Horizon League
Encyclopedia
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA
Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States
.
The Horizon League is best known for its men's basketball teams, and is one of the top performing NCAA Division I conferences in that sport according to the NCAA Men's Basketball RPI.http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/weeklyrpi/2010MBBrpi3.html Only seven conferences have won at least one game in the last seven NCAA Tournaments: the six BCS conferences and the Horizon League (Butler four times, Milwaukee twice and Cleveland State once). The Horizon League has been a multi-bid conference nine times (twice in the last five years), including a conference-record three teams in 1998
. The Horizon League has had a team advance in the NCAA Tournament 11 of the last 14 years, which also betters every non-BCS conference
. Horizon League teams have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen five of the last nine years (Butler four times, Milwaukee once), which exceeds all but one non-BCS conference. Current Horizon League members have also made previous Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four appearances, including a National Championship Loyola in the 1963 NCAA Tournament
http://www.ncaa.com/history/basketball-men/d1. Butler also won National Championships in 1924 and 1929, though the legitimacy of those Championships has been a point of contention (see Mythical national championship
for more information). The Horizon League currently holds the best winning percentage among non-BCS conferences in the men's NCAA basketball Tournament (39-41, .488, 7th best amongst the 32 Division I conferences).http://www.hoopstournament.net/StandardReports/By_Current_Conference.pdf The Horizon League currently ranks 11th out of 32 NCAA Division I conferences in RPI, while having an average finish of 12th over the past six seasons.http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html http://www.teamrankings.com/ncb/rpi/?rat=rpi-rating&cat=conf
hosted a meeting with representatives from Bradley, Dayton, Detroit, Illinois State, Loyola, Air Force and Xavier in which all agreed in principle that a new athletic conference was needed. Further progress was made through a series of early 1979 meetings in San Francisco
, Chicago
, and St. Louis
that included participation by Butler, Creighton, Marquette and Oral Roberts.
On June 16, 1979, the Midwestern City Conference (nicknamed the MCC or Midwestern City 6) was formed by charter members Butler, Evansville, Loyola, Oklahoma City, Oral Roberts and Xavier, with Detroit joining later that same year.
. The MCC gained an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
in 1981, followed by the announcement that St. Louis University would be joining the following season. The University of Notre Dame
joined the conference for all sports except basketball and football in 1982. The conference attained automatic qualification for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
in 1984, and the conference moved its headquarters to Indianapolis
. In 1985, the name was altered slightly to Midwestern Collegiate Conference. At that time, the conference brought women's athletics into the fold, which triggered Notre Dame's withdrawal from the league in protest while Oklahoma City dropped out of the NCAA altogether. ESPN began televising the MCC Championship game in 1986, and in 1987 Oral Roberts left the conference while Dayton joined and Notre Dame rejoined. In 1989, the conference received its first at-large bid to the men's basketball tournament and automatic qualification to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
. The conference won an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
in 1991, and the conference lost members Marquette and St. Louis. Duquesne and La Salle joined the MCC in 1992, the same year the conference gained an automatic berth to the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
. Duquesne and Dayton left the conference in 1993.
, Northern Illinois
, UIC
, Green Bay, Milwaukee and Wright State
left to join the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, which remains today the largest non-merger conference expansion in NCAA history. With Evansville's departure to the Missouri Valley Conference, there were 12 league members. Xavier, Notre Dame, and La Salle withdrew the following summer of 1995, followed by Northern Illinois in 1997. The conference changed its name to the Horizon League on June 4, 2001, in part due to the acronym causing confusion between the MCC and the Mid-Continent Conference (which also used the acronym). That year, Youngstown State University
came to the Horizon League from the Mid-Con, and on May 17, 2006, Valparaiso University
announced it would do the same in 2007. As of 2007, seven of the ten Horizon League members are former members of the Mid-Con (now known as The Summit League). In addition, five former members are currently in the Atlantic 10 conference
, ESPN2
, ESPNU
, and members' local sports networks.
The Horizon League and WebStream Productions launched a completely redesigned Horizon League Network http://www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv website in September 2009. The site, which can be found at www.HorizonLeagueNetwork.tv, serves as a portal to hundreds of live and on-demand videos while giving its users the ability to interact on an array of social media platforms.
conference with Sweet 16 participants in at least five of the last nine tournaments (2003, 2005, 2007, 2010 & 2011). Four schools from the conference have produced "modern-day" Sweet 16 appearances - Loyola (1985
), Xavier (1990
), Butler (2003
, 2007
, 2010
, and 2011
), and Milwaukee (2005
). The Horizon League has compiled a 15-8 record in the past five years in the NCAA tournament, ranking tops among all NCAA Division-I conferences for winning percentage in that span. Butler appeared in the 2010 and the 2011 Men's Basketball National Championship game. Since the NCAA began seeding teams in 1979, Loyola's 4 seed in the 1985 tournament is the best for a Horizon League team. The Horizon League currently holds the best winning percentage among non-BCS conference
s in the men's NCAA basketball Tournament (.488, 7th overall amongst the 31 Division I conferences), and is the only non-BCS conferences with Sweet 16 teams in five of the last nine years.
