Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.More than one school officially moved to another conference on Friday.
The University of Nebraska at Omaha is now a member of the Summit League.
Unlike Nebraska’s celebrated move from the Big 12 to the Big Ten, UNO’s official move was well under the radar.
To most, anyway.
“The reality of being a reclassifying Division I member really sets in,” UNO Athletic Director Trev Alberts said on Friday of the Mavericks’ new status.
But there was no formal announcement, no press conference or press release, no splash page on the league website.
There was no real public acknowledgment of any kind.
In effect, the official transition is twofold: Besides a new conference, it cements UNO’s departure from Division II and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and into Division I.
But there is a transition period. It won’t be until 2012-13 that UNO will be a full-functioning Summit League member able to play full league schedules and eligible to compete for regular-season championships.
Alberts said UNO has already been involved in league meetings as it continues to educate and prepare itself for acceptance by the NCAA for full-time Division I status in 2015-16. At that time, UNO will be eligible to compete in league tournament championships and to qualify for NCAA tournaments.
“This has been a relatively seamless process,” Alberts said. “And one thing that’s really helped is that we’ve had a lot of existing relationships with several members of the conference that had maybe been on vacation for a few years.”
The Summit League includes South Dakota, South Dakota State and North Dakota State, three of UNO’s former rivals in the North Central Conference, of which it was a member through 2006-07.
Other Summit League schools include Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis, Missouri-Kansas City, Oakland, Oral Roberts and Western Illinois. UNO will take Southern Utah’s spot in the league lineup for 2012-13.
Meanwhile UNO continues to prepare for a difficult transition year, with its teams struggling to fill schedules against a mix of Division I, Division II and NAIA competition. Beginning in 2012-13, UNO becomes a “counter,” making it an attractive opponent for nonconference Division I foes.
“We’ve had some bumps along the way,” Alberts said. “I think initially all the coaches had a fear of the unknown, that this is something different. I think everyone understands that Division I brings a different level of accountability.
“But there’s a reason why there’s a four-year transition period to Division I — it’s because you’re not ready.”
Alberts said the experience of having a Division I hockey program already in place will help keep UNO ahead of the curve as it continues the transition to Division I.
“We’re doing our best to support our coaches and student-athletes on and off the field, court, ice and classroom,” Alberts said. “Where we are today is not where we’re going to be four years from now.
“Most of the changes are not necessarily related to athletics. Most of them are academic or in compliance — and they are very serious. Fortunately we’ve got a great staff and the necessary resources to accomplish all the requirements the NCAA has set out for us.”
Contact the writer:
402-444-1027, rob.white@owh.com
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