@JimmieTramel 4m

Got a stunner of an email at 5:56 p.m. Oral Roberts leaving Southland, effective July 2014, to return to former home, Summit League.

Wow! That's a big slap in the face to the Southland.

wonder what the reason is

Reportedly the Southland is going in a football direction. Also, expansion of the league to far away areas. ORU is known for making knee jerk decisions. They went to Division III suddenly in 1989.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/sp...f6878.html

Quote:“We are appreciative of our time in the Southland Conference and enjoy our friendships and competition with its outstanding member institutions,” said ORU Director of Athletics Mike Carter. “When the Southland Conference expanded to 14 teams, some of our primary objectives in joining the Southland, such as improving travel costs and developing rivalries with selected schools, are no longer possible to achieve. With these changes in circumstances, we believe that returning to The Summit League is in the best interest of our programs and student-athletes. We look forward to returning to The Summit League and renewing the rivalries we developed there during our 15 year membership.”

(12-05-2013 07:27 PM)Wedge Wrote:  http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/sp...f6878.html

Quote:“We are appreciative of our time in the Southland Conference and enjoy our friendships and competition with its outstanding member institutions,” said ORU Director of Athletics Mike Carter. “When the Southland Conference expanded to 14 teams, some of our primary objectives in joining the Southland, such as improving travel costs and developing rivalries with selected schools, are no longer possible to achieve. With these changes in circumstances, we believe that returning to The Summit League is in the best interest of our programs and student-athletes. We look forward to returning to The Summit League and renewing the rivalries we developed there during our 15 year membership.”

The Summit is on the verge of imploding and the schools there before have left.

It looks like the Summit League will live, as it now has its 6th non-transitional member in baseball (Omaha still has a couple of more years). It still has to ward off any future losses. In any case, Oral Roberts never completely left - their men's soccer team continued to play in the Summit.

The WAC may try to destabilize the Southland by grabbing a member or two to build around Texas-Pan American and New Mexico State - only Texas A&M Corpus Christi and New Orleans remain as non-football members, and UNO is more likely to start football.

Wow I wonder how much UMKC regrets their WAC decision now? Nice to see the Summit adding members, this will really stabilize the league.

Southland has been making a ton of strange decisions lately bringing in schools like Houston Baptist Abeline Christian and Incarnate Word, all of which are just starting football programs, and are known for having god awful Olympic Sports.

I could see why ORU would want out as soon as possible.

I wondered if they considered the WAC? It doesn't seem that travel costs are going to be saved that much with the way the Summit is now.

(12-05-2013 08:41 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  I wondered if they considered the WAC? It doesn't seem that travel costs are going to be saved that much with the way the Summit is now.

I think they wanted to get back to familiar territory. Plus the Summit has a stronger core of schools with a better geographic footprint.

(12-05-2013 08:53 PM)FargoBison Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 08:41 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  I wondered if they considered the WAC? It doesn't seem that travel costs are going to be saved that much with the way the Summit is now.

I think they wanted to get back to familiar territory. Plus the Summit has a stronger core of schools with a better geographic footprint.

Not for Tulsa. And if the MVC comes calling and the Horizon does (which the latter likely will), its just a new North Central Conference.

(12-05-2013 09:08 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 08:53 PM)FargoBison Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 08:41 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  I wondered if they considered the WAC? It doesn't seem that travel costs are going to be saved that much with the way the Summit is now.

I think they wanted to get back to familiar territory. Plus the Summit has a stronger core of schools with a better geographic footprint.

Not for Tulsa. And if the MVC comes calling and the Horizon does (which the latter likely will), its just a new North Central Conference.

I didn't realize they were in the Summit for 15 years before their move. So now it makes more sense why they would choose to go back. However, I still think the WAC would be a better place.

(12-05-2013 07:27 PM)Wedge Wrote:  http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/sp...f6878.html

Quote:“We are appreciative of our time in the Southland Conference and enjoy our friendships and competition with its outstanding member institutions,” said ORU Director of Athletics Mike Carter. “When the Southland Conference expanded to 14 teams, some of our primary objectives in joining the Southland, such as improving travel costs and developing rivalries with selected schools, are no longer possible to achieve. With these changes in circumstances, we believe that returning to The Summit League is in the best interest of our programs and student-athletes. We look forward to returning to The Summit League and renewing the rivalries we developed there during our 15 year membership.”

What a coup for the Summit League to steal a member from the Southland Conference like that.

If only UMKC hung tight in the Summit that league could be going places.

Is the Southland now going to chase ofter UT Pan American?

This must have been all the hype that Miko was telling us?

(12-05-2013 07:35 PM)chargeradio Wrote:  It looks like the Summit League will live, as it now has its 6th non-transitional member in baseball (Omaha still has a couple of more years). It still has to ward off any future losses. In any case, Oral Roberts never completely left - their men's soccer team continued to play in the Summit.

The WAC may try to destabilize the Southland by grabbing a member or two to build around Texas-Pan American and New Mexico State - only Texas A&M Corpus Christi and New Orleans remain as non-football members, and UNO is more likely to start football.

Who from the Southland would be interested in leaving for the WAC? Sam Houston State?

I think it would make more sense for the Southland to pick up UTPA as a replacement from the WAC who would definitely move to save travel costs.

ASun should consider a preemptive raid and steal IPFW/IUPI from the Summit. I'm not sure if that is possible now though.

There are 3 conferences hanging on by a thread these days; ASun, WAC and Summit.

(12-05-2013 09:22 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  This must have been all the hype that Miko was telling us?

(12-05-2013 09:17 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 07:27 PM)Wedge Wrote:  http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/sp...f6878.html

Quote:“We are appreciative of our time in the Southland Conference and enjoy our friendships and competition with its outstanding member institutions,” said ORU Director of Athletics Mike Carter. “When the Southland Conference expanded to 14 teams, some of our primary objectives in joining the Southland, such as improving travel costs and developing rivalries with selected schools, are no longer possible to achieve. With these changes in circumstances, we believe that returning to The Summit League is in the best interest of our programs and student-athletes. We look forward to returning to The Summit League and renewing the rivalries we developed there during our 15 year membership.”

What a coup for the Summit League to steal a member from the Southland Conference like that.

If only UMKC hung tight in the Summit that league could be going places.

Is the Southland now going to chase ofter UT Pan American?

No, UMKC made a better move. WAC has more credits still and will grow to be a better conference.

(12-05-2013 09:15 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 09:08 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 08:53 PM)FargoBison Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 08:41 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  I wondered if they considered the WAC? It doesn't seem that travel costs are going to be saved that much with the way the Summit is now.

I think they wanted to get back to familiar territory. Plus the Summit has a stronger core of schools with a better geographic footprint.

Not for Tulsa. And if the MVC comes calling and the Horizon does (which the latter likely will), its just a new North Central Conference.

I didn't realize they were in the Summit for 15 years before their move. So now it makes more sense why they would choose to go back. However, I still think the WAC would be a better place.

The WAC is not more stable than the Summit. And the WAC would mean lots of round trips between Tulsa and Bakersfield, Orem, and Seattle. UTPA is probably a difficult trip as well. Travel in the Summit League would be less difficult.

TAMU Corpus Christi. Would be the only school that would be a slim possibility.