Although not Horizon League members at the time, two current Horizon League members claim national championships. In the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
, Loyola defeated two-time defending champ Cincinnati
. Before post-season tournaments determined champions, Butler claimed national titles in 1924 and 1929.
The League hosted the men's Final Four
in 1991, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2009, and 2010. It also hosted the women's Final Four in 2005 and 2007. Horizon League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone, who is in his 17th year as league commissioner, just finished a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.
In the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
, the Horizon League entered two teams for the first time since 1998. Milwaukee
, who earned a 12 seed in its first bid to the tournament since joining the conference, lost by one point to Notre Dame
in the first round. Butler
, who gained an at-large bid and also received a 12 seed, made their fifth tournament appearance in seven years. The Bulldogs made it to the Sweet 16 with victories over #20 (5 seed) Mississippi State
and #14 (4 seed) Louisville
before they fell to #3 (1 seed) Oklahoma
in the East Regional. The Bulldogs finished the year ranked #21 in the final ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll.
In the men's 2005 NCAA Basketball Tournament
, the Horizon League enjoyed one of its best showings ever as 12 seed Milwaukee marched to the Sweet 16 with victories over #19 (5 seed) Alabama
and #7 (4 seed) Boston College
before they fell to then-#1 and eventual tournament runner-up Illinois. Milwaukee ranked as high as #23 in the March 7 ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll.
In the 2006 NCAA Basketball Tournament
, 11 seed Milwaukee once again advanced in the Tournament by upsetting the #20 (6 seed) Oklahoma 82-74. The Panthers, led by first year Head Coach Rob Jeter
, fell to eventual national champion #11 (AP)/#10 (ESPN) (3 seed) Florida in the second round of the tournament. For the second straight year and third time in the last four years, the league had a team advance past the first round.
In the 2006-2007 basketball season, Butler won the Preseason NIT
tournament in Madison Square Garden
with wins over in-state rivals Notre Dame and Indiana
in the NIT's Midwest regional bracket, followed by wins over #21 Tennessee
and #23 Gonzaga
in the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden. Later, the Bulldogs claimed victory over Purdue
in the Wooden Tradition. On February 5, 2007, Butler became the first school in Horizon League history to be ranked in the Top 10 of the national college basketball polls, as the Bulldogs reached No. 9 and No. 10 in the EPSN/USA Today and AP polls, respectively. The Bulldogs ended their season with a #21 ranking in the final AP poll, a 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and a Sweet 16 berth by beating Old Dominion
and Maryland
before losing to eventual national champion Florida
. Wright State
also qualified for the NCAA tournament as the winner of the Horizon League Tournament
Championship and tying Butler for the regular season championship. As a 14 seed, the Raiders fell to #13 (AP)/#11 (ESPN) (3 seed) Pittsburgh
in the first round.
During the 2007-2008 basketball season, Butler won the Great Alaska Shootout with wins over Michigan
, Virginia Tech
and Texas Tech, and also claimed wins over Ohio State
and Florida State, which extended their record against BCS schools to 10-1 since the beginning of the 2006-07 season. As a 7 seed in the 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament
, the Bulldogs beat 10 seed South Alabama
before falling in overtime to #5 (AP)/#4 (ESPN) (2 seed) Tennessee. Butler finished the season ranked #11 in the AP poll and #14 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Also, Cleveland State earned a six seed in the NIT, losing in the first round to Dayton
.
Starting in 2009, regional convenience store and gas station chain, Speedway, served as the title sponsor of the conference tournament, which Cleveland State won, which earned them the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tourney while Butler University received an at-large bid. Butler, a 9 seed, lost in the first round to LSU
while 13 seed Cleveland State upset #8 (AP)/#9 (ESPN) (4 seed) Wake Forest 84-69 (and achieved the third biggest upset in NCAA history winning by 15 points) and shocked the nation in the first round of play before falling to 12 seed Arizona
in the second round of tournament play. Butler finished the season ranked #22 in the final AP poll and #25 in the final ESPN/USA Today poll.
After defeating #25 (12 seed) UTEP
, 13 seed Murray State and #4 (1 seed) Syracuse
, the #8 (ESPN)/#11 (AP) (5 seed) Butler men's team defeated #7 Kansas State
, the 2 seed in the West, by a score of 63-56 to advance to their first Final Four. After beating the #12 (ESPN)/#13 (AP) (5 seed) Michigan State Spartans
50-52 in the national semifinals, Butler played in Indianapolis against the South Regional Champions, #3 (1 seed) Duke
for the NCAA Division I National Championship. Butler lost was many are calling the most thrilling college basketball game in a generation, losing 61-59 in a game that came down to the final play. This is the farthest any team has reached in the tournament while a member of the Horizon League. Butler was the first team to play in the Final Four in its hometown since UCLA
in 1972.
