After their inaugural season as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), a number of DU athletics programs are headed to their third conference in as many years as the Pioneers prepare for yet another transition, this time into the Summit League for the 2013-2014 season.
“Just as a university is responsible for providing its student athletes with solid instruction and guidance both in the classroom and on the field of play, a robust conference values educational excellence as well as athletic achievement,” said University of Denver Chancellor Robert Coombe. “Considering its strong academic focus along with the competitive success of its member institutions’ sports programs, we could not be more pleased than to find a permanent home in The Summit League.”
Eleven programs, including men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis and volleyball, will join the Summit League on July 1, 2013. The Summit League is a nine-team conference based in Elmhurst, Ill. The Pioneers were forced to search for alternate conference affiliation after the majority of the teams in the WAC announced their departure from the conference after this season. (See: Turbulent water ahead for Pioneer athletics)
“The academic profile of this university is second to none,” said Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple. “We took a long hard look at a number of institutions, and the University of Denver is the right institution. The university is a tremendous addition with an excellent academic reputation and a history of very successful athletics. Denver is a renowned metropolitan area and easily accessed through one of the world’s leading airports. All of those qualities make the University of Denver an excellent fit for the Summit League.”
Current members of the Summit League include Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, North Dakota State University, Oakland University, South Dakota State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of South Dakota and Western Illinois University.
Past transitions
The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) housed the majority of Pioneer athletic programs for more than a decade, spanning from 1999 to the spring of 2012. After years of research and conference calls, however, Denver received an invitation in 2010 to join the WAC this fall.
During the 2012-2013 academic year, Denver is shifting nine of its 17 athletic programs into the WAC, including men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, volleyball and women’s swimming and diving. The gymnastics team joined the WAC the previous year, claiming the conference championship.
However, this past summer, six of the 10 current members of the WAC announced they would be leaving the conference after this year. In July, San Jose State and Utah State will join the Mountain West Conference, while Louisiana Tech and Texas-San Antonio are headed to Conference USA.Texas State and UT Arlington will also join the SBC in July of 2013. The following summer, Idaho is vacating the WAC for the Big Sky Conference.
While two new members – California State University-Bakersfield and Utah Valley University – are slated to join the WAC this summer, the conference is struggling to remain alive. Grand Canyon University, currently a Division II university, is also rumored to be joining the WAC.
“While this move means that we will only compete in the Western Athletic Conference for one year, our goals remain the same,” said Peg Bradley-Doppes, DU’s vice chancellor for athletics and recreation, in an email to the Pioneer community. “We are focused on having a great 2012-13 season in all sports and will work to assist the WAC in maintaining its viability as a conference.”
What the future holds
While the Summit League is lesser known than the WAC and the SBC, it offers a more localized geographic spread for Denver, with conference travel extending no farther than Indiana. As members of the SBC, the Pioneers were traveling everywhere from Florida to Arkansas, and the WAC continues to expand geographically as it scrambles for new members.
The long travel distances associated with the SBC were one of the main reasons the Pioneers sought out new conference affiliation with the WAC, and the Summit League now offers an even better opportunity, allowing student athletes to spend less time traveling.
“I’m really glad to hear there will be fewer days missed in the classroom. That’s really good for all of us,” said Gregg Kvistad, DU’s provost. “I look forward to seeing our Pioneers compete with the Summit League.”
The Summit League, previously called the Mid-Continent Conference, also offers stability to the Pioneer community, having been in existence for three decades.
“I think the Summit [League] is very stable,” said Bradley-Doppes at the press conference. “But I didn’t ask for any guarantees. There are no guarantees; it’s part of the world we deal with. I believe the University of Denver will help stabilize the Summit, and I believe it’s a wonderful home for us. We are hoping that the Summit stays the conference we signed up for. That’s what we learned from the last time.”
According to Bradley-Doppes, the conference shift will result in no additional cost to DU, as the decreased travel expenses will open up new funds for changing affiliation, such as signage and new logos in athletic facilities. When the Pioneers joined the WAC this fall, Bradley-Doppes took the increasing instability of NCAA conference affiliation into consideration, and large amounts of money were consequently saved by avoiding excessive change.
“Because of the instability, I didn’t have conference logos or additional signage put on the floors, because, quite frankly, we run a tight ship,” said Bradley-Doppes. “We were very frugal.”
Bradley-Doppes also stressed that much more than athletics was considered when deciding to join the Summit League.
“Conference affiliation is not just providing us with competitive schedules,” said Bradley-Doppes. “It’s what we are aspiring to be as an institution. This is an outstanding academic institution, and I think athletics enhance that. There was so much instability with our last conference that I believe it was in our university’s best interest to make sure we explored other options.”
Hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, gymnastics and men’s and women’s skiing will not be affiliated with the Summit League and will remain in their respective conferences.
UPDATED: NOV. 27, 12:45 P.M., ANNA GAULDIN: ADDED INFORMATION FROM PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT DU.
