MOVING TO THE SUMMIT SERIES

July 10	Basketball (Women)
July 17	Basketball (Men)
July 24	Men's and Women's Golf
July 31	Soccer
Aug. 7	Volleyball
Aug. 14	Tennis
Aug. 21	Track & Field/Cross Country
Aug. 28	Softball

The University of North Dakota will compete in The Summit League for all of its varsity sports (except hockey and football), beginning this season. The staff at FightingHawks.com will put together a sport-by-sport breakdown of what to expect, who the major players are, some history and stats to know as UND makes the transition. This eight-part weekly series began with the basketball teams with the women featured on July 10 and the men on July 17. Next up is a look at The Summit League golf's programs, which will be followed on July 31 by women's soccer. 

A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON
On July 1, the University of North Dakota officially joined The Summit League for all of its varsity sports (except for football and hockey). The Summit League moved its offices from the Chicago suburbs to Sioux Falls this summer and is in its 37th season, starting as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU) in 1982 before rebranding as the Mid-Continent Conference in 1989. In 2007, the conference changed its name to The Summit League. 

HOW MANY SCHOOLS IN THE SUMMIT LEAGUE?
There are nine schools with full membership in The Summit League, including five that are former North Central Conference foes. North Dakota rejoins conference rivalries against North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Omaha, all of whom transitioned to Division I following the dissolving of the NCC. Denver, Western Illinois, Purdue Fort Wayne and Oral Roberts make up the other schools in the conference. With the addition of UND, all nine The Summit League teams will compete for the automatic NCAA bid at the year-end championship in Newton, Kan.

WHEN GOLF BEGAN?
On the men's side, golf became a sponsored by The Summit League in 1983 when Western Illinois won the first three league titles (1983, 1984 and 1985). Women's golf became a sponsored sport 15 years later in 1998 and Oral Roberts quickly became the dominant team in the league. The Golden Eagles won the first 15 league championships before North Dakota State brought an end to that run by winning the 2013 title.

Here's a look at The Summit League Champions since UND moved to the Division I level in 2008-09
Year: Men's Tournament Champion | Women's Tournament Champions
2008-09: Oral Roberts | Oral Roberts
2009-10: Oral Roberts | Oral Roberts
2010-11: Kansas City* | Oral Roberts
2011-12: IUPUI* | Oral Roberts
2012-13: Kansas City* | North Dakota State
2013-14: Denver | Denver
2014-15: South Dakota | Denver
2015-16: South Dakota State | Denver
2016-17: South Dakota State | Denver
2017-18: North Dakota State | North Dakota State
*Oakland is no longer a member of The Summit League

When North Dakota State captured the 2018 Summit League title, it marked the first time the Bison had achieved that feat on the men's side. In 36 years, they were the 13th different program to capture the crown. The NDSU women also won the 2018 title, its second in five years, ending Denver's run of four-consecutive titles since the Pioneers joined the league in 2013-14. The Pioneers did become the first women's team in The Summit League's history to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, extending the program's streak of consecutive appearances in the NCAA postseason to 17. 

WHERE IS THE SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT?
For the third-consecutive year, The Summit League will hold its men's championship at Sand Creek Station Golf Club in Newton, Kan., while the women will make their maiden voyage to play its championship on the same course in 2019. The Summit League has held its men's championship in 15 different states, while the women have competed in nine different states. The last two women's championships were held in Nebraska City, Neb. The last time the men and women played their championship on the same course was in 2014 in Keller, Texas.

MEN'S GOLF: ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS
Western Illinois (8)
Oral Roberts (7)
Northern Illinois* (4)
IUPUI* (3)
Troy* (3)
Kansas City* (2)
Missouri State* (2)
South Dakota State (2)
Denver (1)
North Dakota State (1)
Northern Iowa* (1)
South Dakota (1)
Wright State* (1)
* No longer a league member

WOMEN'S GOLF: ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIPS
Oral Roberts (15)
Denver (4)
North Dakota State (2)
* No longer a league member
 
TRYING TO REACH THE SUMMIT
Head coach Matt Stricker will guide the men's program for a full season in 2018-19 after inheriting the team at the semester break in January. Stricker will have two of his top three scorers back in seniors Jordan Smith (78.45 stroke average) and Jeremy Kirk (79.11 stroke average). Kirk was the top finisher for the Fighting Hawks at the 2018 Big Sky Championship (tied 12th; career-best 72 in the final round) and won the Thunder Bay District Open this summer, which netted him an exemption into the Mackenzie Tour's Stall Foundation Open.

The women's program will have its top five scorers all back for the 2018-19 season spearheaded by senior Jenna Janu. She was the Fighting Hawks' top finisher at the 2018 Big Sky Championship, tying for 10th after bettering her own program record with a 54-hole total of 222 (+6). Janu posted a 71 (-1) during a second round that featured a career-best six birdies. Janu's 77.04 season stroke average would have been among the top in The Summit League in 2018-19.

The UND athletics department is currently searching for a new coach on the women's side.

-- UND --