Also of note, former Milwaukee head coach, Bruce Pearl
, coached the Tennessee Volunteers to the Elite Eight and narrowly lost the opportunity to play Butler by losing to Michigan State, who Butler beat in the Final Four.
in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the 2004-2005 academic year, Milwaukee's men's soccer team defeated 16th-ranked San Francisco
, while Detroit upset Michigan
in women's soccer in their respective NCAA tournaments. Also that year, Butler's men's cross country team finished fourth in the nation at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships, and their own Victoria Mitchell became the first Horizon League athlete to win an individual national title when she captured the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Green Bay also upset 6th-ranked Oregon State
in the opening round of the NCAA softball tournament.
Although the league does not sponsor football
, Youngstown State plays in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, while Butler and Valparaiso play in the Pioneer League
. Cleveland State currently does not have a football team but is considering launching a football program in the near future, giving the city of Cleveland its first division I college football
team.
Men's volleyball is also not sponsored, although Loyola competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association
.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
The Horizon League is best known for its men's basketball teams, and is one of the top performing NCAA Division I conferences in that sport according to the NCAA Men's Basketball RPI.http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/weeklyrpi/2010MBBrpi3.html Only seven conferences have won at least one game in the last seven NCAA Tournaments: the six BCS conferences and the Horizon League (Butler four times, Milwaukee twice and Cleveland State once). The Horizon League has been a multi-bid conference nine times (twice in the last five years), including a conference-record three teams in 1998
1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1998 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1998, and ended with the championship game on March 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
. The Horizon League has had a team advance in the NCAA Tournament 11 of the last 14 years, which also betters every non-BCS conference
Mid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...
. Horizon League teams have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen five of the last nine years (Butler four times, Milwaukee once), which exceeds all but one non-BCS conference. Current Horizon League members have also made previous Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four appearances, including a National Championship Loyola in the 1963 NCAA Tournament
1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 9, 1963, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Louisville,...
http://www.ncaa.com/history/basketball-men/d1. Butler also won National Championships in 1924 and 1929, though the legitimacy of those Championships has been a point of contention (see Mythical national championship
Mythical National Championship
A mythical national championship is a colloquial term used to question the validity of national championship recognition that is not explicitly competitive...
for more information). The Horizon League currently holds the best winning percentage among non-BCS conferences in the men's NCAA basketball Tournament (39-41, .488, 7th best amongst the 32 Division I conferences).http://www.hoopstournament.net/StandardReports/By_Current_Conference.pdf The Horizon League currently ranks 11th out of 32 NCAA Division I conferences in RPI, while having an average finish of 12th over the past six seasons.http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html http://www.teamrankings.com/ncb/rpi/?rat=rpi-rating&cat=conf
Membership
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Joined | Nickname | Endowment (2009) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler University Butler University Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health... |
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S... |
1855 | Private | 4,200 | 1979 | Bulldogs Butler Bulldogs All but one of Butler University's 19 intercollegiate teams compete in the Horizon League, along with Cleveland State, Detroit, Green Bay, Loyola, Milwaukee, UIC, Valparaiso, Wright State and Youngstown State... |
$128,486,000 |
| Cleveland State University Cleveland State University Cleveland State University is a public university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 when the state of Ohio assumed control of Fenn College, and it absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1969... |
Cleveland, Ohio | 1964 | Public | 16,418 | 1994 | Vikings Cleveland State Vikings The Cleveland State Vikings, or Vikes, are the athletic teams of Cleveland State University. Before as Fenn College they were known as the Fenn College Foxes or Fenn Foxes. Cleveland State competes in NCAA Division I. They have been a member of the NCAA Division I since 1972. They were previously... |
$43,713,000 |
| University of Detroit Mercy University of Detroit Mercy University of Detroit Mercy is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational university in Detroit, Michigan, United States, affiliated with the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Mercy. Antoine M. Garibaldi is the president. With origins dating from 1877, it is the largest Roman Catholic university... |
Detroit, Michigan | 1877 | Private | 5,700 | 1979 | Titans Detroit Titans The Detroit Titans are the NCAA Division I team of the University of Detroit Mercy . The school competes in the Horizon League.-Basketball :On April 12, 2008, UDM announced the hiring of Ray McCallum as Men's Basketball Coach... |
$17,588,427 |
| University of Wisconsin–Green Bay | Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay, Wisconsin Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,... |
1965 | Public | 6,549 | 1994 | Phoenix | $209,947 |
| Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St... |
Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
1870 | Private | 15,670 | 1979 | Ramblers Loyola Ramblers The Loyola Ramblers are the varsity sports teams of Loyola University Chicago. Most teams compete in the Horizon League of the NCAA Division I... |
