Date Posted:17:21:28 05/03/06 Wed Author: Leatherface Subject: Mid-Con expansion-revisited
Apparently the Mid-Con is discussing expansion (article in Fargo paper- interview with commissioner).Looks like something will take place this summer at the conference meeting. I hope the Dakota schools are added, I believe they will help the conference in many sports. Their facilities are great from what I've seen and read, also, their fan support is big.
Maybe an east/west split could be worked out to help save travel expenses. Personally, I don't know where IPFW can help the conference- unless this east/west grouping might be beneficial with their membership.Otherwise, who else could be included? Most of the available independents would only create more travel expenses.
I can't see anything wrong with North Dakota State or South Dakota State! I have seen their facilities and they are definitely first class. Some ones knockin at the door, someones ringin the bell, some ones knockin at the door, someones ringin the bell, do me a favor, open the door let them in!!!!
I would guess that IPFW will also be added- along with the Dakota schools. Hope IPFW doesn't end up being another Chicago State.Probably not a fair comparison, but I don't really know what they will add. Convenience I guess.
Something else to consider, if the Dakota schools would be interested in joining the Gateway. Rumors still persist that Western Kentucky will move up and even join the MAC.They have done feasability studies for the move up for football.
Many at both schools would call the Mid-Con/Gateway combo a perfect fit. I am sure both school would be interested in joining the Gateway if and when Western Kentucky moves.
By Jeff Kolpack, The Forum
Published Friday, May 12, 2006
The Mid-Continent Conference has taken the first step toward expansion by asking a few schools, including North Dakota State, to submit an institutional profile to the league office.
It’s preliminary action for serious discussion, which is expected to take place in June at the Mid-Con Council of Presidents meeting in Chicago. . . . .
The Mid-Con profile request includes enrollment, accreditation status, graduation rates, degrees offered, media outlets, local hotels, budgets, fundraising, season tickets for basketball, student SAT scores and student-athlete SAT scores.
“Just a lot of general information about the institution,” Taylor said.
The report is due May 19. South Dakota State and Indiana University Purdue-Fort Wayne were also asked to submit a profile.
SDSU athletic director Fred Oien confirmed as much, but declined to publicly discuss it. . . . (read more)
Schools battle for Mid-Con acceptance
IPFW, S.D. State, N.D. State vying for conference spot
By LaMond Pope
The Journal Gazette
One headline screams, “We’re where the action is!”
Another proclaims, “We’re the center of attention!”
IPFW hopes that when it comes to expansion in the Mid-Continent Conference, both phrases ring true.
With the impending departures of Chicago State and Valparaiso, the Mid-Con is on the lookout for new members. And IPFW, North Dakota State and South Dakota State are among the schools on the short list.
The topic of expansion will be discussed Tuesday when the Mid-Continent Council of Presidents meets in Chicago.
The conference has kept the expansion process quiet. According to Kristina Petersen, the Mid-Con’s director of media relations, no timetable has been set to add teams. But the thought is the conference would like new members by the start of the 2007-08 season.
It’s also uncertain how many teams the conference looks to add. IPFW athletic director Mark Pope said he’s not even sure what will be announced after the meeting, although indications are site visits would soon follow. Mid-Con commissioner Tom Douple was in New Orleans this week attending the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics convention and could not be reached for comment. . . . (read more)
By Kevin Schnepf, The Forum
Published Sunday, June 25, 2006
It was a shot heard around the world.
When Bryce Drew hit a game-winning 3-point shot at the buzzer to beat Mississippi in the first round of the 1998 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, it sparked Valparaiso to a shocking run to the Sweet 16.
It gave the Mid-Continent Conference, in existence since 1982, instant notoriety and credibility as a Division I league. . . .
Tuesday in Chicago, presidents of the Mid-Con schools will focus their annual meeting on possible expansion. Even though a vote is not expected, it’s promising news for North Dakota State.
Ever since announcing its move from Division II to Division I in 2002, NDSU has struggled to find a conference. The Bison were shot down last year by the Big Sky Conference.
This week’s meeting – where Mid-Con presidents will evaluate NDSU, South Dakota State and as many as three other schools for possible membership – provides another ray of hope for the Bison athletic program.
“Our hopes are high, but you have to be cautious,” said NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor. “We’ve been down this road before.” . . .
Douple confirmed that Division I independents NDSU, SDSU, Indiana University Purdue-Fort Wayne, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley State have submitted institutional profiles for Mid-Con officials to evaluate. . . .
Even though the five schools that hope to get into the Mid-Con are spread across the country, conference officials find them somewhat attractive because of the traveling partners that could be created.
Adding five schools would give the Mid-Con 12 members and the following traveling partners: Oakland with Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne; Indiana Purdue-Indianapolis with Western Illinois; Missouri-Kansas City with Oral Roberts; Centenary with Texas-Pan American; NDSU with SDSU; and Southern Utah with Utah Valley State.
The difference in cost between the flight for a single game at Southern Utah and two games at Southern Utah and Utah Valley State might make such an expansion appealing to Mid-Con officials. . . .
