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Summit League
Summit League logo.svg
Formerly Association of Mid-Continent Universities (1982–1989)
Mid-Continent Conference (1989–2007)
Association NCAA
Founded June 18, 1982;
42 years ago
 (1982-06-18)
Commissioner Josh Fenton (since 2021)
Sports fielded
  • 19
    • men's: 9
    • women's: 10
Division Division I
Subdivision non-football
No. of teams 9 full (7 associates)
Headquarters Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Region
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

The Summit League, or The Summit, is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic conference with its membership mostly located in the Midwestern United States, from Minnesota in the east, to the Dakotas, Nebraska and Colorado to the West, and Missouri and Oklahoma to the South. Founded as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities in 1982, it rebranded as the Mid-Continent Conference in 1989, then again as the Summit League on June 1, 2007. The league headquarters are in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The membership currently consists of 9 full members plus 7 associate members. The most recent change in the core conference membership is the 2021 arrival of the University of St. Thomas, which began an unprecedented transition from NCAA Division III to Division I. A year earlier, the University of Missouri–Kansas City returned as a full member after a seven-year absence with the new athletic identity of the Kansas City Roos, while Purdue University Fort Wayne left for the Horizon League. A total of 32 schools have been full members; the last charter member remaining in the league, Western Illinois University, left for the Ohio Valley Conference on July 1, 2023, though it will remain in the Summit men's soccer league through the fall 2023 season.

History

Early Days

The conference can trace its roots back to 1978, when the Mid-Continent Athletic Association was founded as a football-only conference playing in Division II at the time. Its inaugural members were the University of Akron, Eastern Illinois University, University of Northern Iowa, Northern Michigan University, Western Illinois University, and Youngstown State University; Wayne State University had also expressed interest in joining, but ultimately never did. Akron left after the 1979 season, while Northern Michigan and Youngstown State left the following year; they were replaced by Southwest Missouri State (now known as Missouri State University) in 1981. The 1981 season also saw the conference as a whole move from Division II to Division I-AA; this would be the conference's final season under the name of the Mid-Continent Athletic Association.

Foundation

The new association was officially created on June 18, 1982, at the O'Hare Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities (or AMCU or AMCU-8, pronounced Am-cue), which it was known as until 1989. Covering all men's sports now in addition to football, the new conference consisted of current MCAA members Northern Iowa, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, and Southwest Missouri State, along with non-football sponsoring Cleveland State University, University of Illinois-Chicago, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Valparaiso University. The conference continued to sponsor football at the Division I-AA level, now under the new AMCU name, from 1982 until 1984, when the football sponsoring members of the Missouri Valley Conference joined with the football sponsoring members of the AMCU to form the beginnings of what is now the Missouri Valley Football Conference; current members North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, and South Dakota State continue to house their FCS football programs there to this day.

Mid-Continent Conference logo
Mid-Continent Conference logo, 1982–2007

Changes and the addition of women's sports

The conference saw its first changes in the early 1990s. Southwest Missouri State departed for membership in the Missouri Valley Conference as the University of Akron and Northern Illinois University joined in 1990. Then Wright State University joined in 1991 as Northern Iowa followed Southwest Missouri State to the MVC.

Major changes came to the conference in 1992. First, Akron left for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and another Ohio school, Youngstown State University, replaced it. More significantly, the Mid-Continent added women's sports by absorbing the North Star Conference (NSC), a women's-only league whose final seven members were in the Mid-Continent. All of the final NSC members except for Akron moved their women's sports into the Mid-Continent. At the same time, Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois moved their women's sports into the Mid-Continent when their former women's sports home, the Gateway Conference, merged into the Missouri Valley Conference. The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee joined the Mid-Continent a year later.

Horizon and ECC transitions

In 1994, charter members Cleveland State, UIC, and Green Bay, as well as newer members Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Northern Illinois, and Wright State left the conference to join the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, now known as the Horizon League.

