Butler: Hello A-10; adios Horizon

Staff/wire report

INDIANAPOLIS

Butler hasn’t been the little school that can for a long time.

The team that was the NCAA national runner-up two years running is taking its David vs Goliath act a step up in class, leaving the Horizon League and joining the Atlantic 10 beginning with the 2013-14 season.

Butler president James Danko made the announcement on Wednesday.

Butler thrilled college basketball fans as the small Indiana school that pulled off upset after upset in both the 2010 and 2011 NCAA tournaments.

The Bulldogs lost to Duke in the 2010 national title game when Gordon Hayward’s half-court heave bounced off the rim in Indy.

The cold-shooting Bulldogs then lost to Connecticut in the 2011 championship game.

The Horizon League, which includes Youngstown State University, already had 10 members, with Green Bay (approximately 400 miles) being Butler’s longest trip in conference play.

In the A-10, the Bulldogs would travel regularly to Charlotte, N.C.; Massachusetts; Fordham in New York City; Rhode Island; St. Joseph’s in Philadelphia; and Virginia. The only team farther west is Saint Louis.

Danko said higher travel costs were considered, but added that the school will have its largest pool of incoming students — meaning more revenue — in its history.

The move affects all Butler sports except football, which will remain in the Pioneer League. The Atlantic 10 does not have women’s golf, so Butler will seek a league for that sport.

Horizon League Commissioner Jon LeCrone noted Butler’s contribution to his conference’s success over the years.

“We are proud of the role the Horizon League played in providing a platform for Butler to significantly improve its athletics programs and achieve the highest level of national competitiveness in men’s basketball,” he said. Ron Strollo, YSU athletic director, honored a league request to withhold comment to the media.

The Atlantic 10 has had 41 at-large NCAA selections the past 20 years, more than any conference outside of the Big Six, and has had at least three NCAA tournament teams each of the past five years.

“Historically, you look at the number of at-larges, number of teams that have advanced in the tournament, the number of teams that have advanced in postseason play, the A-10 has certainly had a lot more teams in that boat,” Butler basketball coach Brad Stevens said.

Butler traditionally has played a difficult non-conference schedule to compensate for the relatively weak Horizon League slate and position itself for at-large NCAA bids. Now, the conference schedule will be more difficult.