Horizon League
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| Horizon League | |
|---|---|
| Image:Horizon League logo.gif | |
| Data | |
| Established | 1979 |
| Members | 9 |
| Sports fielded | 19 (9 men's, 10 women's) |
| Region | Midwestern United States |
| States | 5 - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin |
| Past names | Midwestern City Conference (MCC), 1979-1985, Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC), 1985-2001 |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Commissioner | Jonathan B. LeCrone |
| Locations | |
The Horizon League is a nine school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference, whose members are located in five midwestern states of the U.S.
The Horizon League has been one of the top performing NCAA Division I conferences in men's college basketball. In its 27 years of existence, the Horizon League has the second-best winning percentage among non-BCS conferences (.458) in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. That winning percentage makes the Horizon League the eighth-best conference of the 31 D-I basketball conferences in NCAA postseason play.[1] In just the last 12 years the league has sent 17 teams to the NCAA Tournament, producing eight wins, including two "Sweet 16" appearances. The Horizon League has had a team win at least one game in three of the last four, and six of the last nine men's NCAA Tournaments, as well as having five wins in the last four years. These recent accomplishments by the Horizon League's teams are in addition to several other Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four appearances by current league members, including several National Championships (Loyola in the 1963 NCAA Tournament and Butler in 1924 and 1929). [2]
The Horizon League is also one of only two non-BCS conferences with Sweet 16 finalists - Butler and Milwaukee - in at least two of the last four NCAA Tournaments (the other being Conference USA). The Horizon League has been a multiple-bid NCAA conference seven times, including a best of three NCAA Tournament berths in 1998. The Horizon League has gained men's basketball national notoriety in other ways as well, as it has hosted the men's Final Four in 1991, 1997, 2000 and 2006, and will host in 2009 and 2010. It also hosted the women's Final Four in 2005 and will host again in 2007. Horizon League commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone, who is in his 15th year as league commissioner, is also in the middle of a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee.
Although the league does not sponsor football, two members have Division I-AA teams: Youngstown State in the Gateway Football Conference, and Butler in the Pioneer League. Men's volleyball is also not sponsored, although Loyola competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
Contents |
[edit] Membership
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Joined | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler University | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1855 | Private/Non-sectarian | 4,415 | 1979 | Bulldogs |
| Cleveland State University | Cleveland, Ohio | 1870 | Public | 16,245 | 1994 | Vikings |
| University of Detroit Mercy | Detroit, Michigan | 1877 | Private/Catholic | 6,000 | 1980 | Titans |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 1896 | Public | 24,541 | 1994 | Flames |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 1870 | Private/Catholic | 14,764 | 1979 | Ramblers |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | Green Bay, Wisconsin | 1965 | Public | 5,800 | 1994 | Phoenix |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 1885 | Public | 28,000 | 1994 | Panthers |
| Wright State University | Dayton, Ohio | 1964 | Public | 16,729 | 1994 | Raiders |
| Youngstown State University | Youngstown, Ohio | 1908 | Public | 13,101 | 2001 | Penguins |
[edit] Future members
- Valparaiso University (July 1, 2007) <ref>Press Release. Valpo to Join Horizon League in 2007-2008 May 17, 2006.</ref>
[edit] Former members
- University of Dayton (Atlantic 10) - 1987-1993 (88-93 for men's basketball)
- Duquesne University (Atlantic 10) - 1992-1993
- University of Evansville (Missouri Valley) - 1979-1994
- La Salle University (Atlantic 10) - 1992-1995
- Marquette University (Big East) - 1988-1991 (89-91 for men's basketball)
- Northern Illinois University (MAC) - 1994-1997
- University of Notre Dame (Big East) - 1982-1986, 1987-1995 (excluding men's basketball)
- Oklahoma City University (NAIA) - 1979-1985
- Oral Roberts University (Mid-Continent) - 1979-1987
- Saint Louis University (Atlantic 10) - 1981-1991 (82-91 for men's basketball)
- Xavier University (Atlantic 10) - 1979-1995
[edit] History
The Horizon League was formed in 1979 by six NCAA Division I schools that originally dubbed themselves the Midwestern City 6, and officially the Midwestern City Conference (or MCC) soon thereafter. The name was altered slightly to Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1985. The University of Notre Dame withdrew in protest of the new MCC requirement to place women's teams under league sponsorship in 1986, but returned for the 1987-1988 season. The conference again changed its name on June 4, 2001, in part to avoid being confused with the Mid-Continent Conference. For most of its existence it has generally been considered one of the top mid-major conferences in the country, particularly in men's basketball. Charter members included Butler, Evansville, Loyola, Oklahoma City, Oral Roberts and Xavier.