The Mid-Continent absorbed Central Connecticut State University, Chicago State University, the University at Buffalo, Troy State University (now Troy University), and Northeastern Illinois University from the collapsed East Coast Conference in response. None of these institutions remain in the league.

Missouri-Kansas City, formerly an independent, also joined the Mid-Continent Conference in 1994.

Declining membership

Eastern Illinois moved to the Ohio Valley Conference in 1996, reducing membership to nine programs. Troy State departed for the Trans America Athletic Conference while Central Connecticut joined the Northeast Conference in 1997. Buffalo joined the MAC in 1998 while Northeastern Illinois ceased intercollegiate athletics at that time. Oral Roberts University and Southern Utah University replaced the former pair while Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Oakland University moved into the latter duo's spots a year later.

Youngstown State switched to the Horizon League in 2001, and Centenary College replaced it in 2003. Chicago State University announced in the spring of 2006 that it would withdraw from the conference to compete as an independent starting in the 2006–07 school year. Charter member Valparaiso then moved to the Horizon in 2007.

Renewed expansion and contraction

Conference expansion was discussed at length at the Mid-Continent Conference annual Presidents Council meeting in 2006, and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW, now Purdue Fort Wayne), North Dakota State, and South Dakota State were approved for site visits. On August 30, 2006, IPFW accepted an invitation to join the Mid-Continent Conference as a full member starting July 1, 2007. Both North Dakota State and South Dakota State also accepted invitations to join the conference the next day.

The Summit League continued its renewed expansion push with the admission of the University of South Dakota. The Coyotes began conference play in the 2011–12 academic year and become eligible for all championships the following season. Centenary College subsequently announced that it would leave the Summit League following the 2010–2011 campaign.

The University of North Dakota had also been openly rumored to have been courted by the Summit League, but controversy over the Fighting Sioux nickname in all likelihood prevented UND's admission at that time. Expectations that UND would join the Summit League came to an end on November 1, 2010, when North Dakota instead accepted an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference. The University of South Dakota entered into very brief negotiations to join the Big Sky as well, rather than continuing their plans to join the Summit. However, South Dakota chose instead to remain with the more compact Summit League (along with other Dakota schools, NDSU and SDSU). As the University of Nebraska Omaha began the transition to Division I athletics in all sports, it joined the Summit League on July 1, 2012. With the departures of Centenary to Division III at the end of the 2010–11 athletic year, and Southern Utah and Oral Roberts for other Division I conferences at the end of the 2011–12 athletic year, the Summit League continued with nine institutions, all within the Midwest geographical region.

The conference unveiled the University of Denver (DU) as its 10th member on November 27, 2012, and the Pioneers joined in July 2013. While Denver is slightly outside The Summit's current Midwestern base, the city's status as a major air hub seemingly minimized travel issues for the other members. With Denver among the eight of ten WAC members switching to other conferences, that league searched for new members. UMKC announced on February 7, 2013, that it would be one of six schools joining the WAC for the 2013–14 season, dropping the Summit league back to nine member schools. Membership fell to eight schools on May 7, 2013, when Oakland announced that it was joining the Horizon League. Eight of the nine then-current Horizon League programs were former Summit League members with Oakland's move (the Horizon has since added two more members that were never in The Summit League, Northern Kentucky and Robert Morris, as well as another former Summit member in Purdue Fort Wayne).

In December 2013, The Summit League office announced that Oral Roberts University returned to the conference in all sports, effective July 1, 2014.

The next changes to the conference's core membership were announced in 2017. First, on January 26, North Dakota, which had resolved its controversy by selecting the new nickname Fighting Hawks, unveiled as a new member beginning in 2018. Then, on June 28, IUPUI announced it would leave the conference to join the Horizon League effective July 1, 2017.

