As the fall sports season takes shape, a familiar name within the Horizon League is absent: the Butler Bulldogs.
In May, the school announced it would join the Atlantic 10 conference for the fall of 2013. But later that month, Athletic Director Barry Collier announced the school's immediate departure from the Horizon League.
While the Horizon League tries to find a replacement for Butler, schools within the conference are adjusting to a new landscape. Without the presence of Head Coach Brad Stevens and the Bulldogs, the dominant force for men's basketball the last decade is gone.
Wright State Athletics Director Bob Grant thinks the Raiders can reach those same heights.
Kennard: “What was your reaction when you heard Butler was leaving the Horizon League?”
Grant: “I was bummed for sure. They’ve been a great, great rival for us, not just in men’s basketball, but every sport we play. Proximity-wise, they’re so close and they run a very good program like we do and they’re really fun to compete against.”
Kennard: “What’s your take on the conference realignment within the NCAA the last few years?”
Grant: “Conference jumping almost has become a sport of its own the last five years. There’s been rumors about Butler for years. I was not surprised. Conference affiliation changes yearly, and we’re a far cry from the time when conferences were geographically aligned. It’s a different world.”
Kennard: “How did Butler’s success in college basketball impact the Horizon League.?”
Grant: “I think it’s been terrific for the conference. It’s a mid-major program. For them to go to back-to-back Final Fours is nothing short of miraculous in this day and age. People had a better recognition of Butler, and by extension, of Wright State because of what Butler did in the tournament.”
Kennard: “What does Butler’s departure mean for Wright State?”
Grant: “The negative for us, talking specifically about men’s basketball, is that it will impact us financially. That was a game that, no matter when we played Butler, no matter what time of the year it was or whether students were here or not, that game was a virtual sellout every year.”
Kennard: “Do you have a favorite memory from the rivalry?”
Grant: “Brad Brownell’s first year here when we went to the tournament, and we upset them in a sellout crowd here and it put two teams from the Horizon League in the (NCAA) tournament. [It was] A great, great win with great atmosphere.”
Kennard: “With Butler gone, is there a school in the conference that can replicate that rivalry?”
Grant: “I think Cleveland State because we’ve had a pretty good rivalry with them. Grant. Obviously it’s in the state of Ohio, which makes it a little bit more special. That game probably takes on more added significance now. I think there’s more of a natural rivalry with Cleveland State than any other [school].”
Kennard: “Now that the Horizon League’s marquee team is gone, do you think other schools will try to leave for more attractive conferences?”
Grant: “My sense is no one’s looking to leave at all. But I do think a bunch of schools are looking to get in.”
Kennard: “What does the future of the Horizon League look like, especially for men’s basketball?”
Grant: “It leaves a void that we’re all licking our chops to fill as the bully on the block in the Horizon League in men’s basketball. “Why not us?”
