(04-05-2018 06:35 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

Quote:And it’s no secret that the most attractive candidate at this point might be right in the city where the conference’s signature event is taking place.

Yes, we’re talking about the Augie Vikings again.

Last summer talk of the Vikings joining the Summit League gained some steam after IUPUI left, but athletic director Slade Larscheid mostly threw cold water on the idea, saying the school simply doesn’t have the money to support a move, no matter how much they’d like to go.

This is from my link that I posted. Summit League seems to be interested in Augustana because it is located in the city where the Summit League's office is located.

Quote:The commissioner said he’s had no discussions with the Vikings. But conference leadership is aware of the potential candidates in the NSIC.

“Put it this way – have we talked about them? Yes,” Herbster said. “Those schools would have to have a serious conversation about what is important to them, because it’s a big institutional decision to make. The Summit League can’t be the reason you go Division I. It’s got to be right for the school.”

It seems they are interested in all the schools in the NSIC.

Augustana University 1937 students
Bemidji State University 5365
Concordia University–St. Paul 2800
University of Mary 2758
Minnesota State University, Mankato 15649 Likely candidate to move up.
Minnesota State University Moorhead 7479
University of Minnesota Crookston 2775
University of Minnesota Duluth 11729 another candidate.
Minot State University 3842 wanted to go D1 in men's hockey.
Northern State University 3622
St. Cloud State University 17321 another candidate.
University of Sioux Falls 1576
Southwest Minnesota State University 3700
Upper Iowa University 6271
Wayne State College 3571
Winona State University 8631 another likely candidate.

I should look at the MIAA for expansion instead of Augustana.
Central Oklahoma
Fort Hays State
Central Missouri
Lindenwood
Washburn

The choices are better for Summit than Augustana, but it seems that a couple of the Dakota schools are in favor of Augustana.

Which Dakota schools are interested in Augustana? And the article you keep referring to is all speculation by a writer for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader who has been a cheerleader for Augustana to move up for a long time. The only school on your list who could possibly move and be successful is Mankato State. Though to do so they would need to drop football just like Omaha did. There has been talk, and SDSU, NDSU administrations have admitted it, of seeking out Mankato State for membership in the league.

As for Augustana. On the radio today a commentator in Sioux Falls was talking about the issue. According to him, there are a couple big boosters pushing Augustana to move up. The school has had no serious discussion about it since it was studied 10 years ago. The commentator also mentioned that these boosters jumped Summit League commissioner Tom Douple at this years SLT pushing him to go after Augustana. Douple did not sound all to pleased about the approach and stated to the commentator. Not everyone gets in our league, you have to fit, institutionally and athletically. He also stated that he has never, nor are their any current plans to talk to the Augustana administration.

Sounds like it is all talk right now and that the school is being pushed by a couple rich guys to do something that may not be in the schools best interest.