For much of 2018, speculation involving further league expansion focused on Augustana University, a Division II school located in the Summit's headquarters city of Sioux Falls. Many of the school's boosters have ties to Sanford Health, a hospital company that has long been a major league sponsor and also owns the office complex that houses the league headquarters. The university announced on December 14 that it would start a transition to Division I, though stating at the time that no such move would take place until at least 2021. However, on May 22, 2020, the Summit League commissioner, Tom Douple, informed Augustana president Stephanie Herseth Sandlin that the conference would not be adding more new teams "at this time." The conference expanded anyway, announcing in June 2019 that UMKC would return in 2020 after a seven-year absence. However, shortly thereafter, Purdue Fort Wayne announced its 2020 departure for the Horizon League, maintaining the full-time conference membership at nine schools. Then, on October 4, 2019, the University of St. Thomas, a Minnesota school that was set to be expelled from its longtime athletic home of the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in 2021, announced that it received an invitation to join the Summit upon its MIAC departure. St. Thomas eventually received a waiver of an NCAA rule mandating that Division III schools can only transition to Division II, allowing the school to move directly to D-I on the originally announced schedule.

Shortly before St. Thomas' future conference membership was confirmed, the University of Northern Colorado was announced as a baseball-only member effective in 2021–22. The most recent change to the affiliate membership was announced on May 11, 2022, when Lindenwood University and the University of Southern Indiana were announced as new affiliates in men's soccer plus men's and women's swimming & diving effective in 2022–23. Both institutions began transitions from Division II as new members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), which at the time did not sponsor any of these schools' Summit League sports, in July 2022. Southern Indiana started its swimming & diving program for both sexes in 2022–23. In late March 2023, the OVC announced that it would begin sponsoring men's soccer that fall, leading to Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, and Southern Indiana moving that sport to their full-time home. All three remain swimming & diving affiliates.

In early May 2023, it was announced that founding member, Western Illinois would be leaving the Summit League in all sports and would join the Ohio Valley Conference beginning in Fall 2023. In mid-June, Western Illinois announced that their men's soccer team would remain in the Summit League for the Fall 2023 season, and depart for the OVC after that.

On April 4, 2024, both entities announced that Delaware would be joining the conference as an associate member in men's soccer starting in 2025.

On May 7, 2024, the league announced that Northern Colorado, who is also an affiliate in baseball, and Weber State would be joining the league for men's golf starting in the Fall of 2024.

Member schools

Current full members

Institution Location Founded Joined Type Enrollment Endowment Nickname Colors
University of Denver Denver, Colorado 1864 2013 Private 14,130 $900,300,000 Pioneers          
University of Missouri–Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri 1933 1994;
2020
Public 16,017 $152,800,000 Roos
University of Nebraska Omaha Omaha, Nebraska 1908 2012 Public 15,328 $110,000,000 Mavericks          
University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota 1883 2018 Public 14,172 $352,100,000 Fighting Hawks          
North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota 1890 2007 Public 11,952 $457,000,000 Bison          
Oral Roberts University Tulsa, Oklahoma 1963 1997;
2014
Private

(Evangelical)

5,051 $45,000,000 Golden Eagles               
University of St. Thomas Saint Paul, Minnesota 1885 2021 Private

(Catholic)

9,347 $653,300,000 Tommies          
University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota 1862 2011 Public 9,464 $328,500,000 Coyotes          
South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota 1881 2007 Public 11,465 $213,000,000 Jackrabbits          
Notes

Current associate members

Institution Location Founded Joined Type Enrollment Nickname Primary
conference
Summit
sport(s)
Drake University Des Moines, Iowa 1881 2017 Private 4,875 Bulldogs MVC Men's tennis
Eastern Illinois University Charleston, Illinois 1895 2005 Public 8,608 Panthers OVC Swimming & diving
Illinois State University Normal, Illinois 1857 2017 Public 20,233 Redbirds MVC Men's tennis
Lindenwood University St. Charles, Missouri 1827 2022 Private 7,003 Lions OVC Swimming & diving
University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colorado 1889 2021 Public 10,348 Bears Big Sky Baseball
Men's golf (2024)
University of Southern Indiana Evansville, Indiana 1965 2022 Public 7,938 Screaming Eagles OVC Swimming & diving