$315,305,000 |
| University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 1956 | Public | 30,000 | 1994 | Panthers Milwaukee Panthers The Milwaukee Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. A total of 15 Panthers athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I. Panthers have won the James J... |
$72,874,031 |
| University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop... |
Chicago, Illinois Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
1946 | Public | 27,580 | 1994 | Flames UIC Flames The UIC Flames are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Chicago. They are called the Flames as a reference to the Great Chicago Fire, and their team colors are navy blue and fire engine red. Approximately 300 student athletes compete in 18 varsity sports... |
$181,440,455 |
| Valparaiso University Valparaiso University Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school... |
Valparaiso, Indiana Valparaiso, Indiana Valparaiso is a city in and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 31,730 at the 2010 census, making it the 2nd largest city in Porter County.-History:... |
1859 | Private | 4,000 | 2007 | Crusaders Valparaiso Crusaders The Valparaiso University Crusaders compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I .Valparaiso competes in the Horizon League in all sports except for football, which is not sponsored by the conference. The football team is a member of the Pioneer Football League. On May 27,... |
$140,406,000 |
| Wright State University Wright State University Wright State University is a comprehensive public university with strong doctoral, research, and undergraduate programs, rated among the 260 Best National Universities listed in the annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Wright State is located in Fairborn, Ohio,... |
Dayton, Ohio Dayton, Ohio Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census... |
1964 | Public | 17,074 | 1994 | Raiders Wright State Raiders For many years, Wright State's sports teams used a character called Rowdy Raider as their mascot; a red-bearded Viking with a horned helmet, which emerged in 1986. In 1997, the Viking was retired and the Wolf was born... |
$63,871,000 |
| Youngstown State University Youngstown State University Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League... |
Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... |
1908 | Public | 15,058 | 2001 | Penguins Youngstown State Penguins Youngstown State University is in NCAA Division I. Nicknamed the Penguins, they play in the Horizon League and Missouri Valley Football Conference, and compete in the following sports:*Baseball *Basketball *Cross Country... |
$164,718,000 |
Former members
| Institution | Current Conference | Years |
|---|---|---|
| University of Dayton University of Dayton The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio... |
Atlantic 10 | 1987–1993 |
| Duquesne University Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of... |
Atlantic 10 | 1992–1993 |
| University of Evansville University of Evansville The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church... |
Missouri Valley Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States... |
1979–1994 |
| La Salle University La Salle University La Salle University is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the school was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. As of 2008 the school has approximately 7,554... |
Atlantic 10 | 1992–1995 |
| Marquette University Marquette University Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities... |
Big East | 1988-1991 (1989-1991 for men's basketball) |
| Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P... |
Mid-American Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members... |
1994–1997 |
| University of Notre Dame University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States... |
Big East | 1982–1986, 1987-1995 (excluding men's basketball) |
| Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University, often referred to as OCU, is a coeducational, urban, private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church... |
NAIA National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA... |
1979–1985 |
| Oral Roberts University Oral Roberts University Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries... |
The Summit League | 1979–1987 |
| Saint Louis University Saint Louis University Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the... |
Atlantic 10 | 1981-1991 (1982-1991 for men's basketball) |
| Xavier University Xavier University (Cincinnati) Xavier University is a co-educational Jesuit university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and has an undergraduate enrollment of about 4,000 students and graduate enrollment of 2,600 students. Xavier is primarily... |
Atlantic 10 | 1979–1995 |
Conference facilities
| School | Arena | Capacity | Year Opened | Soccer Stadium | Capacity | Year Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | Hinkle Fieldhouse Hinkle Fieldhouse Hinkle Fieldhouse is a basketball arena located on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. When it was built in 1928, it was the largest basketball arena in the United States, and it retained that distinction until 1950. It is the sixth-oldest college basketball arena still in... |
10,000 | 1928 | Butler Bowl Butler Bowl Butler Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It opened in 1928 and is home to the Butler University Bulldogs football and soccer teams. The original seating in the Butler Bowl was 36,000. It held games against the likes of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame and... |
7,500 | 1928 |
| Cleveland State | Wolstein Center Wolstein Center The Bert L. & Iris S. Wolstein Convocation Center is an indoor arena located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It replaced the Woodling Gym... |
13,610 | 1991 | Krenzler Field Krenzler Field Krenzler Field is a soccer stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on the campus of Cleveland State University. It serves as the home field to the men's and women's varsity teams and formerly the Cleveland City Stars of the USL First Division... |
1,680 | 1985 |
| Detroit | Calihan Hall Calihan Hall Calihan Hall is an 8,295-seat multi-purpose arena in Detroit, Michigan. It is home to the University of Detroit Mercy Titans basketball te am. The arena opened in 1952. The building was dedicated on May 25, 1952 as the Memorial Building. The first basketball game was played on December 2 of that... |
