at the league’s Presidents Council meeting in March at Sioux Falls. From there, the conference would decide whether or not to extend membership to USD.
“This is really just another step in our D-I process,” Nielsen said. “We want to put our coaches and athletes in the best possible position, and I think The Summit League could give us that. We’re excited for them to come and see what we offer.”
If the Coyotes were to join The Summit League, it would compete against the Jackrabbits in all sports but football. SDSU, along with NDSU, is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The Summit League, formerly known as the Mid-Continent Conference, currently consists of 10 member institutions, including SDSU and North Dakota State. However, Douple said Tuesday that his league has traditionally kept an “eye on potential new members.”
“Expansion has always been talked about,” Douple said. “It’s an on-going thing that we definitely consider.”
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