Horizon League- invites IUPUI to replace Valpo

[Da Coach]

The Horizon League has reportedly extended a membership offer to a new school to get back to a 10-team league after losing Valparaiso to the MVC.
They are being very secretive about it.
One report from a Detroit sportswriter suggests that the new member is one of the following schools-

https://twitter.com/TonyPaul1984/status/877589386291953665

https://twitter.com/TonyPaul1984/status/877590727923859456

IPFW
University of Indianapolis (D2)
Nebraska-Omaha
Belmont
Murray State
SIU-Edwardsville
Grand Canyon.


If true, IMO, Belmont does not seem realistic. They balked at jumping to the MVC, so I can't see them interested in the Horizon.
Murray State would have nowhere for their football team to play, so that seems unlikely, too.
Grand Canyon would have a nightmare travel problem being 2 or 3 time zones away from the other Horizon teams, and the Horizon isn't enough of a step up for them to do that (actually, the WAC finished with a better Conference RPI than the Horizon last season).
And Indianapolis is Division II with no plan that I am aware of to try to move up to Division I. It is ridiculous to think the Horizon members would accept that.
So that would seem to leave IPFW, Omaha, and SIUE as the more likely choice. Not exactly a murderer's row of great teams to add.
I don't know why IUPUI wouldn't be among their considerations.
It should become public soon.

[Da Coach]

The Detroit sportswriter who listed the above Horizon League options for expansion now concedes that Indianapolis, Belmont, Murray State, and Omaha are not being considered by the Horizon League. And now he says that IUPUI may be a possibility.-

https://twitter.com/TonyPaul1984/status/877606954822242305

https://twitter.com/TonyPaul1984/status/877607955671154688

https://twitter.com/TonyPaul1984/status/877595385568645132

This would leave IPFW, SIUE, and Grand Canyon, though Grand Canyon seems far less likely. IUPUI may still be a possibility, but they do not have baseball, which the Horizon League is said to prefer.

Article-

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2017/06/21/horizon-extends-invitation-unidentified-school/103076944/

[Da Coach]

One issue that could affect the possibility of IPFW being invited- they have always been a cooperative extension of Indiana University & Purdue University, but they are scheduled to split into 2 distinct universities in 2018, one affiliated with Indiana U. and the other with Purdue U. That might make things complicated.

[tornado]

SIUE is improving in many of their sports - and they fit the geographical needs...

[Da Coach]

SIUE is improving in many of their sports - and they fit the geographical needs...

Not sure if this would be a problem for them, but SIUE, which was an affiliate member of the MVC for men's soccer through this past season, just switched to the MAC for men's soccer. The OVC does not have men's soccer. If they switch to the Horizon now, they may not be able to move right away (since their 2017 MAC schedule is already set) and may have to wait until 2018.

http://mac-sports.com/news/2017/6/8/mac-welcomes-siu-edwardsville-as-mens-soccer-affiliate-member-in-2017.aspx

Valpo does play men's soccer, so they will fit right into the MVC and replace SIUE so that MVC men's soccer will remain at 7 teams.

[Da Coach]

Still no word yet which new school was invited to join the Horizon League, but now the same writer I quoted above is saying what I thought yesterday, that he doesn't think it is Grand Canyon University-

https://twitter.com/TonyPaul1984/status/877884666577121281

That would seem to point toward IPFW or SIUE, but I have heard it is not SIUE, and that would leave IPFW the likely choice.

As noted above, IPFW is splitting into to separate universities next year, so that would possibly complicate them being invited. But there would probably be only one basketball program, which would likely stay as a single program and be under one of the two entities.

[Da Coach]

IUPUI is the school that received an invitation to join the Horizon League.
It seems certain that they will accept and become a member.

[Da Coach]

IUPUI officially accepts the invitation to join the Horizon League effective July 1, 2017. They will participate in all sports in 2017-18.

http://fox59.com/2017/06/28/iupui-officials-making-major-announcement-on-campus/

Not all the fans of the other Horizon League teams are happy-

http://pantheru.com/2017/06/nothing-makes-sense-anymore-part-one/

Ironic coming from the worst basketball school in the conference.

[tornado]

The Horizon apparently is committed to adding two more new members, and expanding to 12 members..

http://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/the-horizon-league-picks-iupui-to-replace-valpo-and-might-add-more-teams-in-future/

[LongTimeFan]

Does that sound familiar? However, some conferences don't like going over 10 teams.