8,295 | 1952 | Titan Soccer Field | 500 | 2007 |
| Green Bay | Resch Center Resch Center The Resch Center is a 10,200 seat multi-purpose arena, in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.Built in 2002, it is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball team, the Green Bay Gamblers ice hockey team, Green Bay Chill and the Green Bay Blizzard arena football teams.The arena... (men) Kress Events Center Kress Events Center The Kress Events Center is a 4,018-seat multi-purpose arena in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in the United States. The arena opened in the 2007. It is home to the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay Phoenix women's basketball and volleyball teams. Previously, the teams played at the Phoenix Sports Center,... (women) |
9,729 4,018 |
2002 2007 |
Aldo Santaga Stadium Aldo Santaga Stadium Aldo Santaga Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay.The 3,500-seat stadium is home to the UW–Green Bay men's and women's soccer teams. The stadium sits on land once occupied by the number one fairway at Shorewood Country... |
3,500 | 1969 |
| Loyola | Joseph J. Gentile Arena | 4,486 | 1996 | Loyola Soccer Park | 500 | 1996 |
| Milwaukee | U.S. Cellular Arena U.S. Cellular Arena U.S. Cellular Arena is an indoor arena, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin... (men) Klotsche Center (women) |
10,783 3,500 |
1950 1977 |
Engelmann Field Engelmann Field Engelmann Stadium is a soccer field located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the campus of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. It is home to the Milwaukee Panthers men's and women's soccer teams, both of which compete in the Horizon League of the NCAA's Division I. Engelmann Field is home to the... |
2,200 | 1973 |
| UIC | UIC Pavilion UIC Pavilion The UIC Pavilion is a 6,958-seat multi-purpose arena, located at 525 S. Racine Street on the West Side in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which opened in 1982. It is home to the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames basketball team and the former home of the Chicago Sky WNBA team... |
8,000 | 1982 | Flames Field | 1,000 | 1996 |
| Valparaiso | Athletics–Recreation Center | 5,000 | 1984 | Brown Field (men) Eastgate Athletic Complex (women) |
5,000 2,500 |
1919 1983 |
| Wright State | Nutter Center Nutter Center The Wright State University Nutter Center is a multi-purpose arena located at Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio. In addition to hosting the Wright State Raiders basketball team, the Nutter Center serves as a music venue for touring concerts and shows... |
10,449 | 1990 | Alumni Field Alumni Field (Wright State) Alumni Field is the on-campus soccer stadium at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, United States.The field was dedicated in 1999 and is so named because it was built through a gift from the Wright State University Alumni Association. The stadium seats 1,000 fans and is also used for local... |
1,000 | 1999 |
| Youngstown State | Beeghly Center Beeghly Center The Beeghly Physical Education Center, or simply Beeghly Center, is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Youngstown, Ohio. The arena, built at a cost of $5.5 million and named for local businessman Leon A. Beeghly, opened on December 2, 1972. It is home to the Youngstown State University Penguins... |
6,300 | 1972 | Stambaugh Stadium Stambaugh Stadium Arnold D. Stambaugh Stadium, usually shortened to just Stambaugh Stadium, is the home of football and soccer teams at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Built in 1982, Stambaugh has seen the Penguins football team rise to become a power in NCAA Division I Football Championship... |
20,630 | 1982 |
Foundation
In May 1978, DePaul UniversityDePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
hosted a meeting with representatives from Bradley, Dayton, Detroit, Illinois State, Loyola, Air Force and Xavier in which all agreed in principle that a new athletic conference was needed. Further progress was made through a series of early 1979 meetings in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
that included participation by Butler, Creighton, Marquette and Oral Roberts.
On June 16, 1979, the Midwestern City Conference (nicknamed the MCC or Midwestern City 6) was formed by charter members Butler, Evansville, Loyola, Oklahoma City, Oral Roberts and Xavier, with Detroit joining later that same year.
Maturity
In 1980 the league established its headquarters in Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
. The MCC gained an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1981, followed by the announcement that St. Louis University would be joining the following season. The University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
joined the conference for all sports except basketball and football in 1982. The conference attained automatic qualification for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
in 1984, and the conference moved its headquarters to Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. In 1985, the name was altered slightly to Midwestern Collegiate Conference. At that time, the conference brought women's athletics into the fold, which triggered Notre Dame's withdrawal from the league in protest while Oklahoma City dropped out of the NCAA altogether. ESPN began televising the MCC Championship game in 1986, and in 1987 Oral Roberts left the conference while Dayton joined and Notre Dame rejoined. In 1989, the conference received its first at-large bid to the men's basketball tournament and automatic qualification to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
. The conference won an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
in 1991, and the conference lost members Marquette and St. Louis. Duquesne and La Salle joined the MCC in 1992, the same year the conference gained an automatic berth to the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
The NCAA has contested team championships in women's volleyball since 1981. The following is a list of the champions of each division with their record for the year in which they won the championship, and the runner up, city, site and other final four participants for division I...
