Summit League facts for kids
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Formerly | Association of Mid-Continent Universities (1982–1989) Mid-Continent Conference (1989–2007) |
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Association | NCAA |
Founded | June 18, 1982 |
Commissioner | Josh Fenton (since 2021) |
Sports fielded |
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Division | Division I |
Subdivision | non-football |
No. of teams | 9 full (7 associates) |
Headquarters | Sioux Falls, South Dakota |
Region | |
Locations | |
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The Summit League, also known as The Summit, is a sports conference for colleges and universities. Most of its member schools are in the Midwestern United States. This includes states like Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
The league started in 1982 as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities. It changed its name to the Mid-Continent Conference in 1989. Then, on June 1, 2007, it became the Summit League. The main office for the league is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Today, the Summit League has nine full member schools and seven associate member schools. Full members compete in most sports, while associate members compete in only one or a few sports. The University of St. Thomas joined in 2021. It made a big move from NCAA Division III to Division I. A year before that, the University of Missouri–Kansas City (now called Kansas City Roos) rejoined the league.
The Summit League does not have its own football competition. However, five of its member schools play football in another league called the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Since 2025, the Summit League has worked closely with the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which is where four of those five schools play football.
Contents
History
How the League Started
The conference began in 1978 as the Mid-Continent Athletic Association. It was only for football teams in NCAA Division II. Early members included the University of Akron and Eastern Illinois University. By 1981, the conference moved to Division I-AA football.
The new Association of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU) officially started on June 18, 1982. It included all men's sports, not just football. Some of the first members were Eastern Illinois, University of Northern Iowa, and Western Illinois University. The AMCU sponsored football until 1984. Then, its football teams joined with others to form what is now the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Changes and New Sports
In the early 1990s, the conference started to change. Some schools left, and new ones joined. For example, Southwest Missouri State left, and the University of Akron joined.
A big change happened in 1992 when the Mid-Continent Conference added women's sports. It welcomed teams from the North Star Conference, which was a league just for women. This meant more sports and more schools were part of the conference.
New Members and Departures
In 1994, several original members like Cleveland State University and University of Illinois Chicago left to join another conference. To make up for this, the Mid-Continent Conference welcomed new schools. These included Central Connecticut State University and the University of Missouri–Kansas City.
Over the years, schools continued to join and leave. For example, Eastern Illinois moved to the Ohio Valley Conference in 1996. New schools like Oral Roberts University and Oakland University joined later.
Growing and Shrinking
In the mid-2000s, the Summit League started to grow again. In 2007, Purdue University Fort Wayne, North Dakota State University, and South Dakota State University all joined. The University of South Dakota also joined in 2011.
However, some schools also left. Centenary College of Louisiana moved to a different division. Oral Roberts University and Southern Utah University left for other Division I conferences. By 2012, the Summit League had nine schools, all in the Midwest.
The University of Denver joined in 2013, becoming the tenth member. But then, UMKC and Oakland left for other conferences. This brought the league back to eight schools. In 2014, Oral Roberts University returned to the Summit League.
More recently, the University of North Dakota joined in 2018. However, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) left in 2017. In 2020, UMKC returned to the league after seven years away. The University of St. Thomas joined in 2021, making a special move directly from Division III to Division I.
The league also added new associate members for specific sports. The University of Northern Colorado joined for baseball in 2021. Lindenwood University and the University of Southern Indiana joined for men's soccer and swimming & diving in 2022. In 2023, Western Illinois University, a founding member, left the league for most sports. Its men's soccer team stayed for one more season before leaving.
In 2024, Delaware and UMass joined as associate members for men's soccer. Northern Colorado and Weber State also joined for men's golf.
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 | 15,019 | $422,100,000 | 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 | 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 | 10,619 | $328,500,000 | Coyotes | |
South Dakota State University | Brookings, South Dakota | 1881 | 2007 | Public | 12,065 | $213,000,000 | Jackrabbits |
Current Associate Members
Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Primary conference |
Summit sport(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware | 1743 | 2025 | Public | 23,774 | Blue Hens | CUSA | Men's soccer |
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 |
University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, Colorado | 1889 | 2021 | Public | 10,348 | Bears | Big Sky | Baseball |
University of Southern Indiana | Evansville, Indiana | 1965 | 2022 | Public | 7,938 | Screaming Eagles | OVC | Swimming & diving |
University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, Massachusetts | 1863 | 2025 | Public | 28,635 | Minutemen | MAC | Men's soccer |
Former Members
The Summit League has had many schools join and leave over the years. Here are some of the schools that were once full members or associate members.