In 1994, six Mid-Continent Conference members, Cleveland State University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Northern Illinois University, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wright State University left to join the Horizon League, which remains today the largest non-merger conference expansion in NCAA history. [3] [4] In 2001 Youngstown State University made the same switch, and on May 17, 2006, Valparaiso University announced it will do the same in 2007. As of 2007, seven of the ten Horizon League members will be former members of the Mid-Con.
[edit] Recent Accomplishments
In 2004-2005, the Horizon League enjoyed a breakthrough season in athletics at the national level, highlighted by Milwaukee's advancement to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Beginning in the fall, Milwaukee defeated 16th-ranked San Francisco in men's soccer while Detroit upset Michigan in women's soccer in their respective NCAA tournaments, and Butler's men's cross country team finished fourth in the nation at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships. In the spring, UW-Green Bay upset 6th-ranked Oregon State in the opening round of the NCAA softball tournament, and Butler's 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. In the men's 2005 NCAA Basketball Tournament, the Horizon League enjoyed one of its best showings ever as 12th seeded Milwaukee marched to the Sweet 16 with victories over #19 Alabama and #7 Boston College before falling to then-#1 and eventual tournament runner-up Illinois.
In 2005-2006, Milwaukee once again advanced to the men's basketball "Big Dance" with the Horizon League's automatic bid, and was awarded an 11 seed, opposite the sixth-seeded, 20th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners from the Big 12 Conference. For the second straight year and third time in the last four years, the league had a team advance past the first round as UWM downed the Sooners, 82-74. The Panthers fell to the eventual national champion Florida Gators in the second round of the tournament.
In the 2006-2007 basketball season, Butler won the Preseason NIT Tournament in Madison Square Garden with wins over #21 Tennessee and #23 Gonzaga. The Bulldogs of Indianapolis beat in-state rivals Notre Dame and Indiana in the Midwest regional bracket of the NIT to advance to the Final Four in New York. Of note, the two regional wins were Butler's sixth straight win over Notre Dame, and second win in the last four tries against Indiana. Butler had the most wins of any NCAA Division I team in the state of Indiana in 2005-06. The Bulldogs are also Indiana's winningest team (21.6 wins per year) over the past decade, having advanced to postseason play eight of the last ten years (5 NCAA's, 3 NIT's).
A Horizon League school has now won at least one game in six of the last nine NCAA Men's Basketball Tournaments, including five wins in the last four years. In addition to previous Sweet 16 qualifiers Detroit (1977), Loyola (1985), and Cleveland St. (1986), two other current Horizon League schools (Butler in 2003 and Milwaukee in 2005) have advanced to the Sweet 16 in just the last four years, making the Horizon League one of only eight conferences to have had a team in the Sweet 16 in at least two of the last four NCAA Tournaments. The addition of Valparaiso (1998) to the league next year will give it six members who have been to at least the Sweet 16. Milwaukee’s success in the tourney over the last two seasons is unprecedented for any current league member; until Milwaukee added a win this season to its two NCAA Tournament wins a season ago, no current Horizon League school had ever won three NCAA tourney games in a two-year span. Among all-time members, only Xavier has ever accomplished the feat, winning two games in the 1990 and one win in the 1991 tournament. As stated on their official website, the recent success of Horizon League athletic teams on the national stage has heightened the visibility of the league and its member schools, and has quickly moved it closer toward its stated goal of becoming one of the nation's top 10 athletics conferences.
