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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 nine full members plus six 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 in most sports, with men's soccer playing one more season before leaving at the conclusion of the fall 2023 season.

The Summit does not sponsor football, but five of its members play the sport in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and since 2025 the Summit has had a formal relationship with the single-sport Missouri Valley Football Conference, the football home of four of those five schools.

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.http://www.thespectrum.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060309/SPORTS/603090335/1006 Covering all men's sports now in addition to football, the new conference consisted of current MCAA members Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Southwest Missouri State, and Western Illinois, along with non-football sponsoring Cleveland State University, University of Illinois Chicago, Valparaiso University and University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. The conference continued to sponsor college 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 University of North Dakota, North Dakota State University, University of South Dakota, and South Dakota State University continue to house their FCS football programs there to this day.

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 UWGB, as well as newer members Northern Illinois, Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 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, Northeastern Illinois University, the University at Buffalo, and Troy State University (now Troy University) from the collapsed East Coast Conference in response. None of these institutions remain in the league.

The University of 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 State joined the Northeast Conference in 1997. Buffalo joined the Mid-American Conference 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; its athletic program is now IU Indy) 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.Press Release. IPFW accepts invitation to join Mid-Continent Conference , Mid-Continent Conference, August 30, 2006. Both North Dakota State and South Dakota State also accepted invitations to join the conference the next day.Press Release. North Dakota State University accepts invitation to join Mid-Continent Conference , Mid-Continent Conference, August 31, 2006.Press Release. South Dakota State University accepts invitation to join Mid-Continent Conference , Mid-Continent Conference, August 31, 2006.

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 Oral Roberts (Southland Conference) and Southern Utah (Big Sky Conference) 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 tenth member on November 27, 2012, and the Denver 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 Western Athletic Conference (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 would return 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 Booster club 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. Eastern Illinois and Southern Indiana remain swimming & diving affiliates, while Lindenwood dropped both of its swimming & diving programs after the 2023–24 season.

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 its 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.

On December 23, 2024, the league announced that UMass would be joining the conference as an affiliate in men's soccer starting in the 2025 season.

In May 2025, the Missouri Valley Football Conference, a football-only league that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, adopted a new governing structure that created a formal relationship between it and the Summit League, and also formalized the MVFC's decades-long ties with the Missouri Valley Conference. At the time, four of the five Summit members that sponsored football housed those teams in the MVFC.

Member schools

Current full members

	Denver, Colorado	1864	2013	Private	14,130	$900,300,000	Denver Pioneers
	Kansas City, Missouri	1933	1994; 2020	Public	16,017	$152,800,000	Roos
	Omaha, Nebraska	1908	2012	Public	15,328	$110,000,000	Omaha Mavericks
	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 (Evangelicalism)	5,051	$45,000,000	Golden Eagles
	Saint Paul, Minnesota	1885	2021	Private (Catholic Church)	9,347	$653,300,000	Tommies
	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

Notes

Current associate members

	Newark, Delaware	1743	2025	Public	23,774	Blue Hens	Conference USA	Men's soccer
Drake University	Des Moines, Iowa	1881	2017	Private	4,875	Drake 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
	Greeley, Colorado	1889	2021	Public	10,348	Bears	Big Sky	Baseball
	Evansville, Indiana	1965	2022	Public	7,938	Screaming Eagles	OVC	Swimming & diving
	Amherst, Massachusetts	1863	2025	Public	28,635	Minutemen	MAC	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.