. Duquesne and Dayton left the conference in 1993.
Expansion
In 1994, six Mid-Continent Conference members, Cleveland StateCleveland State University
Cleveland State University is a public university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 when the state of Ohio assumed control of Fenn College, and it absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1969...
, Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois University is a state university and research institution located in DeKalb, Illinois, with satellite centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Rockford, and Oregon. It was originally founded as Northern Illinois State Normal School on May 22, 1895 by Illinois Governor John P...
, UIC
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
, Green Bay, Milwaukee and Wright State
Wright State University
Wright State University is a comprehensive public university with strong doctoral, research, and undergraduate programs, rated among the 260 Best National Universities listed in the annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Wright State is located in Fairborn, Ohio,...
left to join the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, which remains today the largest non-merger conference expansion in NCAA history. With Evansville's departure to the Missouri Valley Conference, there were 12 league members. Xavier, Notre Dame, and La Salle withdrew the following summer of 1995, followed by Northern Illinois in 1997. The conference changed its name to the Horizon League on June 4, 2001, in part due to the acronym causing confusion between the MCC and the Mid-Continent Conference (which also used the acronym). That year, Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
came to the Horizon League from the Mid-Con, and on May 17, 2006, Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
announced it would do the same in 2007. As of 2007, seven of the ten Horizon League members are former members of the Mid-Con (now known as The Summit League). In addition, five former members are currently in the Atlantic 10 conference
Horizon League Network
In 2006, the conference launched Horizon League Network (HLN) as the centerpiece of a revamped web portal. In partnership with The CBS College Sports Network, the broadband network airs over 200 live events for free on the League's official website. Events include regular season basketball games, tournament matches, archived championships, The Horizon League Report, and other programming from the array of athletics the league sponsors. Its coverage complements events televised on ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
, ESPNU
ESPNU
ESPNU is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced by, affiliated with and owned by parent network ESPN. ESPNU originates out of ESPN Regional Television's ESPNU (often referred to as The U) is a television channel that specializes in college sports, and is produced...
, and members' local sports networks.
The Horizon League and WebStream Productions launched a completely redesigned Horizon League Network http://www.horizonleaguenetwork.tv website in September 2009. The site, which can be found at www.HorizonLeagueNetwork.tv, serves as a portal to hundreds of live and on-demand videos while giving its users the ability to interact on an array of social media platforms.
Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament Champions
Historic
From 1995 to 2011, the Horizon League has sent 24 teams to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Those clubs have produced 22 wins in those 14 years, including five "Sweet 16" appearances, making the Horizon League the only non-BCSMid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...
conference with Sweet 16 participants in at least five of the last nine tournaments (2003, 2005, 2007, 2010 & 2011). Four schools from the conference have produced "modern-day" Sweet 16 appearances - Loyola (1985
1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1985 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. This was the first year the field was expanded to 64 teams, from 53 in the previous year's tournament. It began...
), Xavier (1990
1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1990, and ended with the championship game on April 2 in Denver, Colorado...
), Butler (2003
2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, 2007
2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 NCAA schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2006–07 basketball season...
, 2010
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
, and 2011
2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The following sites were selected to host each round of the 2011 tournament:First Four*March 15 and 16**University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OhioSecond and third rounds*March 17 and 19**Verizon Center, Washington, D.C....
), and Milwaukee (2005
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
). The Horizon League has compiled a 15-8 record in the past five years in the NCAA tournament, ranking tops among all NCAA Division-I conferences for winning percentage in that span. Butler appeared in the 2010 and the 2011 Men's Basketball National Championship game. Since the NCAA began seeding teams in 1979, Loyola's 4 seed in the 1985 tournament is the best for a Horizon League team. The Horizon League currently holds the best winning percentage among non-BCS conference
BCS conference
An Automatic Qualifying conference is an athletic conference in NCAA Division I FBS whose champion receives an automatic berth in one of the five Bowl Championship Series bowl games...
s in the men's NCAA basketball Tournament (.488, 7th overall amongst the 31 Division I conferences), and is the only non-BCS conferences with Sweet 16 teams in five of the last nine years.
Although not Horizon League members at the time, two current Horizon League members claim national championships. In the 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 9, 1963, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Louisville,...
, Loyola defeated two-time defending champ Cincinnati
Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball
The Cincinnati Bearcats basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. They currently compete in the Big East Conference and are coached by Mick Cronin. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in...
. Before post-season tournaments determined champions, Butler claimed national titles in 1924 and 1929.
The League hosted the men's Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
in 1991, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2009, and 2010. It also hosted the women's Final Four in 2005 and 2007. Horizon League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone, who is in his 17th year as league commissioner, just finished a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.