Future associate members

Institution Location Founded Joining Type Enrollment Nickname Primary
conference
Summit
sport(s)
Weber State University Ogden, Utah 1889 2024 Public 29,914 Wildcats Big Sky Men's golf
University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 1743 2025 Public 23,774 Blue Hens CAA
(Conference USA in 2025)
Men's soccer

Former members

All institutional names and nicknames used reflect those in the final school year of conference membership.

Former full members

The Summit League has 23 former members.

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Joined Left Nickname Subsequent
conference
Current
conference
University of Akron Akron, Ohio 1870 Public 29,251 1990 1992 Zips Mid-American (MAC)
University at Buffalo Buffalo, New York 1846 Public 28,601 1994 1998 Bulls Mid-American (MAC)
Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana 1825 Private

(UMC)

787 2003 2011 Gentlemen (men's)
Ladies (women's)
American Southwest SCAC
(NCAA Division III)
Central Connecticut State University New Britain, Connecticut 1849 Public 11,360 1994 1997 Blue Devils Northeast (NEC)
Chicago State University Chicago, Illinois 1867 Public 3,578 1994 2006 Cougars NCAA D-I Independent
Cleveland State University Cleveland, Ohio 1964 Public 17,204 1982 1994 Vikings Horizon
Eastern Illinois University Charleston, Illinois 1895 Public 11,651 1982 1996 Panthers OVC
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, Illinois 1858 Public 28,091 1982 1994 Flames Horizon Missouri Valley
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana 1969 Public 27,184 1998 2017 Jaguars Horizon
Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, Illinois 1867 Public 11,149 1994 1998 Golden Eagles Discontinued intercollegiate athletics
Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois 1895 Public 25,313 1990 1994 Huskies Horizon Mid-American (MAC)
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa 1876 Public 11,147 1982 1991 Panthers Missouri Valley
Oakland University Rochester, Michigan 1957 Public 19,379 1998 2013 Golden Grizzlies Horizon
Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana 1964 Public 10,139 2007 2020 Mastodons Horizon
Southern Utah University Cedar City, Utah 1897 Public 8,297 1997 2012 Thunderbirds Big Sky WAC
Southwest Missouri State University Springfield, Missouri 1905 Public 21,059 1982 1990 Bears (men's)
Lady Bears (women's)
Missouri Valley
Troy State University Troy, Alabama 1887 Public 29,689 1994 1997 Trojans TAAC Sun Belt
University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Green Bay, Wisconsin 1965 Public 6,700 1982 1994 Phoenix Horizon
University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1885 Public 30,502 1993 1994 Panthers Horizon
Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana 1859 Private

(Lutheran)

4,061 1982 2007 Crusaders Horizon Missouri Valley
Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois 1899 Public 7,643 1982 2023 Leathernecks OVC
Wright State University Fairborn, Ohio 1967 Public 17,789 1991 1994 Raiders Horizon
Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio 1908 Public 15,194 1992 2001 Penguins Horizon