	Akron, Ohio	1870	Public	29,251	1990	1992	Akron Zips	Mid-American (MAC)
	Buffalo, New York	1846	Public	28,601	1994	1998	Buffalo 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
Central Connecticut State University	New Britain, Connecticut	1849	Public	11,360	1994	1997	Blue Devils	Northeast (NEC)
Chicago State University	Chicago	1867	Public	3,578	1994	2006	Cougars	NCAA D-I Independent	Northeast (NEC)
Cleveland State University	Cleveland	1964	Public	17,204	1982	1994	Vikings	Horizon League
Eastern Illinois University	Charleston, Illinois	1895	Public	11,651	1982	1996	Panthers	OVC
	Chicago	1858	Public	28,091	1982	1994	UIC Flames	Horizon League	Missouri Valley
	Indianapolis	1969	Public	27,184	1998	2017	Jaguars	Horizon League
Northeastern Illinois University	Chicago	1867	Public	11,149	1994	1998	Golden Eagles	Discontinued intercollegiate athletics
Northern Illinois University	DeKalb, Illinois	1895	Public	25,313	1990	1994	Huskies	Horizon League	Mid-American (MAC)
	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 League
	Fort Wayne, Indiana	1964	Public	10,139	2007	2020	Mastodons	Horizon League
Southern Utah University	Cedar City, Utah	1897	Public	8,297	1997	2012	Thunderbirds	Big Sky	WAC
	Springfield, Missouri	1905	Public	21,059	1982	1990	Bears (men's) Lady Bears (women's)	Conference USA
Troy University	Troy, Alabama	1887	Public	29,689	1994	1997	Troy Trojans	TAAC	Sun Belt
Valparaiso University	Valparaiso, Indiana	1859	Private (Lutheranism)	4,061	1982	2007	Crusaders	Horizon League	Missouri Valley
Western Illinois University	Macomb, Illinois	1899	Public	7,643	1982	2023	Leathernecks	OVC
	Green Bay, Wisconsin	1965	Public	6,700	1982	1994	Phoenix	Horizon League
	Milwaukee	1885	Public	30,502	1993	1994	Panthers	Horizon League
Wright State University	Dayton, Ohio	1967	Public	17,789	1991	1994	Raiders	Horizon League
Youngstown State University	Youngstown, Ohio	1908	Public	15,194	1992	2001	Penguins	Horizon League

Notes

Former associate members

University of Akron	Akron, Ohio	1870	Public	10,378	1978	1980	Akron Zips	D-II Independent	Mid-American (MAC)	football
DePaul University	Chicago, Illinois	1898	Private	24,414	1992	1999	Blue Demons	Great Midwest, Conference USA	Big East	softball
Howard University	Washington, D.C.	1867	Private	10,000	1996	1999	Howard Bison	Mid-Eastern (MEAC)	Northeast (NEC)
Lindenwood University		1827	Private	7,003	2022	2024	Lindenwood Lions	OVC
LIU Post	Brookville, New York	1954	Public	8,472	1994	1998	Pioneers	East Coast (ECC)	Northeast (NEC)	baseball
New York Institute of Technology	Manhattan	1955	Private	13,000	1994	1998	NYIT Bears	East Coast (ECC)	TBA	baseball
	Greeley, Colorado	1889	Public	10,348	2024	2025	Bears	Big Sky		men's golf
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
Pace University	Manhattan	1906	Private	12,772	1994	1998	Pace Setters	East Coast (ECC) Northeast-10 (NE-10)	Northeast-10 (NE-10)	baseball
Quincy University	Quincy, Illinois	1860	Private	1,269	1994	1996	Quincy Hawks	Great Lakes (GLVC)
(SIU Edwardsville or SIUE)	Edwardsville, Illinois	1957	Public	13,850	1994	1996	Cougars	Great Lakes (GLVC)	Ohio Valley (OVC)
	Vermillion, South Dakota	1862	Public	10,151	2009	2011	Coyotes	Great West (GWC)	Summit
South Dakota State University	Brookings, South Dakota	1881	Public	12,851	2005	2007	Jackrabbits	D-I Independent	Summit
State University of New York at Oneonta	Oneonta, New York	1889	Public	5,852	1996	1998	Red Dragons	New York State (SUNYAC)
Valparaiso University	Valparaiso, Indiana	1859	Private	4,500	2017	2020	Crusaders	Missouri Valley (MVC)
Valparaiso University	Valparaiso, Indiana	1859	Private	4,500	2017	2021	Crusaders	Missouri Valley (MVC)	Missouri Valley (MVC)
Weber State University	Ogden, Utah	1889	Public	29,914	2024	2025	Wildcats	Big Sky		men's golf
Youngstown State University	Youngstown, Ohio	1908	Public	11,298	1978	1981	Penguins	D-II Independent	Missouri Valley (MVFC)	football

Notes

Membership timeline

PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20

DateFormat = yyyy

Period = from:1978 till:2028

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

         id:line     value:black

         id:bg       value:white
         id:Full value:rgb(0.792,0.727,0.752) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
         id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
         id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
         id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.611,0.824) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote)
         id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference
         id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two

