Utah Valley Leaving WAC; Dominoes to Fall

[Old Titan]

It's that time of year...Utah Valley is leaving the WAC for the Big West, leaving only 5 members in their wake.

When the dust settles, the Summit League coud have from 1-to-3 Texas schools in the fold (Texas-Arlington is REALLY interesting).

Again, the solidification of the relationship between the Summit League and the Missouri Valley FOOTBALL Conference makes the SL a prime landing spot for these FCS football schools...

 

 

 

[TrueBlue82]

I am assuming that the rebranding of the WAC as United Athletic Conference, and the “merger” of the UAC with the ASUN has taken Abilene, Arlington and Tarleton off of the Summit expansion list for the foreseeable future.  
 

Disappointing outcome, as I thought the addition of the Texas schools would have been very good for the Summit (and especially good for ORU).  

[Bogus Smith]

10 minutes ago, TrueBlue82 said:

I am assuming that the rebranding of the WAC as United Athletic Conference, and the “merger” of the UAC with the ASUN has taken Abilene, Arlington and Tarleton off of the Summit expansion list for the foreseeable future.  
 

Disappointing outcome, as I thought the addition of the Texas schools would have been very good for the Summit (and especially good for ORU).  

Yes, they would have been a good addition to the League; however, it wouldn't have fit the vision for a football/hockey league that the Summit member schools to the north of Kansas City are looking for.

[Old Titan]

The other side of this coin:

• Does the new United Athletic Conference have any interest in ORU as a member?
• Does ORU have any interest in becoming a member of the new UAC?

Tulsa, OK would be supremely located geographically for the UAC, and among the largest metropolitan markets.

No insider info on this query; just askin'... 

[ORU82]

Lateral move at best, more likely a step backwards.

[Idig32]

I think it would be a good move for travel. Taking a road trip to Jacksonville in February would be a lot more pleasant than driving to Brookings. As far as competition goes, I don’t know if the future of the Summit is very bright. If the Dakotas end up being hindered by football (because of the recent settlement) then the Summit begins to look pretty bad, with the exception of St. Thomas. I think if the UAC were interested in ORU, it would be worth considering. 

[ORUJason]

The Summit seems more stable to me.

[ORob2]

In this age of conference realignment, maybe moving conferences is the safe move.  Travel costs for these conferences would be about the same, Summit teams average ~669 miles from ORU, while UAC schools are ~688 if I’ve done my math right.  Baseball would probably be more competitive in the UAC, and recruiting for all sports would probably take a step up because your team’s footprint would be in better recruiting states like Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, etc.

FWIW, I would be thrilled to get away from the Dakota driven front offices of the Summit League, and selfishly, I’d get to see ORU basketball and baseball a few times a year without driving 11 hours to Tulsa!

[Old Titan]

At this time, I would stick with the Summit League.

But, when the XDSU's and St. Thomas bolt the Summit (and trust me, that's a "when" and not an "if" proposition) it's comforting to consider ORU has a sensible (albeit far-flung) geographic alternative.

[ORUJason]

Where do you think the XDSU’s and St Thomas will land if they bolt?  The Missouri Valley?

[Old Titan]

On 7/4/2025 at 11:10 AM, ORUJason said:

Where do you think the XDSU’s and St Thomas will land if they bolt?  The Missouri Valley?

Wherever they think is best for their football programs.