TrueBlue82 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 After fifteen years, ORU's affiliation with the Summit League ends today. The Mid-Con/Summit has been very good to ORU - and vice-versa. In 1997, the Mid-Con gave ORU a home when it seemed no one else would. The league gave ORU a renewed identity - and an opportunity to flourish. For years, we watched and admired Valpo, and wished we could be like them. But instead of standing by just wishing, the program improved year by year to where we became competitive rivals with the league's elite - and eventually, ORU became the "big man on campus" that other schools looked up to. After Valpo's departure, ORU challenged the other schools to upgrade their athletic programs, especially in the "marquee" sports of basketball and baseball. ORU leaves with its athletic programs in a much stronger position than when it joined the Summit League in 1997 - and the league is also vastly improved over the same time period. The Summit League used to be a collection of teams from "the land of misfit toys", but will enter the 2012-13 season as a strong mid-major conference in the upper Midwest, exactly what it should be. While I fully agree with the decision to join the Southland and believe that the new conference will be a great fit for ORU, I'm also not terribly excited to leave the Summit.... which again, is exactly as it should be. What I am most pleased with is that we are moving to a new conference with a lot of positive momentum as a program on the rise. I thought it especially fitting that the final athletic activity for ORU this academic year, and the "last act" as a member of the Summit League... was Jack Whitt vaulting to an NCAA national championship. What a way (figuratively and literally) to go out on top! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 That's a really good post, Blue, and I share every one of your sentiments. I'll miss the rivalries that have developed over the years, and some of the opponent fans we've gotten to know. I hope that over time we can have some similar relationships in the new league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Great post. It is a bittersweet farewell to the Summit League. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogus Smith Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Agree with your sentiments, Blue. I think that this reflects a vast majority of our thoughts as we depart the Summit League and venture to a new field of competition in the Southland. It is satisfying to know that, while the Summit League made ORU a better overall athletic program, we contibuted to the Summit League's success over the years and leave it arguably better than how we entered it. As we enter the Southland, I would expect that we will make positive contributions in the sports we compete and that we can have healthy competitions and debates with our new neighbors....not unlike buying a new home in a different town. I'm looking forward to the next step in creating ORU's athletic history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drclean1 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 To bad not all our sports teams are going to the new league. ORU's mens soccer team is staying in the summit leage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUJason Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Goodbye Summit League (except for men's soccer)! Totally agree with TrueBlue82. Well put. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drclean1 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 can we convert our men's soccer team into a football team,,,,lol we now have a stadium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted June 30, 2012 Share Posted June 30, 2012 Goodbye Summit League....it was pretty good to us over the past 15 yrs....TheEagleman will miss some of the teams and posters...ORU needs to get a series going with Oakland.....gotta love that Kampe..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 As good as the Summit League has been to us the past 15 years, we're getting out at just the right time. With the departures of outlying schools such as Centenary and Southern Utah, and the addition of the three Dakota schools and nearby Nebraska-Omaha, it's pretty obvious the league is leaning toward the Upper Plains and Great Lakes regions for membership in the foreseeable future. The league office's infatuation with keeping the basketball tournament in Sioux Falls is a prime example of that. Plus, if Oakland bolted for the Horizon or The Valley in a season or two, or the XDSU's for some FCS-football league(s), the whole conference might have crumbled before our very eyes, with ORU being left to turn out the lights. Now, ORU is in a forward-thinking, aggresive league that, even if it does lose a team here or there in the unpredictable football landscape, is ALWAYS going to remain a collection of schools from states that border Oklahoma, and play serious basketball and baseball. Which is a good thing. So, good luck to the Summit League, as it sails on into the unknown without ORU. Just wonder how long it will remain seaworthy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 The Summit League announced tonight that they have agreed to a five year extension with Sioux Falls to keep the basketball tournament there. Oakland has to be thrilled. I imagine they continue their efforts to find a way out of that league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUalum Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 The Summit League announced tonight that they have agreed to a five year extension with Sioux Falls to keep the basketball tournament there. Oakland has to be thrilled. I imagine they continue their efforts to find a way out of that league. with a five year option to take it through 2022. did anyone check on greg kampe? did his head explode? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 Stock up on the Old Milwaukee Light in Sioux Falls..... :rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89rabbit Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hey look the Summit Leagues projected champion is a #13 seed and the Southland projected champ is a #16 with a play in game. http://espn.go.com/m...ll/bracketology Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmh8286 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Well, wadayaknow. Your point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theeagleman5 Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 LOL....some of these guys will just never go away...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOLO_Gold Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hey look the Summit Leagues projected champion is a #13 seed and the Southland projected champ is a #16 with a play in game. http://espn.go.com/m...ll/bracketology You're welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ORUTerry Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Titan Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Hey look the Summit Leagues projected champion is a #13 seed and the Southland projected champ is a #16 with a play in game. http://espn.go.com/m...ll/bracketology Like we needed another reminder of what tools these clowns are. Let's see how those RPI's look at the END of the year, Bozo. You don't have ORU's sparkling RPI to help prop up your sorry non-conference and now-lower league RPI anymore. I'm betting both league representatives (assuming they are also the regular season champs) will be in the #15 Seed range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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