Former associate members

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Joined Left Nickname Primary
conference
during associate
membership
Current
conference
in former
Summit sport
Summit
sport
University of Akron Akron, Ohio 1870 Public 10,378 1978 1980 Zips D-II Independent Mid-American (MAC) football
DePaul University Chicago, Illinois 1898 Private 24,414 1992 1999 Blue Demons Great Midwest,
Conf. USA (C-USA)
Big East softball
Howard University Washington, D.C. 1867 Private 10,000 1996 1999 Bison Mid-Eastern (MEAC) Northeast (NEC) soccer, men'smen's soccer
C.W. Post of Long Island University Brookville, New York 1954 Public 8,472 1994 1998 Pioneers East Coast (ECC) Northeast (NEC) baseball
New York Institute of Technology New York, New York 1955 Private 13,000 1994 1998 Bears East Coast (ECC) TBA baseball
Northern Michigan University Marquette, Michigan 1899 Public 6,764 1978 1981 Wildcats D-II Independent Great Lakes (GLIAC) football
Oral Roberts University Tulsa, Oklahoma 1963 Private 3,417 2012 2014 Golden Eagles Southland Summit soccer, men'smen's soccer
Pace University New York, New York 1906 Private 12,772 1994 1998 Setters East Coast (ECC),
Northeast-10 (NE-10)
Northeast-10 (NE-10) baseball
Quincy University Quincy, Illinois 1860 Private 1,269 1994 1996 Hawks Great Lakes (GLVC) soccer, men'smen's soccer
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
(SIU Edwardsville or SIUE)
Edwardsville, Illinois 1957 Public 13,850 1994 1996 Cougars Great Lakes (GLVC) Ohio Valley (OVC) soccer, men'smen's soccer
University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota 1862 Public 10,151 2009 2011 Coyotes Great West (GWC) Summit swimming & diving, men'smen's swimming & diving
swimming & diving, women'swomen's swimming & diving
South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota 1881 Public 12,851 2005 2007 Jackrabbits D-I Independent Summit swimming & diving, men'smen's swimming & diving
swimming & diving, women'swomen's swimming & diving
State University of New York at Oneonta Oneonta, New York 1889 Public 5,852 1996 1998 Red Dragons New York State (SUNYAC) soccer, men'smen's soccer
Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana 1859 Private 4,500 2017 2020 Crusaders Missouri Valley (MVC) N/A tennis, men'smen's tennis
2017 2021 Mid-American (MAC) swimming, men'smen's swimming
Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio 1908 Public 11,298 1978 1981 Penguins D-II Independent Missouri Valley (MVFC) football
Notes

Membership timeline

University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference University of North Dakota Big Sky Conference Great West Conference North Central Conference University of Denver Western Athletic Conference Sun Belt Conference NCAA Division I independent schools NCAA Division II independent schools NAIA independent schools NCAA Division I independent schools University of Nebraska Omaha NCAA Division I independent schools Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association North Central Conference University of South Dakota Great West Conference North Central Conference Horizon League Purdue University Fort Wayne Purdue University Fort Wayne NCAA Division I independent schools Great Lakes Valley Conference NCAA Division II independent schools NCAA Division III independent schools North Dakota State University NCAA Division I independent schools North Central Conference South Dakota State University NCAA Division I independent schools North Central Conference Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference NCAA Division III independent schools Centenary College of Louisiana NCAA Division I independent schools ASUN Conference Horizon League Oakland University NCAA Division II independent schools Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Horizon League Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis NCAA Division II independent schools NAIA independent schools Oral Roberts University NCAA Division I independent schools NAIA independent schools NCAA Division I independent schools Horizon League NCAA Division I independent schools Western Athletic Conference Big Sky Conference Southern Utah University NCAA Division I FCS independent schools American West Conference NCAA Division I FCS independent schools NCAA Division II independent schools Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference University of Missouri–Kansas City Western Athletic Conference University of Missouri–Kansas City NCAA Division I independent schools NAIA independent schools Northeast Conference NCAA Division I independent schools Western Athletic Conference Great West Conference NCAA Division I independent schools Chicago State University East Coast Conference (Division I) NCAA Division I independent schools NAIA independent schools Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Northeastern Illinois University East Coast Conference (Division I) NCAA Division I independent schools NCAA Division II independent schools NAIA independent schools Mid-American Conference University at Buffalo East Coast Conference (Division I) NCAA Division I independent schools State University of New York Athletic Conference Sun Belt Conference ASUN Conference Troy University East Coast Conference (Division I) NCAA Division II independent schools Gulf South Conference Northeast Conference Central Connecticut State University East Coast Conference (Division I) East Coast Conference (Division I) Horizon League Horizon League University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee NCAA Division I independent schools NCAA Division I independent schools NAIA independent schools NCAA Division III independent schools NCAA Division I independent schools Horizon League Horizon League Wright State University NCAA Division I independent schools NCAA Division II independent schools Mid-American Conference Northern Illinois University NCAA Division I FBS independent schools Mid-American Conference Missouri Valley Conference Horizon League Valparaiso University Horizon League Horizon League University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Missouri Valley Conference Horizon League Horizon League University of Illinois at Chicago Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Horizon League Horizon League Cleveland State University NCAA Division I independent schools Missouri Valley Conference Missouri State University Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Horizon League NCAA Division I FCS independent schools Ohio Valley Conference Youngstown State University Western Illinois University Northern Michigan University Missouri Valley Conference University of Northern Iowa Ohio Valley Conference Eastern Illinois University Mid-American Conference NCAA Division I FBS independent schools Ohio Valley Conference University of Akron

