I'll Be Back: ORU Goes Full Circle By Returning to Old Stomping Grounds
December 7th, 2013 - 12:58
"Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering." - Charles Dickens
Dominoes fall every time a school seeks greener pastures. The Ivy League is the only Division I conference to remain intact since the late 1980s.
Oddly, there are a striking number of schools such as Oral Roberts going full circle and returning to a league (Summit League) where it previously was a member. There is a "Terminator" way back akin to Michelle Beadle, Keith Olbermann and Jason Whitlock trying to revive their careers by returning to ESPN. Amid the wandering described by Dickens, ORU joined the following institutions re-enlisting with a conference after leaving for various durations:
| Returning Member | DI Conference (Membership Tenure) | School Status During Interim |
|---|---|---|
| Boise State | Big West (1997-2001 and will rejoin in 2014) | WAC (2002-11) and Mountain West (2012 and 2013) |
| Campbell | Big South (1986-94 and since 2012) | TAAC/Atlantic Sun (1995-2011) |
| Charlotte | Conference USA (1996-2005 and wll rejoin in 2014) | Atlantic 10 (2006-13) |
| Creighton | Missouri Valley (1929-48 and since 1978) | Independent |
| Davidson | Southern (1937-88 and since 1993) | Big South (1991 and 1992) |
| Drake | Missouri Valley (1908-51 and since 1957) | Independent |
| Duquesne | Eastern 8/Atlantic 10 (since 1977 except for 1993) | Midwestern Collegiate (1993) |
| East Tennessee State | Southern (1980-2005 and since 2015) | Ohio Valley (1959-78)/Atlantic Sun (2006-14) |
| Georgia State | Sun Belt (1977-81 and will rejoin in 2014) | TAAC/Atlantic Sun (1985-2005) and CAA (2006-13) |
| Harvard | EIBL/Ivy League (1902-09 and since 1934) | Independent |
| Lamar | Southland (1969-87 and since 1999) | American South (1988-91) and Sun Belt (1992-98) |
| Murray State | Ohio Valley (since 1949 except for 1962) | Independent |
| New Orleans | Sun Belt (1977-80 and 1992-2010) | Independent and American South (1988-91) |
| Northern Illinois | Mid-American (1976-86 and since 1998) | Mid-Continent (1991-94) and Midwestern Collegiate (1995-97) |
| Oral Roberts | Summit League (1998-2012 and since 2015) | Southland (2013 and 2014) |
| Oregon | Pacific Coast (1916-59 and since 1965) | Independent |
| Oregon State | Pacific Coast (1916-59 and since 1965) | Independent |
| Pacific | WCAC/West Coast (1953-71 and will rejoin in 2014) | PCAA/Big West (1972-2013) |
| Penn State | Eastern 8/Atlantic 10 (1977-79 and 1983-91) | Independent |
| Prairie View A&M | SWAC (since 1921 except for 1991) | Discontinued program one season |
| Virginia Military | Southern (1926-2003 and since 2015) | Big South (2004-14) |
| Washington State | Pacific Coast (1917-59 and since 1964) | Independent |