Less than two months removed from losing Valparaiso to the Missouri Valley Conference, the Horizon League has tabbed its replacement. IUPUI was officially named the 10th member of the Horizon League on Wednesday morning, just in time for the start of the fiscal year on July 1.

IUPUI's move to the Horizon League means it is leaving the Summit League. The Summit League will now be at eight teams for the 2017-18 season.

"We are excited to welcome IUPUI to the Horizon League family," Horizon League commissioner Jon LeCrone said. "The Jaguars bring us tremendous competitive potential, particularly in men's basketball, along with an engaged and energized city. Their addition solidifies our broad community partnerships in Indianapolis and is the right school at the right time."

IUPUI -- which is short for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis -- joined Division I 19 years ago. The Jaguars made the NCAA Tournament once, in 2003. The school last finished above .500 in men's basketball in 2010-11, under former coach Ron Hunter. Last season, the Jags were 14-18.



IUPUI made sense from a geographical and potential budget standpoint for the Horizon League. Sources told CBS Sports that IUPUI didn't have the basketball budget of other Horizon League nominees, but a commitment going forward to spending more on hoops figures to be a big part of the equation. Geographically, the school being located in Indianapolis (where the Horizon League is headquartered) gave IUPUI a leg up.

It's a big week for the school, as it's also currently hosting the 2017 USA Swimming & Diving National Championships, which includes the likes of Olympic stars Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel.



The upcoming season will be the 39th in the history of the Horizon League. There is some scuttlebutt that IUPUI's inclusion could be one phase toward expansion. Eventually going to 12 teams might be on the table, one industry source told CBS Sports. Growing from 10 to 12 teams is also an ongoing debate for the Missouri Valley. We should know more about whether or not expansion is coming to these conferences in the fall or winter.</s>INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Officials at IUPUI confirmed the school’s plans to move to the Horizon League.

Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar said the university will move from the Summit League to the Horizon League effective July 1.

The Horizon League Board of Directors unanimously approved the school’s application for membership. IUPUI will begin competing in its new league during the 2017-2018 academic year.

“Horizon League shares our core values for support of our athletics–the integrity and quality that we work very hard to have in our athletic programs,” Paydar said. “The headquarters of Horizon League is within two miles from here. That is significant.”

He said the Horizon League offers teams that are closer in proximity with passionate fanbases that will make for tremendous competition.

“The Jaguars bring us tremendous competitive potential, particularly in men’s basketball, along with an engaged and energized city. Their addition solidifies our broad community partnerships in Indianapolis and is the right school at the right time,” said Horizon League Commissioner Jon LeCrone.

“Everybody here is a Jaguar today,” LeCrone said. “So, go Jaguars!”

Mayor Joe Hogsett also appeared at the announcement Wednesday, saying he “married” IUPUI and the Horizon League.

“It’s a great day for IUPUI, for the city of Indianapolis,” Hogsett said. “We are here in Indianapolis and we love our IUPUI Jaguars. I am a proud mayor, I’m proud resident of Indianapolis and I’m a proud graduate of IUPUI.”

The Jaguars will compete in 18 of 19 sports in the Horizon League: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field (indoor and outdoor), softball and volleyball.

IUPUI will add some world-class athletics facilities to the conference, including Indiana Farmers Coliseum and the IU Natatorium, which serves as host to the 2017 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, U.S. Olympic Trials and the USA Swimming & Diving National Championships.</s>INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis will be members of a new league this summer.

Effective, July 1 IUPUI will will officially join the Horizon League.

The announcement came during a press conference Tuesday morning.

Since the moment IUPUI began playing NCAA Division I sports 19 years ago, we have welcomed the spirit of competition and camaraderie from our Summit League opponents. The Horizon League will offer our student-athletes new opportunities for competition and will help our campus strengthen the sense of community that grows out of the very best athletic contests and that plays such an important role in fostering student success, one of our campus’s strategic priorities.