Full members  Full members (non-football)  Associate members (football only)  Associate member (baseball, men's soccer, softball, swimming and diving, or men's tennis)  Other Conference  Other Conference 

  • Purdue Fort Wayne joined the league as IPFW. The athletic branding was changed to "Fort Wayne" in 2016, and to Purdue Fort Wayne shortly before the dissolution of IPFW on July 1, 2018.
  • Southwest Missouri State adopted its current name of Missouri State University in 2005.
  • The two former members that are part of the University of Wisconsin System, namely UW–Green Bay and UW–Milwaukee, now brand themselves for athletic purposes as "Green Bay" and "Milwaukee".
  • Troy State adopted its current name of Troy University in 2004.
  • UMKC rebranded its athletic program as "Kansas City" in 2019, a year before its return to the league.

The Summit League sponsors championship competition in nine men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Former full member Eastern Illinois is an associate member for men's and women's swimming and diving and men's soccer. Drake and Illinois State became associate members in men's tennis starting in 2017–18, and former full member Valparaiso rejoined for men's swimming and men's tennis at the same time. Valparaiso dropped men's tennis after the 2019–20 season; it remained a swimming associate until moving that sport to the Mid-American Conference in 2021. Northern Colorado became a baseball associate starting in the 2022 season (2021–22 school year), and Lindenwood and Southern Indiana became associates in men's soccer plus men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2022–23 school year. Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood, and Southern Indiana moved men's soccer to their primary home of the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023–24 while remaining Summit affiliates in swimming & diving. Western Illinois elected to leave the league full time in 2023, but its men's soccer team will remain in the Summit through the fall 2023 season.

Teams in Summit League competition
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball 5 (6 in 2025)
Basketball 9 9
Cross country 7 8
Golf 9 (11 in 2024) 9
Soccer 6 9
Softball 7
Swimming and diving 8 8
Tennis 8 8
Track and field (indoor) 7 8
Track and field (outdoor) 7 8
Volleyball 9

Men's sponsored sports by school

School Baseball Basketball Cross
Country
Golf Soccer Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Indoor
Track & Field
Outdoor
Track & Field
Total
Summit League
Sports
Denver No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No 5
Kansas City No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 7
North Dakota No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes 6
North Dakota State Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes 6
Omaha Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No 6
Oral Roberts Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 8
St. Thomas Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 8
South Dakota No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes 6
South Dakota State Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes 7
Associate members
Drake Yes 1
Eastern Illinois Yes 1
Illinois State Yes 1
Lindenwood Yes 1
Northern Colorado Yes Yes in 2024 2
Southern Indiana Yes 1
Future member
Delaware in 2025 Yes 1
Weber State in 2024 Yes 1
Totals 6 9 7 11 6 8 8 7 7 69

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by The Summit League which are played by member schools:

