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Last updated on Thursday, May 3, 2012
(INDIANAPOLIS) - Butler University officials announced Wednesday that the school is leaving the Horizon League at the end of the 2012-13 school year and will join the Atlantic 10 the following season.
Butler President James Danko announced the move at an on-campus news conference, saying the move gives the university an opportunity for a challenge.
The Bulldogs should face stiffer competition in the A10 than it did in the Horizon League. The men's basketball program is considered the focus of the move and should have a better chance to make the NCAA tournament without winning the conference tournament. Butler has reached the "Big Dance" with at-large bids during its time in the Horizon, but is the only conference school to have done so since 1998. A10 teams have consistently received at-large berths.
One thing the Bulldogs lose with the move is a presence in Chicago, the home of Horizon League foes Loyola and Illinois-Chicago. Head Coach Brad Stevens would like to play annually in Chicago, which has a strong concentration of Butler alumni and fans.
The move to the Atlantic 10 will give all programs more exposure in East Coast media markets like New York and Philadelphia.
It will cost more for the Bulldogs to compete in the A10. The Indianapolis Star puts the figure at around $500,000 dollars annually in increased travel expenses.
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