SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Before there was the Summit League Tournament championship games featuring South Dakota State University men’s and women’s basketball teams, there was Oral Roberts University (ORU).
In the 2000s, the ORU women and men each played in six championship games. The ORU men won in the seasons of 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2008-2009. The men also won in the 2020-2021 season.
The women won in 2000-2001, 2004-2005, 2006-2007, 2007-2008.
Enter South Dakota State University (SDSU) and the University of South Dakota (USD) women in 2008-2009. A South Dakota team has been in the women’s finals every year since 2008-2009 except 2016-2017, when Western Illinois beat IUPUI.
Depending on the results from today, the women’s championship could include SDSU, ORU, the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) or the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC)
UNO was in the championship game in 2020-2021 and lost to the University of South Dakota. UMKC was last in the championship in 2011-2012 when the Roos lost to SDSU.
SDSU plays ORU and UMKC plays UNO.
On the men’s side for at least six years, fans may have gotten used to a matchup featuring SDSU or North Dakota State University (NDSU).
The Jackrabbits and the Bison will meet up tonight in a semi-final game.
First-year Summit League participant St. Thomas is set to play Oral Roberts University (URU) today.
Here’s the final game results from 2015-2016 on:
ORU beat NSDU 2020-2021. In 2019-2020 NDSU beat North Dakota. In 2018-2019 NDSU beat UNO. In 2017-2019 SDSU beat USD. In 2016-2017 SDSU beat UNO, and in 2015-2016 SDSU beat NDSU.
When a South Dakota team is in the championship game on the men’s side, the attendance for the final game reflects that.
The 2022 men’s tournament has the most since the 39,912 total in in 2017 in 2022. The total for four sessions in 2022 was 37,190 at 9,298 per session, according to the NCAA.
SDSU beat NDSU in the final in 2022. SDSU beat UNO in the 2017 final. The final game drew 9,441 fans, according to the Summit League. In 2014, when NDSU beat IPFW in the championship, the championship game drew 4,263 fans
The overall attendance in the women’s bracket has been consistent. Again, a South Dakota team has been in the final game nearly every year since 2008-2009.
Attendance for the women’s tournament in 2022 was the highest it had been since 2018. The NCAA said 26,535 attended the four sessions for 6,634 per session.