IUPUI was part of the Summit League since 1998.

The addition of IUPUI to the Horizon League gives the league 10 full members.

I know our department and basketball program are excited to make the move to the Horizon League. The Summit League has provided us fantastic competition since long before I was the head coach, but we’re excited about what the future holds. I had the opportunity to coach in the Horizon League and understand just how strong the league is from top to bottom. We’re going to work hard to improve every single day to be competitive with our new league rivals.

Never miss another Facebook post from WISH-TV</s>The Horizon League approved the addition of IUPUI to the conference, and the program will begin league competition in the current academic year. IUPUI, based in Indianapolis and affiliated with both the Indiana and Purdue university systems, becomes the 10th member of the Horizon League and will replace Valparaiso, which transferred to the Missouri Valley Conference this spring.

Oakland University and Detroit Mercy are the Michigan teams with Horizon League membership.

George Hynd, OU president and chairman of the Horizon League Board of Directors, said IUPUI is a good fit for the conference.

“It is clear that the vision, values and mission of IUPUI are clearly aligned with those that we champion in the Horizon League,” he said. “The addition of IUPUI will affirm our commitment to excellence in promoting the student-athlete experience and impact at all of our Horizon League institutions.”

IUPUI boasts impressive facilities, including Indiana Farmers Coliseum, which recently underwent a $53-million renovation and is home to the Jaguars’ men’s basketball program. The school’s IU Natatorium has hosted numerous major events, including this year’s NCAA swimming and diving Championships, the U.S. Olympic trials and the USA swimming and diving championships.

The Jaguars compete in 18 of 19 Horizon League sports.

Be sure to follow Freep Sports on Twitter (@freepsports) and Instagram and like us on on Facebook.</s>After losing Valparaiso to the Missouri Valley Conference, the Horizon League announced the addition of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) effective July 1. IUPUI will begin competition during the 2017-18 academic year.

The addition of IUPUI returns the Horizon League to 10 full members. The Jaguars compete in 18 of 19 Horizon League sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field (indoor and outdoor), softball and volleyball.

The Horizon League members will include Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Illinois-Chicago, IUPUI, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Wright State and Youngstown State.</s>INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (WKBN) – IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis) has officially been named the tenth member of the Horizon League, effective July 1. The league made the announcement on Wednesday.

The Jaguars replace Valparaiso, which recently left for the Missouri Valley Conference.

Horizon League Commissioner Jon LeCrone is thrilled with the addition.

“We are excited to welcome IUPUI to the Horizon League family,” he said. “The Jaguars bring us tremendous competitive potential, particularly in men’s basketball, along with an engaged and energized city. Their addition solidifies our broad community partnerships in Indianapolis and is the right school at the right time.”

IUPUI is somewhat a familiar foe to Youngstown State fans, having competed against the Penguins in the Mid-Continent Conference from 1999-2001.

All-time, the YSU Men’s Basketball program is 5-1 against IUPUI, while the YSU Women’s Basketball team has won six of the ten all-time meetings.

IUPUI’s Men’s Basketball program advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2003.

According to official release announcing the addition, the Jaguars will compete in 18 of 19 Horizon League sports: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field (indoor and outdoor), softball and volleyball.

IUPUI will begin competing in the Horizon League this Fall.</s>The Horizon League acted swiftly and decisively — if not exactly splashy — in tapping IUPUI to replace Valparaiso, keeping its membership at an ideal 10 institutions.

IUPUI officially accepted membership Wednesday, starting with the 2017-18 season. The News first reported the invitation, as well as the anticipated acceptance.

Valparaiso is moving to the Missouri Valley Conference, also starting this season.

“It’s a very sensible move, based off a great city and an emerging athletics brand and insitution that’s growing, in a market that is substantial,” Oakland athletic director Jeff Konya said. “I think our student-athletes are going to find first-class facilities when they compete at IUPUI, and we’re looking forward to taking trips down there.”

