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2022 Summit League Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

Saturday and Sunday, March 5 and 6 (quarterfinals); Monday, March 7 (semifinals); Tuesday, March 8 (championship)

Format

Bracket with split quarterfinal doubleheaders, giving the top two seeds a day off before the semifinals (should they win)

Site

Even though this will be the eighth consecutive year the Denny Sanford Premier Center will be the site for the Summit League Tournament, the event has been a Sioux Falls, South Dakota fixture since 2009.

TV/Streaming Info

ESPN2 has the final on Tuesday night. Midco Sports will air the quarterfinals and semifinals regionally with ESPN+ streaming those broadcasts nationally.

Participants

The Summit League has 10 members, though just nine are eligible for the postseason, as St. Thomas (10-20, 4-14, t-8th) is in the first of its extended (and unprecedented) five-year reclassification period from Division III to Division I. So, the lowest-ranked eligible team in the standings, North Dakota (6-25, 2-16, 10th) joins the Tommies on the sidelines.

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

Quarterfinals (Sat., March 5)

Game 1: (8) Omaha (5-25, 4-14) 79, (1) South Dakota State 87
Game 2: (7) Denver (11-21, 7-11) 62, (2) North Dakota State 82

Quarterfinals (Sun., March 6)

Game 3: (5) South Dakota 74, (4) Kansas City (19-12, 12-6) 61
Game 4: (6) Western Illinois (16-15, 7-11) 68, (3) Oral Roberts 80

Semifinals (Mon., March 7)

Game 5: (5) South Dakota (19-12, 11-7) 60, (1) South Dakota State 83
Game 6: (3) Oral Roberts (19-12, 12-6) 72, (2) North Dakota State 92

Championship (Tues., March 8)

Game 7: (2) North Dakota State (23-10, 13-5) 69, (1) SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (30-4, 18-0) 75

Mayhem Potential

Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter in 2020 with my own additions for 2021 and 2022.

Since 2011, one of the Summit League’s top two seeds has won the automatic bid eight times. Five of those titles have gone to the No. 1, with the last coming in 2020 when North Dakota State won the title but had the NCAA Tournament canceled from under it. Curiously, the No. 4 seed has won three of the last five championships.

Remember that South Dakota State dropped its quarterfinal as 2019’s No. 1 seed. The 2020 event, on the other hand, saw both the 2 and 3 seeds fall at the first hurdle

• 1 seed (5): 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020
• 2 seed (3): 2012, 2015, 2016
• 4 seed (3): 2017, 2019, 2021

NCAA Seeding Record Since 2011

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 12 seed (3): 2014, 2016, 2018
• 13 seed (2): 2011, 2013
• 14 seed (1): 2012
• 15 seed (2): 2015, 2021
• 16 seed (2): 2017, 2019 (First Four)

Over the past seven NCAAs, the conference has alternated between the 12 and 15 or 16 lines. NDSU would have likely broken this pattern in 2020, as a likely 15 seed. However, the conference has won games out of the 12, 15, and 16 slots, with 15th-seeded Oral Roberts winning two in 2021.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

Oral Roberts: 2021 (15 seed, Sweet 16)
North Dakota State: 2019 (16 seed, 1st Round)—2020 Summit League Tournament Champion
South Dakota State: 2018 (12 seed, 1st Round)
North Dakota: 2017 (15 seed, 1st Round, Big Sky member)

In 2021, Oral Roberts ended a run that saw either NDSU or SDSU win the Summit League Tournament for nine consecutive years. Meanwhile, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies, now in the Horizon League, represented the conference in both 2010 and 2011. When you consider NDSU also qualified in 2009, Oral Roberts’ 2008 bid was the previous time a current Summit member not nicknamed “Bison” or “Jackrabbits” represented the conference in the field of 68.

Five members—Denver, Kansas City, Omaha, South Dakota, and Western Illinois—have never reached the Tournament outside of College Hoops 2K8 anyway. St. Thomas won’t be eligible until the 2025-26 season.