State of the Summit League with Gary Sharp, veteran voice of the Omaha Mavericks

Good News: The Summit League Tournament — which found its footing once it moved to Sioux Falls in 2009 — undeniably provides one of the best and most "big-time" mid-major student-athlete and fan experiences in the nation, according to those who have experienced others.   Bad News: There are signs pointing to future unrest in the conference, with Denver leaving the league (for the West Coast Conference) after the school year — leaving the league with just eight schools for basketball membership — plus some reported disenchantment from Non-Dakotas schools' leadership.   That is according to Gary Sharp, the 13-year voice of the Omaha men's basketball team, who has traveled the league and used his sourcing abilities to confidently report there may be others after Denver looking to leave.   Particularly, Omaha, which put forth an unsuccessful push to Missouri Valley Conference invitation that never came seven years ago and according to Sharp is in far better position to make that move in the near future.   Then, there's St. Thomas, which in seven years has gone from a non-scholarship Div. III athletic program to a strongly-funded Div. I machine that is playing in a sparkling new arena and thriving in both men's basketball and hockey. Is it a matter of time before an affluent private school in a Top 20 market searches beyond the Summit?    Oral Roberts and Kansas City both left for other leagues and came back to the Summit.    The league office and the SLT — the premier money-making event for the conference — all reside in Sioux Falls. Not every school is gung-ho about that, Sharp said.   Plus, the announcement of an eight-team nonconference men's event involving the four Dakotas schools and four schools in the Big Sky Conference (Montana, Montana State, Idaha, Idaho State) did not sit well with the other four Summit schools (Omaha, KC, ORU, Denver), who all already had two extra nonconference games to schedule with Denver out of the picture.   Sharp says schools like Tarleton State (Texas), Texas-Arlington, Lindenwood (St. Louis), and Western Illinois (former member) have been approached about Summit League membership. All, Sharp says, said "no."   So, yeah, while a first-class, well-oiled mid-major event roars on, there's the same uncertainty about the future of the conference.   Then, there's the TV deal with Midco Sports and CBS Sports Network that runs out this summer. Would it be in the Summit League's best interests to go back under the ESPN umbrella?