(02-24-2021 10:42 AM)quo vadis Wrote: (02-24-2021 03:35 AM)DavidSt Wrote: If West Texas A&M's ad is correct that the large D2 public schools who are not happy with the D2 leadership and are ready to make a jump to D1? You have the large schools in Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado that could make the jump from D2 to D1. I could see the Summit to go after the Minnesota schools and maybe Fort Hays State and Washburn in Kansas to fill in spots. Central Oklahoma and NE Oklahioma State will also fit.
Jumping to D1 for most D2 schools is an ego move only. Financially, it usually results in taking a bath.
Yeah... of these, the only one the I could see mutual benefit with, between the summit and the potential school, is Minnesota State (Mankato).
They have enrollment of over ten thousand and are a perfect geographic fit, as they are almost half way between the Twin Cities (St. Thomas) and Sioux Falls (Summit Headquarters/Basketball tourney location).
They also have a strong athletics tradition and have a shared history with pretty much all summit schools. They have a D1 basketball arena as well, and they are in a different system than the U of M.
Only issue is probably football. Mankato has a huge football tradition, and I doubt they could afford to move their highly successful football and hockey teams up to D1. I doubt the MVFC football schools would want to the extra recruiting competition in MN either. It's a great fit though.. just dont see it happening. That's the only move up that most summit schools would prob be happy with, other than maybe St. Johns (prob would be a love/hate add), but it would have to be Pioneer Football only.
If WIU and Oral Roberts left, adding Mankato and St. Johns would be huge, IMO. We would see some amazing rivalries and fan interest. Football at both schools would have to be non scholly or dropped. If non scholly, there would be a decent little pod with St. Johns, St. Thomas, Mankato, and Drake. I don't see Mankato ever going non scholly though, but could be wrong.
This isn't a prediction of what will happen - I highly doubt it does, but there would be some great synergies between all of these schools. Per capita/alumn, St. Johns probably has the best alumni support of almost any school in the country, and the St. Thomas/St. Johns rivalry would be awesome to see at the D1 level.