2000s
As stated on their official website, the recent success of Horizon League athletic teams on the national stage heightened the visibility of the league and its member schools, and quickly moved it closer toward its stated goal of becoming one of the nation's top 10 Division I NCAA athletic conferences.2002-2003
In the 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, the Horizon League entered two teams for the first time since 1998. Milwaukee
UW–Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball
The Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Horizon League for the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The current head coach is Rob Jeter.-History:...
, who earned a 12 seed in its first bid to the tournament since joining the conference, lost by one point to Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
in the first round. Butler
Butler Bulldogs men's basketball
The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 1979...
, who gained an at-large bid and also received a 12 seed, made their fifth tournament appearance in seven years. The Bulldogs made it to the Sweet 16 with victories over #20 (5 seed) Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball
The Mississippi State Bulldogs basketball program represents Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS in men's NCAA Division I basketball. The Bulldogs play in the Southeastern Conference and are currently coached by Rick Stansbury. As of the 2010 season the Bulldogs are 1272-1056...
and #14 (4 seed) Louisville
Louisville Cardinals men's basketball
The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...
before they fell to #3 (1 seed) Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners men's basketball
-1908-1980:The Sooners enjoyed moderate success on the court during this era, posting only 16 losing records in their first 72 seasons. They were coached by 9 different coaches during this period, beginning with Bennie Owen , and ending with Dave Bliss in 1980...
in the East Regional. The Bulldogs finished the year ranked #21 in the final ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll.
2004-2005
In the men's 2005 NCAA Basketball Tournament
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
, the Horizon League enjoyed one of its best showings ever as 12 seed Milwaukee marched to the Sweet 16 with victories over #19 (5 seed) Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball
The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program has a history of being among the best of the Southeastern Conference . It trails only Kentucky in basketball wins, SEC tournament titles, and SEC regular season titles in the 12-member conference. The team is coached by head coach Anthony Grant,...
and #7 (4 seed) Boston College
Boston College Eagles men's basketball
The Boston College Eagles are a Division I college basketball program that represents Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. The team has competed in the ACC since 2005, having previously played in the Big East. Home games have been played at the Conte Forum since 1988, having previously been played...
before they fell to then-#1 and eventual tournament runner-up Illinois. Milwaukee ranked as high as #23 in the March 7 ESPN/USA Today Top 25 Poll.
2005-2006
In the 2006 NCAA Basketball Tournament
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2005–06 basketball season...
, 11 seed Milwaukee once again advanced in the Tournament by upsetting the #20 (6 seed) Oklahoma 82-74. The Panthers, led by first year Head Coach Rob Jeter
Rob Jeter
Rob Jeter is an American college basketball coach and the current coach of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panthers basketball team.-Personal:...
, fell to eventual national champion #11 (AP)/#10 (ESPN) (3 seed) Florida in the second round of the tournament. For the second straight year and third time in the last four years, the league had a team advance past the first round.
2006-2007
In the 2006-2007 basketball season, Butler won the Preseason NIT
NIT Season Tip-Off
The NIT Season Tip-Off is an annual college basketball tournament that takes place in November of each year, around the beginning of the season. The first two rounds are held at campus sites and the semifinals and the finals are held at Madison Square Garden. The tournament began in 1985 as the...
tournament in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
with wins over in-state rivals Notre Dame and Indiana
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
in the NIT's Midwest regional bracket, followed by wins over #21 Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA men's basketball competition. The Volunteers currently compete in the Southeastern Conference...
and #23 Gonzaga
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
in the NIT Final Four in Madison Square Garden. Later, the Bulldogs claimed victory over Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
in the Wooden Tradition. On February 5, 2007, Butler became the first school in Horizon League history to be ranked in the Top 10 of the national college basketball polls, as the Bulldogs reached No. 9 and No. 10 in the EPSN/USA Today and AP polls, respectively. The Bulldogs ended their season with a #21 ranking in the final AP poll, a 5 seed in the NCAA tournament and a Sweet 16 berth by beating Old Dominion
Old Dominion Monarchs basketball
The Old Dominion Monarchs Basketball team represents Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia in NCAA Division I men's competition. The school's team currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association...
and Maryland
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
before losing to eventual national champion Florida
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
. Wright State
Wright State Raiders men's basketball
The Wright State Raiders team is the basketball team that represents Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, USA. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2007. The Raiders are currently coached by Billy...
also qualified for the NCAA tournament as the winner of the Horizon League Tournament
Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament
The Horizon League men's basketball tournament is held annually at the end of the men's college basketball regular season. The tournament has been played each year since 1980. The winner of the tournament is designated the Horizon League Tournament Champion and receives the conference's automatic...
Championship and tying Butler for the regular season championship. As a 14 seed, the Raiders fell to #13 (AP)/#11 (ESPN) (3 seed) Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
in the first round.
2007-2008
During the 2007-2008 basketball season, Butler won the Great Alaska Shootout with wins over Michigan
Michigan Wolverines men's basketball
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Wolverines play home basketball games at the...
, Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball
The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.-History:...
and Texas Tech, and also claimed wins over Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...
and Florida State, which extended their record against BCS schools to 10-1 since the beginning of the 2006-07 season. As a 7 seed in the 2008 NCAA Basketball Tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
, the Bulldogs beat 10 seed South Alabama
South Alabama Jaguars men's basketball
The South Alabama Jaguars basketball program has competed in the Sun Belt Conference since 1978 when the league was formed. In their 42 year history, the Jaguars have compiled an overall record of 694-507 . Ronnie Arrow returned as head coach in 2007, succeeding John Pelphrey after the 2006-07 season...
before falling in overtime to #5 (AP)/#4 (ESPN) (2 seed) Tennessee. Butler finished the season ranked #11 in the AP poll and #14 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Also, Cleveland State earned a six seed in the NIT, losing in the first round to Dayton
University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
.
2008-2009
Starting in 2009, regional convenience store and gas station chain, Speedway, served as the title sponsor of the conference tournament, which Cleveland State won, which earned them the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tourney while Butler University received an at-large bid. Butler, a 9 seed, lost in the first round to LSU
LSU Tigers basketball
The Louisiana State Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The team is currently coached by Trent Johnson and has enjoyed recent success, including a Final Four run in the 2005–2006 season. Past coaches include John Brady, Press...
while 13 seed Cleveland State upset #8 (AP)/#9 (ESPN) (4 seed) Wake Forest 84-69 (and achieved the third biggest upset in NCAA history winning by 15 points) and shocked the nation in the first round of play before falling to 12 seed Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
in the second round of tournament play. Butler finished the season ranked #22 in the final AP poll and #25 in the final ESPN/USA Today poll.
2009-2010
After defeating #25 (12 seed) UTEP
UTEP Miners men's basketball
The UTEP Miners basketball team is an NCAA Division I men's college basketball team competing in the Conference USA. Home games are played at Don Haskins Center, located on University of Texas at El Paso's campus in El Paso.-Don Haskins Center:...
, 13 seed Murray State and #4 (1 seed) Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's basketball
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
, the #8 (ESPN)/#11 (AP) (5 seed) Butler men's team defeated #7 Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
, the 2 seed in the West, by a score of 63-56 to advance to their first Final Four. After beating the #12 (ESPN)/#13 (AP) (5 seed) Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans men's basketball
The Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represents Michigan State University and competes in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I. The team currently plays at the Breslin Student Events Center...
50-52 in the national semifinals, Butler played in Indianapolis against the South Regional Champions, #3 (1 seed) Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
for the NCAA Division I National Championship. Butler lost was many are calling the most thrilling college basketball game in a generation, losing 61-59 in a game that came down to the final play. This is the farthest any team has reached in the tournament while a member of the Horizon League. Butler was the first team to play in the Final Four in its hometown since UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
in 1972.
Also of note, former Milwaukee head coach, Bruce Pearl
Bruce Pearl
Bruce Dean-Fredrick Pearl is an American college basketball coach who most recently served as head coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers men's team. He is a graduate of Boston College, where he obtained his first position as an assistant basketball coach. He was the first coach to lead...
, coached the Tennessee Volunteers to the Elite Eight and narrowly lost the opportunity to play Butler by losing to Michigan State, who Butler beat in the Final Four.
Other sports
The Milwaukee baseball team made national headlines during the 1999 College World Series by upsetting #1 ranked RiceRice Owls baseball
The Rice Owls baseball team is the interscholastic baseball team representing Rice University in Houston, Texas. The Rice Owls have been a regular fixture in the NCAA Tournament, participating in every tournament since 1995 including a victory in the 2003 College World Series, the first national...
in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In the 2004-2005 academic year, Milwaukee's men's soccer team defeated 16th-ranked San Francisco
San Francisco Dons
The San Francisco Dons is the nickname of the athletic teams at the University of San Francisco .-History:Athletics at USF dates back to its founding in 1855, when founder Anthony Maraschi, S.J. organized ball games as recreation for the first students...
, while Detroit upset Michigan
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
in women's soccer in their respective NCAA tournaments. Also that year, Butler's men's cross country team finished fourth in the nation at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships, and their own Victoria Mitchell became the first Horizon League athlete to win an individual national title when she captured the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Green Bay also upset 6th-ranked Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
in the opening round of the NCAA softball tournament.
Although the league does not sponsor football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, Youngstown State plays in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, while Butler and Valparaiso play in the Pioneer League
Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's...
. Cleveland State currently does not have a football team but is considering launching a football program in the near future, giving the city of Cleveland its first division I college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team.
Men's volleyball is also not sponsored, although Loyola competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association
Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association
The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association is a college athletic conference whose member schools compete in men's volleyball. Its member institutions are located in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Illinois in the west to Ohio in the east...
.