School Football Ice Hockey Lacrosse Skiing Wrestling
Denver NCHC Big East RMISA
North Dakota MVFC NCHC
North Dakota State MVFC Big 12
Omaha NCHC
St. Thomas PFL CCHA
South Dakota MVFC
South Dakota State MVFC Big 12

Women's sponsored sports by school

School Basketball Cross
Country
Golf Soccer Softball Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Indoor
Track & Field
Outdoor
Track & Field
Volleyball Total
Summit League
Sports
Denver Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes 6
Kansas City Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
North Dakota Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
North Dakota State Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes 8
Omaha Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Oral Roberts Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes 8
St. Thomas Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
South Dakota Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
South Dakota State Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 9
Associate members
Eastern Illinois Yes 1
Lindenwood Yes 1
Southern Indiana Yes 1
Totals 9 8 9 9 7 8 8 8 8 9 85
Notes

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by The Summit League which are played by member schools:

School Equestrian Gymnastics Ice Hockey Lacrosse Skiing
Denver Big 12 Big East RMISA
St. Thomas WCHA
South Dakota State United Equestrian Conference &
National Collegiate Equestrian Association

Football

Men's basketball

Men's basketball in the NCAA tournament

Year Team Seed Results
1983 none
1984 none
1985 none
1986 Cleveland State 14* defeated Indiana
defeated Saint Joseph's
lost to Navy
1987 Southwest Missouri State 13 defeated Clemson
lost to Kansas
1988 Southwest Missouri State 13 lost to UNLV
1989 Southwest Missouri State 14 lost to Seton Hall
1990 Southwest Missouri State 9* lost to North Carolina
Northern Iowa 14 defeated Missouri
lost to Minnesota
1991 Green Bay 12 lost to Michigan State
Northern Illinois 13* lost to St. John's
1992 Eastern Illinois 15 lost to Indiana
1993 Wright State 16 lost to Indiana
1994 Green Bay 12 defeated California
lost to Syracuse
1995 none
1996 Valparaiso 14 lost to Arizona
1997 Valparaiso 12 lost to Boston College
1998 Valparaiso 13 defeated Ole Miss
defeated Florida State
lost to Rhode Island
1999 Valparaiso 15 lost to Maryland
2000 Valparaiso 16 lost to Michigan State
2001 Southern Utah 14 lost to Boston College
2002 Valparaiso 13 lost to Kentucky
2003 IUPUI 16 lost to Kentucky
2004 Valparaiso 15 lost to Gonzaga
2005 Oakland 16 defeated Alabama A&M**
Lost to North Carolina
2006 Oral Roberts 16 lost to Memphis
2007 Oral Roberts 14 lost to Washington State
2008 Oral Roberts 13 lost to Pittsburgh
2009 North Dakota State 14 lost to Kansas
2010 Oakland 14 lost to Pittsburgh
2011 Oakland 13 lost to Texas
2012 South Dakota State 14 lost to Baylor
2013 South Dakota State 13 lost to Michigan
2014 North Dakota State 12 defeated Oklahoma
lost to San Diego State
2015 North Dakota State 15 lost to Gonzaga
2016 South Dakota State 12 lost to Maryland
2017 South Dakota State 16 lost to Gonzaga
2018 South Dakota State 12 lost to Ohio State
2019 North Dakota State 16 defeated NCCU**
lost to Duke
2021 Oral Roberts 15 defeated Ohio State
defeated Florida
lost to Arkansas
2022 South Dakota State 13 lost to Providence
2023 Oral Roberts 12 lost to Duke