IUPUI brings seven sanctioned men’s programs, nine women’s programs and a co-ed cheerleading team to the Horizon League, which wanted to find a new member that could start as soon as possible.

League athletic directors were presented last week with nine- and 10-member scheduling scenarios, and everyone agreed things are cleaner and more manageable with 10 teams.

IUPUI’s addition also keeps the Horizon League with a presence in the state that’s home to the league offices.

That it’s Indianapolis is an added bonus, bringing another top-30 United States media market to the league, which has schools in six adjoining states, including Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois and Wisconsin. The Horizon League already has a presence in big media markets like Chicago (Illinois-Chicago) and Detroit (Detroit Mercy, Oakland).

Konya said the addition of IUPUI will increase its television footprint to nearly 11 million households with traditional cable. The Horizon League has a long-standing contract with ESPN for its men’s basketball.

Commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone told The News earlier this month this is the first step in the Horizon League’s ambitious expansion plan, which could someday see the league reach 14 or even 16 members, and possibly grow well outside of its current region — likely even to the West Coast.

“Their addition solidifies our broad community partnerships in Indianapolis and is the right school at the right time,” LeCrone said in a statement.

IUPUI wasn’t close to the sexiest name rumored to be in the mix — Robert Morris, Belmont, Fort Wayne and Grand Canyon in Phoenix were far more popular with fans — it’s just the start of a long-term plan, anyway. The league’s main priority is men’s basketball, and IUPUI doesn’t add much cache there, having made one NCAA Tournament ever. But again, the school long has been willing, and the Horizon League finally had the right opening at the right time to extend the invitation.

Future members almost certainly will have more successful men’s basketball histories.

“They’re a welcome addition,” said Robert Vowels, Detroit Mercy athletic director. “Academically and athletically, they’re a fit — as well as geographically.”

IUPUI arrives from the Summit League, the same league Oakland departed in joining the Horizon League in 2013. The Summit League is down to eight members until North Dakota joins for the 2018-19 season.

Adding Indianapolis to the league also gives LeCrone and Co. the option to stage its premier event, the men’s and basketball tournaments, in the centrally located city down the road, if things don’t pan out in Detroit.

The men’s tournament is entering Year 3 in Detroit, and the first year at new Little Caesars Arena. It’s a five-year deal, though the league and Olympia Entertainment have an opt-out after next year. The women’s tournament is on a year-to-year agreement.

Officials certainly will be watching attendance numbers closely next year at LCA. The tournaments, dubbed “Motor City Madness,” sold 29,240 tickets in 2016 for 18 games over five days (nine men’s, nine women’s), and sold 20,908 in 2015 for nine games (all men’s). There was no local team in the championship game either year, which hurt the bottom line. The Big Ten also has expressed interest in eventually bringing its men's tournament to LCA, which could bump the Horizon League.

Indianapolis, meanwhile, long has been a popular host for marquee college events, including the Big Ten men’s basketball tournament and the Big Ten football championship, and is more centrally located than Detroit.

“That thought’s never crossed my mind. My concern is Oakland winning a game in Little Caesars Arena this year,” said Oakland men’s coach Greg Kampe, whose team has been upset in its first game of the Horizon League tournament each of the two years at Joe Louis Arena. “What happens in the future, we’ll lace up our tennies and go play wherever they tell us to do it.”

Said Vowels of Detroit potentially losing the tournaments to Indianapolis: “Not at this time. Olympia’s all in.” That said, he acknowledged ticket sales must improve.

LeCrone and assistant commissioner Julie Roe Lach told The News this spring that the league is thinking long-term when it comes to staging its basketball tournaments in Detroit.</s>Statement from Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple

 On IUPUI’s withdrawal from The Summit League

“I was first notified on Friday morning (June 23) by IUPUI Chancellor Paydar that they will be withdrawing from our league, effective June 30. He stated to me that they enjoyed their membership in The Summit League, but geography was the factor in their decision to switch leagues.

