UIC Ineligible for Horizon League Championships

[05Racer]

They want to become a stable conference, that's why they put in the rule. But you don't become stable by putting in unrealistic rules and being vindictive. You become stable by investing in your basketball programs and increasing the quality of product you put on the floor.

If people are satisfied to remain in your league, you don't need rules like this. See the MVC for an example. They don't need to punish the guys that leave, because they're a successful conference and when someone leaves, there's probably at least 2 or 3 great programs banging on the door to get in.

[Buxcies]

If people are satisfied to remain in your league, you don't need rules like this. See the MVC for an example. They don't need to punish the guys that leave, because they're a successful conference and when someone leaves, there's probably at least 2 or 3 great programs banging on the door to get in.[/quote]

Murray State and Belmont were the 2 easiest adds that we’re out there. If someone else leaves then it becomes a bit more difficult to find a quality addition.

[Murraygrad05]

I kind of understand the Horizons point of view on it though. If there was in fact a bylaw that UIC had to give so much notice and knew about it but still didn’t, then I understand how the Horizon might be mad. Does it constitute banning them from post season? Eh… maybe a fine and then let it go.

[UICSAlum]

I kind of understand the Horizons point of view on it though. If there was in fact a bylaw that UIC had to give so much notice and knew about it but still didn’t, then I understand how the Horizon might be mad. Does it constitute banning them from post season? Eh… maybe a fine and then let it go.

I agree that the HL was, in fact, injured. Nonetheless, this part of Madame Commish's statement REALLY jumped out at me:

"....UIC leaders engaged in an inflammatory and misleading media campaign....".

That statement tells you all you need to know about the leadership of the Horizon League. They are obviously living in a bubble, blissfully unaware of how the media works in the age of the internet.

The Horizon League absolutely had the facts about the by-laws, as well as the truth about UIC's flippant breaking of said by-laws. And they did, in fact, get their side of the story out.

But to the media of today, facts and truth are old school. The contemporary media is looking for victims, and mid-major student-athletes, with their long hours and limited professional sports prospects, fit the bill perfectly.

As for the HL, they surrendered a sizeable chunk of their victimhood when they agreed to take UIC up on their offer to pay the early exit fee without a fight.

And since, in the game of media, the bigger victim wins: game, set, match.

Thus the bad press, and if it wasn't obvious that would be the result, the HL was not playing with a full deck.

Regardless, the arranged marriage (UIC and MVC) goes forward, and the messy divorce (UIC and Horizon) becomes less messy. Sounds right to me.

[Chuck A]

I had always been an eternal optimist that the HL would bounce back and become the 10-12 rated League it was in the days of Butler and when Detroit, Milwaukee and UIC were good. Every year, I thought, "This would be the year"! I never thought I'd ever say these words, but considering what just transpired, even though my University played a part in the acrimonious split, "Good riddance to the Horizon League"!

[Murraygrad05]

I kind of understand the Horizons point of view on it though. If there was in fact a bylaw that UIC had to give so much notice and knew about it but still didn’t, then I understand how the Horizon might be mad. Does it constitute banning them from post season? Eh… maybe a fine and then let it go.

I agree that the HL was, in fact, injured. Nonetheless, this part of Madame Commish's statement REALLY jumped out at me:

"....UIC leaders engaged in an inflammatory and misleading media campaign....".

That statement tells you all you need to know about the leadership of the Horizon League. They are obviously living in a bubble, blissfully unaware of how the media works in the age of the internet.

The Horizon League absolutely had the facts about the by-laws, as well as the truth about UIC's flippant breaking of said by-laws. And they did, in fact, get their side of the story out.

But to the media of today, facts and truth are old school. The contemporary media is looking for victims, and mid-major student-athletes, with their long hours and limited professional sports prospects, fit the bill perfectly.

As for the HL, they surrendered a sizeable chunk of their victimhood when they agreed to take UIC up on their offer to pay the early exit fee without a fight.

And since, in the game of media, the bigger victim wins: game, set, match.

Thus the bad press, and if it wasn't obvious that would be the result, the HL was not playing with a full deck.

Regardless, the arranged marriage (UIC and MVC) goes forward, and the messy divorce (UIC and Horizon) becomes less messy. Sounds right to me.

I can agree with all this.

[Herd]

JMU getting the same treatment from the CAA on their way to the Sunbelt. The good thing for JMU in their case, it helps you to turn the page quickly, and your incoming conference usually tries to help you with Scheduling and such more quickly than otherwise would have happened.

[05Racer]

I kind of understand the Horizons point of view on it though. If there was in fact a bylaw that UIC had to give so much notice and knew about it but still didn’t, then I understand how the Horizon might be mad. Does it constitute banning them from post season? Eh… maybe a fine and then let it go.

I agree that the HL was, in fact, injured. Nonetheless, this part of Madame Commish's statement REALLY jumped out at me:

"....UIC leaders engaged in an inflammatory and misleading media campaign....".

That statement tells you all you need to know about the leadership of the Horizon League. They are obviously living in a bubble, blissfully unaware of how the media works in the age of the internet.

The Horizon League absolutely had the facts about the by-laws, as well as the truth about UIC's flippant breaking of said by-laws. And they did, in fact, get their side of the story out.

But to the media of today, facts and truth are old school. The contemporary media is looking for victims, and mid-major student-athletes, with their long hours and limited professional sports prospects, fit the bill perfectly.

As for the HL, they surrendered a sizeable chunk of their victimhood when they agreed to take UIC up on their offer to pay the early exit fee without a fight.

And since, in the game of media, the bigger victim wins: game, set, match.

Thus the bad press, and if it wasn't obvious that would be the result, the HL was not playing with a full deck.

Regardless, the arranged marriage (UIC and MVC) goes forward, and the messy divorce (UIC and Horizon) becomes less messy. Sounds right to me.

So you're saying that a bunch of well paid college administrators who have spent long and distinguished careers in academia were out of touch with the real world. Inconceivable! Sir, you must be mistaken! Really, why should taxpayer funded institutions have to think about public relations when there's a perfectly good set of bylaws that don't require any sort of thinking at all? What's the point of having rules if they can be waived for such trifles as "massive public backlash", "doing the right thing", or "putting the needs of student athletes first"? I mean anyone can clearly see that squashing the hopes and dreams of children is a perfectly reasonable response to the monumental inconvenience of having to schedule two extra games next season with only nine months of notice. How can the world have turned against the HL when they were so clearly wronged? It's madness I tell you, madness.