* At-large bid
** First Four game

Summit League championships won per school

School Conference Tournament
Titles Last
Title
Titles Last
Title
Valparaiso 9 2003-04 8 2004
South Dakota State 8 2021–22 6 2022
Oral Roberts 7 2022–23 5 2023
Missouri State 4 1989-90 2 1989
North Dakota State 4 2019-20 5 2020
Oakland 3 2010-11 3 2011
Cleveland State 3 1992-93 1 1986
Western Illinois 2 2012-13 1 1984
Green Bay 2 1993-94 2 1994
Purdue Fort Wayne 1 2015-16 0 N/A
South Dakota 1 2016-17 0 N/A
IUPUI 1 2005-06 1 2003
Illinois-Chicago 1 1983-84 0 N/A
Northern Illinois 1 1990-91 0 N/A
Southern Utah 1 2000-01 1 2001
Eastern Illinois 0 N/A 2 1992
Wright State 0 N/A 1 1993
Northern Iowa 0 N/A 1 1990

Italics indicate a school no longer a part of the Summit League

Women's Basketball

Summit League championships won per school

School Conference Tournament
Titles Last
Title
Titles Last
Title
South Dakota State 9 2022–23 10 2023
Western Illinois 6 2016–17 2 2017
South Dakota 5 2021–22 4 2022
Youngstown State 5 1998-99 3 2000
Oakland 3 2006-07 2 2006
Oral Roberts 2 2010-11 5 2008
Northern Illinois 2 1993-94 1 1993
Valparaiso 2 2001-02 2 2004
Troy 1 1996-97 1 1997
Buffalo 1 1994-95 0 N/A
Green Bay 0 N/A 1 1994

Italics indicate a school no longer a part of the Summit League

Facilities

School Soccer stadium Capacity Basketball arena Capacity Baseball field Capacity Softball field Capacity
Denver CIBER Field at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium 2,000 Hamilton Gymnasium 2,500 Non-baseball school Non-softball school
Kansas City Durwood Soccer Stadium 850 Swinney Recreation Center 1,500 Non-baseball school Urban Youth Academy N/A
North Dakota Bronson Field N/A Betty Engelstad Sioux Center 3,300 Non-baseball school Apollo Sports Complex 150
North Dakota State Dacotah Field 2,600 Scheels Center 5,460 Newman Outdoor Field 4,600 Tharaldson Park 735
Northern Colorado Baseball-only member Jackson Field 1,500 Baseball-only member
Omaha Al F. Caniglia Field 3,097 Baxter Arena 7,898 Tal Anderson Field 1,500 Connie Claussen Field 650
Oral Roberts Case Soccer Complex 1,000 Mabee Center 10,575 J. L. Johnson Stadium 2,418 Non-softball school
St. Thomas South Field 800 Schoenecker Arena 1,800 Koch Diamond 250 South Field 150
South Dakota First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex 800 Sanford Coyote Sports Center 6,000 Non-baseball school Nygard Field 500
South Dakota State Fishback Soccer Park 1,500 Frost Arena 6,500 Erv Huether Field 600 Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 200

Media Rights

On August 10, 2023, the Summit League announced the signing of a new three-year media rights deal that would tie the league with CBS Sports Network and even closer ties with Midco Sports through the 2025-26 academic year. The new deal transfers the Summit League's men's/women's basketball championship game rights over to CBS Sports Network from ESPN, and adds a guaranteed six regular season men's basketball games on the network with an option of six more men's or women's basketball games during the season. For the 2024 tournament, CBS Sports Network will also broadcast the women's basketball tournament semifinal. In 2025 and 2026 there will remain an option to have the men's and women's tournaments semifinals on CBS Sports Network if scheduling allows.

The Midco contract will now expand to the creation of a new all-league media platform called The Summit League Network. It will provide access to all nine member institutions' live streams of every home game, both non-conference and in-conference, as well as interviews and other league info. This expansion will preserve the local media rights given out at select institutions, as the provider for the university will supply Midco with that broadcast/live stream to be simulcast on the Summit League Network.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: The Summit League para niños

  • List of Summit League champions
  • Summit League women's soccer tournament
  • Summit League men's soccer tournament
  • Summit League men's basketball tournament
  • Summit League women's basketball tournament
  • Summit League baseball tournament
  • Summit League softball tournament
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