PlotData =

color:FullxF  width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1  color:AssocF from:1978 till:1979 text:Akron (1978-1979, 1990-1992)
bar:1  shift:(130) color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1987 text:OVC
bar:1  color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1990 text:Independent
bar:1  color:FullxF from:1990 till:1992
bar:1  color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:end text:MAC

bar:2  color:AssocF from:1978 till:1982 text:Eastern Illinois (1978–1996)
bar:2  color:Full from:1982 till:1985
bar:2  color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996
bar:2  color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2005 text:OVC
bar:2  color:AssocOS from:2005 till:end text:(2005–present, swimming & diving; 2011–2023, men's soccer)

bar:3  color:AssocF from:1978 till:1982 text:Northern Iowa (1978–1991)
bar:3  color:Full from:1982 till:1985
bar:3  color:FullxF from:1985 till:1991
bar:3  color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:end text:MVC

bar:4  color:AssocF from:1978 till:1980 text:Northern Michigan (1978-1980)

bar:5  color:AssocF from:1978 till:1982 text:Western Illinois (1978–2023)
bar:5  color:Full from:1982 till:1985
bar:5  color:FullxF from:1985 till:2023
bar:5  color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text:(2023, men's soccer)
bar:5  color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end

bar:6  color:AssocF from:1978 till:1980 text:[[Youngstown State]] (1978–1980)
bar:6  shift:(110) color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:1988 text:OVC
bar:6  color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:1992 text:Independent
bar:6  color:FullxF from:1992 till:2001 text:(1992–2001)
bar:6  color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:7  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1981 text:MIAA (D-II)
bar:7  color:AssocF from:1981 till:1982 text:Southwest Missouri State (1981–1990)
bar:7  color:Full from:1982 till:1985
bar:7  color:FullxF from:1985 till:1990
bar:7  color:OtherC1 from:1990 till:end text:MVC

bar:8  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1982 text:Independent
bar:8  color:FullxF from:1982 till:1994 text:[[Cleveland State]] (1982–1994)
bar:8  color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:2001 text:[[MCC|Horizon League]]
bar:8  color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:9  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1981 text:CCAC (NAIA)
bar:9  color:OtherC2 from:1981 till:1982
bar:9  color:FullxF from:1982 till:1994 text:UIC (1982–1994)
bar:9  color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:2001 text:[[MCC|Horizon League]]
bar:9  color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2022 text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]
bar:9  color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:MVC

bar:10  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1982 text:Independent
bar:10  color:FullxF from:1982 till:1994 text:UW–Green Bay (1982–1994)
bar:10  color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:2001 text:[[MCC|Horizon League]]
bar:10  color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:11  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1982 text:Independent
bar:11  color:FullxF from:1982 till:2007 text:Valparaiso (1982–2007)
bar:11  color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2017 text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]
bar:11  shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2021 text:(2017–2021; men's swimming; 2017–2020, men's tennis)
bar:11  shift:(90) color:OtherC2 from:2021 till:end text:MVC

bar:12  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1986 text:MAC
bar:12  color:OtherC2 from:1986 till:1990 text:Independent
bar:12  color:FullxF from:1990 till:1994 text:Northern Illinois (1990–1994)
bar:12  shift:(70) color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:1997
bar:12  color:OtherC2 from:1997 till:2026 text:MAC
bar:12  color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:13  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1987 text:D-II Independent
bar:13  color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1991 text:D-I Independent
bar:13  color:FullxF from:1991 till:1994 text:[[Wright State]] (1991–1994)
bar:13  shift:(70) color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:2001 text:[[MCC|Horizon League]]
bar:13  color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:16  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1980 text:D-I Ind.
bar:16  color:OtherC2 from:1980 till:1985 text:D-III Independent
bar:16  color:OtherC1 from:1985 till:1987 text:NAIA Ind.
bar:16  shift:(10) color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1990 text:D-II Indep.
bar:16  color:OtherC1 from:1990 till:1993 text:D-I Indep.
bar:16  color:FullxF from:1993 till:1994 text:UW–Milwaukee (1993–1994)
bar:16  shift:(100) color:OtherC1 from:1994 till:2001 text:[[MCC|Horizon League]]
bar:16  color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:17  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1990 text:Independent
bar:17  color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:1992 text:ECC
bar:17  shift:(-5) color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:1993 text:Ind.
bar:17  shift:(-5) color:OtherC2 from:1993 till:1994 text:ECC
bar:17  color:FullxF from:1994 till:1997 text:Central Connecticut State (1994–1997)
bar:17  shift:(130) color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:end text:NEC

bar:18  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1991 text:GSC (D-II)
bar:18  shift:(-5) color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1993 text:D-II Ind.
bar:18  shift:(-5) color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:1994 text:ECC
bar:18  color:FullxF from:1994 till:1997 text:[[Troy State]] (1994–1997)
bar:18  shift:(60) color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:2005 text:[[TAAC/A-Sun|ASUN Conference]]
bar:18  color:OtherC2 from:2005 till:end text:Sun Belt