Western Illinois athletic director Tim Van Alstine said adding NDSU, SDSU and Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne would make the Mid-Con stronger.
“We need to give those three schools very strong consideration,” Van Alstine said. “We need to start changing the culture of our conference. We need to expect in men’s and women’s basketball that we have at least two teams in the NCAA tournament.
“I think ever since Tom Douple came on board as commissioner, there has been a strong sense of confidence among members that he is the man to take the conference to the next highest level.” . . . (read more)
Mid-Con presidents meet today
Expansion talks once again on agenda
Chris Solari
csolari@argusleader.com
June 27, 2006
As the remaining presidents of the Mid-Continent Conference meet today at a hotel in Chicago to decide the league's fate, South Dakota State's future could be on their agenda.
SDSU and North Dakota State are among a group of schools that the Mid-Continent is considering for potential expansion.
Mid-Con Commissioner Tom Douple, who spent last week at the Collegiate Commissioners Association meetings, said on June 16 that information about SDSU and NDSU had been given to the league's presidents.
"It's on the agenda to discuss expansion," Douple said. "We're still gathering up information and doing our evaluation. ... And it's a time, too, when some folks have gotten to (the information) and some have not. There's just a lot of things to try and get in their hands before the meeting." . . . (read more)
Two schools are leaving the Mid-Continent,which leaves ORU and the rest of the league pondering the future. NCAA Tournament berths are at stake as conference leaders look for replacements.
Adding members would strengthen position
Losing two schools in a 28-day span raised questions about the future of the Mid-Continent Conference.
Scattered over three time zones, is it coming apart at the seams? Is it time for Oral Roberts University to look for another conference?
"I don't see any reason for alarm," said ORU athletic director Mike Carter. "There are other schools that can be added. I think the Mid-Con is going to be stable." . . .
Without replacements, league membership would drop to seven by 2007, with only six core members -- the bare minimum to retain a conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Centenary, the league's seventh member, won't be considered for core purposes until completing its fifth year of Mid-Con participation in 2008.
Also at stake are the Mid-Con's automatic berths in baseball, men's tennis and men's and women's track and field. The league could have only five participating members in each sport by 2007 -- one less than required to retain an automatic bid in those sports.
NCAA access is the primary reason the Mid-Con and most other mid-major conferences were formed in the first place.
The baseball issue is of utmost importance to ORU, which has made nine straight NCAA appearances by winning the Mid-Con's postseason tournament.
League presidents are expected to start the process of expansion when they convene Tuesday in Chicago, chaired by ORU president Richard Roberts.
The presidents will examine information submitted by six schools seeking full membership -- Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State, Longwood (Va.) University and Texas-Pan American.
Dallas Baptist is a potential associate member in baseball -- the school's only Division I sport -- but will field a men's basketball team for the upcoming season. Central Arkansas, recently admitted to the Southland Conference, also seeks associate membership in some sports.
There is strong support within the league to add Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne, North Dakota State and South Dakota State, although the latter two are provisional Division I members, not eligible for the Mid-Con postseason tournament until 2009.
There seems to be little enthusiasm for Texas-Pan American, situated so far south (Edinburg, Texas) that it is nearer to Mexico City than Tulsa.
No up and down votes are likely Tuesday, but site teams could be formed to evaluate the candidates. The presidents are expected to consider every possibility -- up to growing into two six-team divisions.
"Every option is on the table," said Mid-Con commissioner Tom Douple. . . . (read more)
From ORU board posted by my esteemed Rabbit promoter, 89Rabbit:
Re: Mid-Con Expansion.....
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2006, 06:57:05 PM »
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A couple of things that your associate athletic director said in the Sunday Fargo Forum story got me thinking “We fully fund every sport in regards to scholarships,” and “My biggest concern is the commitment and desire to want to be good and wanting to be successful with the schools that are already in our league,” Fowler said. “There are some schools within our league already that struggle to fund. This possible expansion may be a wakeup call for our current league members.” about the athletic budgets of the 5 schools under consideration. These figures are from the US Dept. of Ed. for the school year '04-'05 (the most recent they have)
Again these are older numbers, SDSU's budget for '05-'06 was $7,786,383 and will go higher still in the coming years (the plan is to keep adding scholarships through FY'10), but they do provide a snap shot of where each school was for comparison sake. I will say it might make a heck of a lot of sense to add all 5 as that would provide great travel partners for everyone. We should know more tomorrow.
Just for fun, here are the current members of the Mid-Con ('04-'05)
ORU - $7,513,752
WIU - $7,150,821
UMKC - $6,748,548
OU - $6,079,614
CC - $4,690,030
SUU - $4,317,587
IUPUI - $3,775,144
I think everyone needs to realize that these are older numbers. I know that the athletic budget for IPFW is 5.4 million for next year and has increased significantly each year of Division I. This is the case with most of the independents. Conversely, the existing mid-con members budgets are more stable and have not increased dramatically over the last three years.
If we compare apples to apples it appears the NDSt spends about $500,000 dollars more than WIU! Do you think that is travel? I wonder what the sport comparison is?
