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Farewell from a Jackrabbit fan


West-River_Jack

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Now that our regular season has ended for all sports, it seems like a good time to say farewell to the ORU teams and fans as you move toward your new conference home. I genuinely wish that you were not leaving. Your teams in several sports have been a kind of benchmard four our teams as we made the transition to Division I athletics. It always seemed like success if we could beat your team. It is my hope that the Jackrabbits can attain and maintain the same stature and respect that the Golden Eagles commanded in the Summit League. I know that you don't like to travel regularly to the northern plains, but I do hope that we will still compete from time to time. I think that it would be a good measure of progress for both of our teams. Good luck in your new conference home.

Don.

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Thanks very much for you kind words, and for your great sportsmanship over the years, West-River_Jack. You have always represented your program well on our board.

Best of luck to the Jackrabbits in the future. Your program is definitely on the way up.

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what tmh said.

best of luck to the jackrabbits going forward.

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At times like these, as the echos fade and we exit the field of battle, I can honestly say - from the bottom of my heart - that of all the schools ORU has ever played, SDSU was definitely one of them. :*

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TheEagleman will miss the Summit League in some ways....the rivalries were good....SDSU, NDSU and Oakland over the years have been the best......thanks for the positive thoughts, West River....but it's time to move on to the Southland.....Scott Sutton must be looking forward to going south in January-February..... :nerd:

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At times like these, as the echos fade and we exit the field of battle, I can honestly say - from the bottom of my heart - that of all the schools ORU has ever played, SDSU was definitely one of them. :*

Such sentimentality brings a tear to my eye, OT . . . ;(

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  • 1 year later...

We are hearing rumors up in the frozen northland that some of the people of influence at ORU are making inquiries about returning to the Summit. I have to admit that I find this next to impossible to believe. Any comments if such words are being spoken in the wam sunny south?

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any details on why Jack?   i have to admit that i would be shocked, but in the crazy landscape of college realignments who knows

 

i know the coaches love the travel and the ability to recruit New Orleans and more Texas kids.

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I heard the exact opposite. I was told that the Summit League had approached ORU about a possible return in an effort to more solidify the league, and that there was mutual interest. I've also been told that the league also approaced UMKC (or whatever they call themselves now) about a return as well. I know that some at ORU aren't as enamored with the Southland as a whole. There's concern that they seemed interested only in football and that overall the league isn't as concerned with the success of basketball as ORU was led to believe they were. Plus, the recent additions to the league really don't do anything to help the conference in basketball. They will be a drag for a number of years.

 

 

With Denver in and UMKC possibly returning, the Summit is perhaps more appealing than it was when ORU decided to leave.

 

Stay tuned...

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I heard the exact opposite. I was told that the Summit League had approached ORU about a possible return in an effort to more solidify the league, and that there was mutual interest. I've also been told that the league also approaced UMKC (or whatever they call themselves now) about a return as well. I know that some at ORU aren't as enamored with the Southland as a whole. There's concern that they seemed interested only in football and that overall the league isn't as concerned with the success of basketball as ORU was led to believe they were. Plus, the recent additions to the league really don't do anything to help the conference in basketball. They will be a drag for a number of years.

 

 

With Denver in and UMKC possibly returning, the Summit is perhaps more appealing than it was when ORU decided to leave.

 

Stay tuned...

wow....  no offense to our friends from the frozen tundra, but i hope ORU sticks it out with the Southland

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I heard the exact opposite. I was told that the Summit League had approached ORU about a possible return in an effort to more solidify the league, and that there was mutual interest. I've also been told that the league also approaced UMKC (or whatever they call themselves now) about a return as well. I know that some at ORU aren't as enamored with the Southland as a whole. There's concern that they seemed interested only in football and that overall the league isn't as concerned with the success of basketball as ORU was led to believe they were. Plus, the recent additions to the league really don't do anything to help the conference in basketball. They will be a drag for a number of years.

 

 

With Denver in and UMKC possibly returning, the Summit is perhaps more appealing than it was when ORU decided to leave.

 

Stay tuned...

Better answer than mine from someone more plugged in! I do know that with the addition this year of Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist, the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, and the University of New Orleans, much of the travel benefit of the conference change was lost. So I'm not shocked to hear what Former SID said - still would be somewhat surprised if it happened.

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I realize the following would probably never happen, but since we are on the topic generally of getting out of the Southland, I would be for that provided we could move up to a better conference.  There are certain schools in the Southland that are good (outside of football), but there are also a lot of schools in the Southland that get us nowhere on a national stage. In the end, I am not impressed with the Southland and pray for the day we can leave that conference.

 

That being said, where would we go if we left the Southland?  Of course, we would have to be accepted by any of the following conferences, but here goes anyway.  Either the A-10 or the Mo Valley would be homeruns in my book.  Also, the Horizon would not be bad as would CUSA.  I am not too sure about the Summit.  Further, before you jump me I realize that for whatever reason we were just passed-over by the Mo Valley.  As for a grand slam, it would be joining the Catholic Band of 7/Big East.

 

Yes, I know that it takes money and an invite to get into some of the aforementioned conferences, but the better the conference the more money the program brings in.  Further, perhaps a basketball membership in some of the better conferences with everything else parked in another conference or conferences would be an option.  In short, as soon as the door opens, get out of the Southland.  Just make sure it is a move up before we switch to another conference.  At this time, I am not sure a move back to the Summit equates to a move up.

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The Summit without Valpo and Oakland just isn't that great of a conference. The Dakotas would still run the show most likely. I would like to know why UMKC left because it only made sense for them to have stayed in the Summit in the first place. The basketball tournament would still be a huge advantage for the Dakota schools.

The only advantage I would see is in baseball where ORU would suddenly be on top of the heap again. However, as good as the Southland is for baseball, 2 or 3 teams will probably make the NCAA regionals every year so you don't have to base the success of your entire season on winning the tournament each year.

I don't see why ORU would make a lateral move and potentially burn their bridges with the Southland.

Now if the Summit wants to make Tulsa the permanent home for the conference basketball tourney, then they would have my attention...

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The Summit without Valpo and Oakland just isn't that great of a conference. The Dakotas would still run the show most likely. I would like to know why UMKC left because it only made sense for them to have stayed in the Summit in the first place. The basketball tournament would still be a huge advantage for the Dakota schools.

The only advantage I would see is in baseball where ORU would suddenly be on top of the heap again. However, as good as the Southland is for baseball, 2 or 3 teams will probably make the NCAA regionals every year so you don't have to base the success of your entire season on winning the tournament each year.

I don't see why ORU would make a lateral move and potentially burn their bridges with the Southland.

Now if the Summit wants to make Tulsa the permanent home for the conference basketball tourney, then they would have my attention...

Sounds like a great idea. Go from record crowds in Sioux Falls to 60 sleepy fans in Tulsa.

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Sounds like a great idea. Go from record crowds in Sioux Falls to 60 sleepy fans in Tulsa.

 

More than sixty.

 

Seventy maybe. :nerd:

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Just give the Southland experiment a chance.

 

All the league is lacking is a marquee NCAA tournament win, OR a high-profile player, ala a George Hill, Calb Green, or Nate Wolters, OR a school to string together 2, 3 or more titles in a row (like Valpo, ORU, and Oakland did in the MidCon/Summit).

 

Once that team or player emerges, the league's profile and RPI will soar.

 

What the league DOESN'T need is what happened the last decade:  a different team winning the conference tournament each and every year, followed by a quick and quiet loss in the NCAA first round.

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