“IUPUI was a 20-year member of our league and while we will miss the relationships forged over that time, The Summit League remains a solid entity going forward. The recent addition of the University of North Dakota for the fall of 2018 is a move that strengthens the quality of league membership.

“The Summit League has made continued progress in recent years and there is no reason to believe that will not continue. Men’s and women’s basketball success is evident in RPI ascension and our tournament continues to gain notoriety as one of the best environments in the nation. In 2016-17 alone, we advanced a team to the Men’s Soccer College Cup and crowned our latest track and field national champion. Those achievements are indicative of the dedication to pursue excellence across our league membership.

“We will continue our efforts to explore the expansion options that we currently have and create new membership options for the future. When membership changes have occurred in The Summit League, there has been short term disappointment, but in the long term, the end result has proven to be a stronger league.”</s>Before UND even officially lands in the Summit League in the 2018-19 school year, however, the conference has lost a member.

Indiana Purdue-Indianapolis (IUPUI) announced Wednesday, June 28, it will leave the Summit for the Horizon League effective July 1 and begin competing in the league this upcoming school year.

That move doesn't diminish UND athletic director Brian Faison's confidence in the Fighting Hawks' new league.

"You can't know in this day and age with collegiate sports what might happen in conference membership," Faison said. "We're an example of that. You just have to be prepared and make the best move you can."

Faison said he spoke with Summit League commissioner Tom Douple on Wednesday morning to discuss the IUPUI decision.

UND hasn't attended any Summit League meetings yet, but the school will attend in the fall, although UND won't be a voting member of the league until July 2018.

Faison said conference expansion will be a hot topic at upcoming meetings.

"The conference has to keep options in its hip pocket," he said. "There are several candidates out there."

IUPUI's move leaves the Summit with eight teams. UND will make nine teams when it joins.

"IUPUI was a 20-year member of our league and while we will miss the relationships forged over that time, the Summit League remains a solid entity going forward," Douple said in a statement. "The recent addition of the University of North Dakota for the fall of 2018 is a move that strengthens the quality of league membership."

Douple said he was first notified of IUPUI's intentions on June 23.

"We will continue our efforts to explore the expansion options that we currently have and create new membership options for the future," Douple said. "When membership changes have occurred in the Summit League, there has been short-term disappointment, but in the long term, the end result has proven to be a stronger league."

Summit League members currently are North Dakota State, South Dakota State, South Dakota, Omaha, Denver, Oral Roberts, Western Illinois and Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne.

Since 2010, the Summit has lost Centenary, Southern Utah, UMKC, Oakland and now IUPUI. The conference has gained Denver, South Dakota, Omaha and eventually UND. Oral Roberts briefly left the league during that time, as well.</s>IUPUI Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar announced at a press conference the his school will join the Horizon effective July 1 and begin competing in its new league for this upcoming school year.

The move leaves the Summit with eight teams. It will have nine teams for the 2018-19 school year with the addition of the University of North Dakota.

"IUPUI was a 20-year member of our league and while we will miss the relationships forged over that time, the Summit League remains a solid entity going forward," said Summit commissioner Tom Douple. "The recent addition of the University of North Dakota for the fall of 2018 is a move that strengthens the quality of league membership."

Douple said he was first notified of IUPUI's intentions on June 23. Douple said he was told by Paydar that geography was the key factor in its decision to switch leagues.

"We will continue our efforts to explore the expansion options that we currently have and create new membership options for the future," Douple said. "When membership changes have occurred in the Summit League, there has been short-term disappointment, but in the long term, the end result has proven to be a stronger league."
The Horizon League announces that IUPUI (full name Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis) will join the conference on July 1. The Jaguars will move from the Summit League to replace Valparaiso University, moving from the Horizon to the Missouri Valley Conference on the same date.