Summit League officials <br />will visit USD Jan 20-21

Summit League officials
will visit USD Jan 20-21 Officials from The Summit League and The University of South Dakota will meet Jan. 20-21, as the league conducts a site visit to the USD campus in Vermillion. The purpose of the league's visit is to gather information about the university and its athletic programs. The site team consists of league office personnel, including Commissioner Tom Douple, and selected institutional members. During the visit, the site team collectively has scheduled 177 meetings with various university officials for Tuesday, Jan. 20 and Wednesday, Jan. 21. Site team members will prepare a report from the campus visit for the commissioner to present at The Summit League's Presidents Council meeting in March. "USD is very pleased to be considered for membership in The Summit League," said USD President James W. Abbott. "The university is committed to academic excellence, the welfare of the student-athlete, financial stability and the opportunity to excel on a national level. We are honored to be recognized by the fine institutions of The Summit League who share these qualities. We welcome the opportunity to further explore the potential for membership." "Full conference affiliation is critical to our athletic strategic plan and transition to Division I," said USD Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen. "It also represents a vital component to the advancement and interests of many of our sponsored sports. The visit by The Summit League is the next step in this process, and our student-athletes, coaches and staff look forward to making the most of this opportunity." The Summit League, formed in 1982 and formerly known as the Mid-Continent Conference, consists of 10 member institutions: Centenary College, IPFW, IUPUI, UMKC, North Dakota State University, Oakland University, Oral Roberts University, South Dakota State University, Southern Utah University and Western Illinois University.