bar:19  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1988 text:SUNYAC (D-III)
bar:19  color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:1991 text:D-I Indep.
bar:19  color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1994 text:ECC
bar:19  color:FullxF from:1994 till:1998 text:Buffalo (1994–1998)
bar:19  shift:(20) color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:end text:MAC

bar:20  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1988 text:NAIA Independent
bar:20  shift:(-10) color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:1989 text:D-II Ind.
bar:20  shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:1993 text:D-I Indep.
bar:20  shift:(-5) color:OtherC2 from:1993 till:1994 text:ECC
bar:20  color:FullxF from:1994 till:1998 text:Northeastern Illinois (1994–1998; dropped athletics)

bar:21  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1981 text:CCAC (NAIA)
bar:21  shift:(10) color:OtherC2 from:1981 till:1984 text:NAIA Indep.
bar:21  color:OtherC1 from:1984 till:1993 text:D-I Independent
bar:21  shift:(-5) color:OtherC2 from:1993 till:1994 text:ECC
bar:21  color:FullxF from:1994 till:2006 text:[[Chicago State]] (1994–2006)
bar:21  color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2009 text:Independent
bar:21  color:OtherC2 from:2009 till:2013 text:GWC
bar:21  color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2022 text:WAC
bar:21  color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:2024 text:Ind.
bar:21  color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end text:NEC

bar:22  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1986 text:NAIA Independent
bar:22  color:OtherC2 from:1986 till:1994 text:D-I Independent
bar:22  color:FullxF from:1994 till:2013 text:[[UMKC]] (1994–2013)
bar:22  color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2020 text:WAC
bar:22  color:FullxF from:2020 till:end text:Kansas City (2020–present)

bar:30  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1986 text:RMAC (NAIA)
bar:30  color:OtherC2 from:1986 till:1988 text:D-II Ind.
bar:30  color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1994 text:DI-AA Independent
bar:30  color:OtherC2 from:1994 till:1996 text:AWC
bar:30  color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:1997 text:Ind.
bar:30  color:FullxF from:1997 till:2012 text:Southern Utah (1997–2012)
bar:30  color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2022 text:Big Sky
bar:30  color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:WAC

bar:31  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1979 text:Ind.
bar:31  color:OtherC2 from:1979 till:1987 text:[[MCC|Horizon League]]
bar:31  color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1989 text:D-I Ind.
bar:31  color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:1991 text:NAIA Ind.
bar:31  shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1997 text:D-I Independent
bar:31  color:FullxF from:1997 till:2012 text:Oral Roberts (1997–2012)
bar:31  shift:(-110) color:AssocOS from:2012 till:2014 text:(2012–2014, men's soccer)
bar:31  color:FullxF from:2014 till:end text:(2014–present)

bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1993 text:NAIA Independent
bar:32 color:OtherC2 from:1993 till:1998 text:D-II Independent
bar:32  color:FullxF from:1998 till:2017 text:[[IUPUI]] (1998–2017)
bar:32  color:OtherC1 from:2017 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:33  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1997 text:GLIAC (D-II)
bar:33  shift:(-20) color:OtherC2 from:1997 till:1998 text:D-II Ind.
bar:33  color:FullxF from:1998 till:2013 text:Oakland (1998–2013)
bar:33  color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:34  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1999 text:[[TAAC|ASUN Conference]]
bar:34  color:OtherC2 from:1999 till:2003 text:Independent
bar:34  color:FullxF from:2003 till:2011 text:Centenary (2003–2011)
bar:34  shift:(-10) color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2012 text:D-III Ind.
bar:34  shift:(10) color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:end text:SCAC (D-III)

bar:35  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2004 text:NCC (D-II)
bar:35  color:OtherC2 from:2004 till:2005 text:Ind.
bar:35  color:AssocOS from:2005 till:2007 text:South Dakota State (2005–2007, swimming & diving; 2007–present)
bar:35  color:FullxF from:2007 till:end text:

bar:36  color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2004 text:NCC (D-II)
bar:36  color:OtherC2 from:2004 till:2007 text:Independent
bar:36  color:FullxF from:2007 till:end text:North Dakota State (2007–present)