[edit] Men's Basketball Champions
| Season- | -Reg. Season Champ- | -Tournament Champ- | -# NCAA Bids--(Seed)/Team/Rnd Advanced- | -#NIT bids--Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Loyola | Oral Roberts (2) | 0 | 1 -- LU |
| 1981 | Xavier | Oklahoma City (3) | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | Evansville | Evansville (1) | 1 -- (10)UE | 1 -- ORU |
| 1983 | Loyola | Xavier (2) | 1 -- (12*)XU (*Opening Round game loss) | 0 |
| 1984 | Oral Roberts | Oral Roberts (1) | 1 -- (11)ORU | 1 -- XU |
| 1985 | Loyola | Loyola (1) | 1 -- (4)LU (SWEET 16) | 1 -- BU |
| 1986 | Xavier | Xavier (1) | 1 -- (12)XU | 0 |
| 1987 | Evansville/Loyola | Xavier (3) | 1 -- (13)XU (2ND RND) | 1 -- SLU |
| 1988 | Xavier | Xavier (1) | 1 -- (11)XU | 1 -- UE |
| 1989 | Evansville | Xavier (3) | 2 -- (14)XU, (11)UE (2ND RND) | 1 -- SLU (Champ. game) |
| 1990 | Xavier | Dayton (2) | 2 -- (12)UD (2ND RND), (6)XU (SWEET 16) | 2 -- MU, SLU (Champ. game) |
| 1991 | Xavier | Xavier (1) | 1 -- (14)XU (2ND RND) | 1 -- BU |
| 1992 | Evansville | Evansville (2) | 1 -- (8)UE | 1 -- BU |
| 1993 | Evansville/Xavier | Evansville (1) | 2 -- (14)UE, (9)XU (2ND RND) | 0 |
| 1994 | Xavier | Detroit (4) | 0 | 2 -- XU, UE |
| 1995 | Xavier | UWGB (3) | 2 -- (11)UWGB, (14)XU | 0 |
| 1996 | UWGB | Northern Illinois (3) | 2 -- (8)UWGB, (14)NIU | 0 |
| 1997 | Butler | Butler (1) | 1 -- (14)BU | 0 |
| 1998 | Detroit/UIC | Butler (3) | 3 -- (9)UIC, (13)BU, (10)UDM (2ND RND) | 0 |
| 1999 | Detroit | Detroit (1) | 1 -- (12)UDM (2ND RND) | 1 - BU (Quarterfinals) |
| 2000 | Butler | Butler (1) | 1 -- (12)BU | 0 |
| 2001 | Butler | Butler (1) | 1 -- (10)BU (2ND RND) | 1 - UDM (Semifinals) |
| 2002 | Butler | UIC (6) | 1 -- (15)UIC | 2 - BU, UDM |
| 2003 | Butler | Milwaukee (2) | 2 -- (12)UWM, (12)BU (SWEET 16) | 1 - UIC |
| 2004 | Milwaukee | UIC (2) | 1 -- (13)UIC | 1 - UWM |
| 2005 | Milwaukee | Milwaukee (1) | 1 -- (12)UWM (SWEET 16) | 0 |
| 2006 | Milwaukee | Milwaukee (1) | 1 -- (11)UWM (2ND RND) | 1 - (8)BU |
[edit] Conference venues
| School | Arena | Capacity | Year Opened | Soccer Stadium | Capacity | Year Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | Hinkle Fieldhouse | 11,043 | 1928 | Butler Bowl | 20,000 | N/A |
| Cleveland State | Wolstein Center | 13,610 | 1991 | Krenzler Field | 1,680 | 1985 |
| Detroit | Calihan Hall | 8,295 | 1952 | Titan Soccer Field | N/A | N/A |
| Loyola | Joseph J. Gentile Center | 5,200 | 1996 | Loyola Soccer Park | ~500 | 1996 |
| Milwaukee | U.S. Cellular Arena (men) J. Martin Klotsche Center(women) | 10,783 5,000 | 1950 1977 | Engelmann Field | 2,200 | 1973 |
| UIC | UIC Pavilion | 8,000 | 1982 | Flames Field | 1,000 | 1996 |
| Wisconsin-Green Bay | Resch Center | 9,729 | 2002 | Aldo Santaga Stadium | 3,500 | N/A |
| Wright State | Nutter Center | 11,019 | 1990 | Alumni Field | 1,000 | 1999 |
| Youngstown State | Beeghly Center | 6,500 | 1972 | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 1982 |
[edit] Notes
<references />
[edit] External links
| Horizon League |
|---|
| Butler • Cleveland State • Detroit • Illinois-Chicago • Loyola • Milwaukee • Wisconsin-Green Bay• Wright State • Youngstown State |