Former Full Members
Institution | Location | Joined | Left | Nickname | Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Akron | Akron, Ohio | 1990 | 1992 | Zips | MAC |
Centenary College of Louisiana | Shreveport, Louisiana | 2003 | 2011 | Gentlemen (men's) Ladies (women's) |
SCAC |
Cleveland State University | Cleveland, Ohio | 1982 | 1994 | Vikings | Horizon |
Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, Illinois | 1982 | 1996 | Panthers | OVC |
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1998 | 2017 | Jaguars | Horizon |
University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, Iowa | 1982 | 1991 | Panthers | Missouri Valley |
Oakland University | Rochester, Michigan | 1998 | 2013 | Golden Grizzlies | Horizon |
Purdue University Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, Indiana | 2007 | 2020 | Mastodons | Horizon |
Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Indiana | 1982 | 2007 | Crusaders | Missouri Valley |
Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois | 1982 | 2023 | Leathernecks | OVC |
Former Associate Members
Institution | Location | Joined | Left | Nickname | Summit sport |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lindenwood University | St. Charles, Missouri | 2022 | 2024 | Lions | Men's swimming & diving |
Oral Roberts University | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 2012 | 2014 | Golden Eagles | Men's soccer |
University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, Colorado | 2024 | 2025 | Bears | Men's golf |
Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Indiana | 2017 | 2021 | Crusaders | Men's swimming & diving, Men's tennis |
Weber State University | Ogden, Utah | 2024 | 2025 | Wildcats | Men's golf |
Membership Timeline

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. Its name changed to "Fort Wayne" in 2016, and then to Purdue Fort Wayne in 2018.
- Southwest Missouri State is now called Missouri State University.
- The University of Wisconsin–Green Bay and University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee are now known as "Green Bay" and "Milwaukee" for sports.
- Troy State is now called Troy University.
- UMKC changed its sports name to "Kansas City" in 2019.
Sports in the Summit League
The Summit League offers championships in 19 different sports. There are 9 sports for men's teams and 10 for women's teams.
Some schools are associate members for specific sports. For example, Eastern Illinois University competes in men's and women's swimming and diving. Drake and Illinois State are associate members for men's tennis. Northern Colorado is an associate member for baseball.
Sport | Men's | Women's |
---|---|---|
Baseball | 6 | – |
Basketball | 9 | 9 |
Cross country | 7 | 8 |
Golf | 9 | 9 |
Soccer | 7 | 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 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 | ||||||||||
Delaware | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
Drake | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
Eastern Illinois | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
Illinois State | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
Northern Colorado | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
Southern Indiana | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
UMass | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
Totals | 6 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 70 |
Men's sports not sponsored by the Summit League but 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 | Pioneer | CCHA | — | — | — |
South Dakota | MVFC | — | — | — | — |
South Dakota State | MVFC | — | — | — | Big 12 |
Women's 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 | |||||||||
Southern Indiana | Yes | 1 | |||||||||
Totals | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 84 |
Women's sports not sponsored by the Summit League but 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
The Summit League has sent many men's basketball teams to the NCAA Tournament. Here are some of their notable appearances:
- In 1986, Cleveland State won two games before losing.
- Southwest Missouri State won a game in 1987.
- Northern Iowa won a game in 1990.
- Green Bay won a game in 1994.
- Valparaiso had a famous win in 1998, known as "The Shot," and reached the Sweet Sixteen.
- Oakland won a "First Four" game in 2005.
- North Dakota State won a game in 2014 and a "First Four" game in 2019.
- Oral Roberts made a great run in 2021, winning two games and reaching the Sweet Sixteen.
Summit League Men's Basketball Championships
School | Conference | Tournament | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Titles | Last title |
Titles | Last title |
|
Valparaiso | 9 | 2003–04 | 8 | 2004 |
South Dakota State | 9 | 2023–24 | 7 | 2024 |
Oral Roberts | 7 | 2022–23 | 5 | 2023 |
North Dakota State | 4 | 2019–20 | 5 | 2020 |
Omaha | 1 | 2024–25 | 1 | 2025 |
Italics indicate a school no longer a part of the Summit League.
Women's Basketball
Summit League Women's Basketball Championships
School | Conference | Tournament | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Titles | Last title |
Titles | Last title |
|
South Dakota State | 11 | 2024–25 | 12 | 2025 |
Western Illinois | 6 | 2016–17 | 2 | 2017 |
South Dakota | 5 | 2021–22 | 4 | 2022 |
Oral Roberts | 2 | 2010–11 | 5 | 2008 |
Italics indicate a school no longer a part of the Summit League.
Facilities
Here are some of the sports facilities used by Summit League schools:
School | Soccer stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity | Baseball field | Capacity | Softball field | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Delaware | Stuart and Suzanne Grant Stadium | 1,400 | Men's soccer-only member | |||||
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 | |
Omaha | Al F. Caniglia Field | 3,097 | Baxter Arena | 7,898 | Tal Anderson Field | 1,500 | Connie Claussen Field | 650 |
North Dakota | Bronson Field | N/A | Betty Engelstad Sioux Center | 3,300 | Non-baseball school | Albrecht Field | 500 | |
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 | ||||
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 | First Bank and Trust Arena | 6,500 | Erv Huether Field | 600 | Jerald T. Moriarty Field | 200 |
UMass | Rudd Field | 800 | Men's soccer-only member |
Media Rights
On August 10, 2023, the Summit League announced a new deal for its sports broadcasts. This deal connects the league with CBS Sports Network and Midco Sports until the 2025–26 school year.
CBS Sports Network now broadcasts the men's and women's basketball championship games. It also shows at least six regular-season men's basketball games. There is an option for more basketball games to be shown. For the 2024 tournament, CBS Sports Network also showed the women's basketball tournament semifinal.
The Midco contract created a new online platform called The Summit League Network. This network lets fans watch live streams of almost every home game from all nine member schools. It includes both non-conference and conference games. The network also offers interviews and other league information.
See also
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