bar:37 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1981 text:D-III Indep.
bar:37 color:OtherC2 from:1981 till:1984 text:D-II Indep.
bar:37 color:OtherC1 from:1984 till:2001 text:GLVC (D-II)
bar:37 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2007 text:Independent
bar:37  color:FullxF from:2007 till:2018 text:[[IPFW]] (2007–2018)
bar:37  color:FullxF from:2018 till:2020 text:Purdue Fort Wayne (2018–2020)
bar:37 shift:(120) color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:end text:[[Horizon|Horizon League]]

bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2008 text:NCC (D-II)
bar:38 shift:(-10) color:OtherC2 from:2008 till:2009 text:GWC
bar:38 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2011 text:South Dakota (2009–2011, swimming & diving; 2011–present)
bar:38 color:FullxF from:2011 till:end

bar:39 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2008 text:NCC (D-II)
bar:39 color:OtherC2 from:2008 till:2011 text:MIAA (D-II)
bar:39 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2012 text:Ind.
bar:39 color:FullxF from:2012 till:end text:Omaha (2012–present)

bar:40 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1980 text:D-I Ind.
bar:40 color:OtherC2 from:1980 till:1990 text:NAIA Independent
bar:40 color:OtherC1 from:1990 till:1998 text:D-II Independent
bar:40 shift:(-10) color:OtherC2 from:1998 till:1999 text:D-I Ind.
bar:40 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:2012 text:Sun Belt
bar:40 shift:(-10) color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:2013 text:WAC
bar:40 color:FullxF from:2013 till:end text:Denver (2013–present)

bar:43 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2008 text:NCC (D-II)
bar:43 color:OtherC2 from:2008 till:2012 text:GWC
bar:43 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2018 text:Big Sky
bar:43 color:FullxF from:2018 till:end text:North Dakota (2018–present)

bar:44 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2021 text:MIAC (D-III)
bar:44 color:FullxF from:2021 till:end text:St. Thomas (2021–present)

bar:N color:powderblue  from:1978 till:1982 text:MCAA
bar:N color:yellow  from:1982 till:1989 text:AMCU
bar:N color:red  from:1989 till:2007 text:Mid-Continent Conference
bar:N color:blue  from:2007 till:end text:Summit League

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1980 TextData =

   fontsize:L
   textcolor:black
   pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center)
   text:^"The Summit League membership history"

> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <#

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.


Denver Pioneers	CIBER Field at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium	2,000	Hamilton Gymnasium	2,500	colspan=2 rowspan=2	colspan=2
	Durwood Soccer Stadium	850	Swinney Recreation Center	1,500	Urban Youth Academy
Omaha Mavericks	Al F. Caniglia Field	3,097	Baxter Arena	7,898	Tal Anderson Field	1,500	Connie Claussen Field	650
	Bronson Field		Betty Engelstad Sioux Center	3,300	colspan=2	Albrecht Field	500
	Dacotah Field	2,600	Scheels Center	5,460	Newman Outdoor Field	4,600	Tharaldson Park	735
	Case Soccer Complex	1,000	Mabee Center	10,575	J. L. Johnson Stadium	2,418	colspan=2
	South Field	800	Schoenecker Arena	1,800	Koch Diamond	250	South Field	150
	First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex	800	Sanford Coyote Sports Center	6,000	colspan=2	Nygard Field	500
	Fishback Soccer Park	1,500	First Bank and Trust Arena	6,500	Erv Huether Field	600	Jerald T. Moriarty Field	200

	Stuart and Suzanne Grant Stadium	1,400	colspan=6
	colspan=4	Jackson Field	1,500	colspan=2
	Rudd Field	800	colspan=6

Summit League

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+ Teams in Summit League competition ! Sport	Women's
–
9
8
9
9
7
8
8
8
8
9

1983	none
1984	none
1985	none
1986	Cleveland State	14*	defeated Indiana defeated Saint Joseph's lost to Navy
1987	Southwest Missouri StateMSU was known as Southwest Missouri State University until 2005.	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
1990	Northern Iowa	14	defeated Missouri lost to Minnesota
1991	Green Bay	12	lost to Michigan State
1991	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
2024	South Dakota State	15	lost to Iowa State
2025	Omaha	15	lost to St. John's

Valparaiso	9	2003–04	8	2004
South Dakota State	9	2023–24	7	2024
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
Omaha	1	2024–25	1	2025
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

5
7
6
6
6
8
8
6
7
Associate members
1
1
1
1
1
1
1

6
9
9
8
10
8
10
10
9
Associate members
1
1

Summit League ( Official Website )

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Summit League

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