Summit League loses a member
The Summit League has seen another change of teams in the conference, with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis leaving. IUPUI was named the 10th member of the Horizon League, effective July 1. IUPUI will compete during the 2017-2018 academic year and participate in 18 of 19 Horizon League sports. With this move, the Summit League will now be an eight-team conference in 2017-18. The University of North Dakota will move to the Summit starting next year, bringing the conference back to nine schools.
IUPUI joined Division 1 in 1998. The move made geographical sense for IUPUI, which is located in Indianapolis. The city is also the location of the Horizon League headquarters. The move is a potential budget standpoint as well. According to CBS Sports, sources said that IUPUI did not have the basketball budget of other nominees for the Horizon League. A commitment going forward to spending more on hoops figures to be a big part of the equation.
Volleyball
On May 17, North Dakota State director of athletics Matt Larsen named Jennifer Lopez interim head coach of the NDSU women’s volleyball team.
Lopez has been an assistant coach at NDSU the past two years under Kari Thompson. Thompson is currently pursing another coaching opportunity.
Lopez was the Summit League Setter of the Year, Player of the Year and Tournament MVP in 2011 as a senior for the Bison. She was also a three-time All-Summit League selection, leading NDSU to four straight regular season league titles and three NCAA Tournament appearances from 2008-11.
Lopez returned to NDSU in Apr. 2015 after spending the 2014 season as assistant coach at West Fargo Sheyenne High School, and the 2013 season as head coach at Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo.
Lopez ranks among the NDSU all-time top 10 in total assists, assists per set and digs per set. She graduated from NDSU in 2014 with a degree in mathematics education and a minor in coaching.
Natalie Thomas will join the staff as an assistant coach.
According to GoBison, Thomas played at the University of Minnesota, Morris, where she totaled 2,696 assists, third most in program history, was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior and earned Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Setter of the Week honors on three different occasions.
Baseball
It was announced Aug. 18 that head baseball coach Tod Brown has accepted a new four-year contract through 2021.
Brown lead the Bison to a 31-25 overall record and a 19-win Summit League season. The 31 victories tied for the fourth most in program history and marked the fifth time that the Bison have won at least 30 games. NDSU advanced to The Summit League tournament championship game for the fourth time in six seasons.
Upon starting his 11th season, he has coached 25 All-Summit League honorees, including eight first-team selections and 21 players to go on and sign professionally.