Summit Expansion?

[El_Chapo]

no to summit football. this is stupid talk

[WhoRepsTheLurker]

Summit FB = Northern Sun 2.0, except with more expenses (D1) and less money (declining enrollment). Tell me how that’s a good idea? It’s not.

Why would NDSU leave the MVFC? To go FBS. That’s the only way. You should want to stay in the MVFC too. It’s much better than Summit FB would ever be.

My favorite MVFC teams are UNI, SIU, Mo State, ISU red, etc. I don’t care about UND and USD. Sorry

[NDSUstudent]

If Summit football ever happens it will be unimaginably better than the Big Sky. Going west is a huge mistake. Just ask UND how that went.

NDSU-SDSU
UND-USD
WIU-EIU
SEMO

That is the Summit League you were talking about in this thread, that makes the Big Sky look like the Big 10.

[taper]

NDSU-SDSU
UND-USD
WIU-EIU
SEMO

That is the Summit League you were talking about in this thread, that makes the Big Sky look like the Big 10.

Lol, you're delusional. You're fantasizing about the top of the Big Sky while ignoring the bottom. If we get Summit FB it's without a question better than the Big Sky, and an important step towards pulling some MVC publics our way. If we go west all that disappears and we stagnate. Again, just ask UND how that went.

[NDSUstudent]

Lol, you're delusional. You're fantasizing about the top of the Big Sky while ignoring the bottom. If we get Summit FB it's without a question better than the Big Sky, and an important step towards pulling some MVC publics our way. If we go west all that disappears and we stagnate. Again, just ask UND how that went.

Delusional? Nobody is fantasizing about the Big Sky, it only happens when people toss around the idea of joining or in this case creating the most pud conference ever. NDSU-SDSU, UND-USD, WIU-EIU, SEMO....could just as well call it the Chernobyl conference because nobody else would want to go near it. It would be radioactive, the end of Bison football as we know it.

[BigLakeBison]

Lol, you're delusional. You're fantasizing about the top of the Big Sky while ignoring the bottom. If we get Summit FB it's without a question better than the Big Sky, and an important step towards pulling some MVC publics our way. If we go west all that disappears and we stagnate. Again, just ask UND how that went.

You think Summit football would be better than MVFC? The only way that would or should be explored is if a Summit football conference had a path to FBS that the MVFC didn’t. There is absolutely no benefit to NDSU to be in an FCS Summit Football conference. The MVC publics aren’t coming to the Summit unless the MVC completely falls apart.

[abc123]

You think Summit football would be better than MVFC? The only way that would or should be explored is if a Summit football conference had a path to FBS that the MVFC didn’t. There is absolutely no benefit to NDSU to be in an FCS Summit Football conference. The MVC publics aren’t coming to the Summit unless the MVC completely falls apart.

If the Summit schools pull their football team out of the MVFC, where exactly do you think the MVC publics are going to put their football team? It would change very little for them.
I believe the idea of Summit football is to replace the MVFC but under the Summit umbrella and not as a stand alone conference. It is not to create some garbage conference.

[BigLakeBison]

If the Summit schools pull their football team out of the MVFC, where exactly do you think the MVC publics are going to put their football team? It would change very little for them.
I believe the idea of Summit football is to replace the MVFC but under the Summit umbrella and not as a stand alone conference. It is not to create some garbage conference.

The MVFC publics have no desire to move their basketball to the Summit. Basketball drives their AD decisions more than football and they’re not moving. Without them Summit Football is a non starter. There would be no AQ without a couple and I just don’t see why they would. The MVC would need to change significantly for them to see the Summit as an improvement over the MVC. The current Summit schools would also need to show the MVC publics that they want to improve basketball significantly. Right now the 4 Dakota basketball programs are woefully under funded compared to the MVC publics. A Summit football sub conference would improve nothing for anyone. It would be the MVFC with lesser name recognition and no more upside.

[taper]

The MVFC publics have no desire to move their basketball to the Summit. Basketball drives their AD decisions more than football and they’re not moving. Without them Summit Football is a non starter. There would be no AQ without a couple and I just don’t see why they would. The MVC would need to change significantly for them to see the Summit as an improvement over the MVC. The current Summit schools would also need to show the MVC publics that they want to improve basketball significantly. Right now the 4 Dakota basketball programs are woefully under funded compared to the MVC publics. A Summit football sub conference would improve nothing for anyone. It would be the MVFC with lesser name recognition and no more upside.

I agree with you almost completely, we're just differing on the timeline and outcome. My plan is to do what it takes to improve the Summit to the point the MVC publics see us as better than the MVC privates. Improving basketball is a huge part of that, and the Summit is on the right track. In contrast, the MVC is on the decline. Their best teams have/are leaving and if both trends continue it won't be that long before Summit with the MVC publics is better than the MVC with their privates. Once that happens we have a very strong Summit football league, and since Liberty opened the door to going FBS without an invite, the entire conference moves up. While certainly not guaranteed, I see this as a much more likely possibility than waiting for an FBS invite that hasn't shown any sign of coming. Even if it never happens, improving Summit's Olympic sports is nothing but good. There's literally no downside to starting down this road.

[abc123]

The MVFC publics have no desire to move their basketball to the Summit. Basketball drives their AD decisions more than football and they’re not moving. Without them Summit Football is a non starter. There would be no AQ without a couple and I just don’t see why they would. The MVC would need to change significantly for them to see the Summit as an improvement over the MVC. The current Summit schools would also need to show the MVC publics that they want to improve basketball significantly. Right now the 4 Dakota basketball programs are woefully under funded compared to the MVC publics. A Summit football sub conference would improve nothing for anyone. It would be the MVFC with lesser name recognition and no more upside.

I agree. And the plan wouldn't be for them to move anything outside of football, which would be affiliate members of a hypothetical Summit league instead of a single sport conference (MVFC).
And your comment about the AQ is exactly why they would opt to become affiliate members of a hypothetical Summit Leage football.

Right now the MVFC is made up of:
5 Summit members (USD, SDSU, UND, NDSU, WIU)
5 MVC members (ISUb, ISUr, MSU, UNI, SIU)
1 Horizon member (YSU)

If St. Thomas ever pushed for scholarship football and one of the MVC or Horizon members went elsewhere, the dynamics would suddenly shift and the Summit schools would be in more of a position of power. And honestly, how much difference would it make for the MVC/Horizon member schools? Other than people wouldn't be able to be confused that the MVFC =/= MVC.
It would be a good way to lock in St. Thomas as a long-term member and I would assume most of the Summit schools covet the MSP market. Lots of moving parts and it isn't inevitable, but it also is something that has been tossed around as Fenton made reference to it in his first press conference.