UIC Wright State | Photo by ESPN | The Wright State Guardian
The University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) and the Horizon League (HL) have been in a heated battle in recent weeks after the Flames’ administration broke HL Bylaws by announcing its departure from the HL to join the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) without alerting the league in advance.
What followed was inflammatory remarks from both parties, a ban on UIC’s teams competing in the HL championships and a window into how little colleges can care about the student-athletes, coaches and teams that represent them.
In an official statement on Feb. 15, the Horizon League’s Board of Directors voted to restore UIC’s championship eligibility, but made it fully aware how they felt about the situation.
“UIC leaders engaged in an inflammatory and misleading media campaign that attacked the League, including posting contact information of the League’s university presidents and chancellors on official UIC websites,” the statement read.
It’s not the League
At first, it can be easy to assume that this is a league punishing an institution for wanting to leave.
UIC looks like a victim at first glance; its own statement says that UIC’s administration was “surprised and disappointed” by the Horizon League’s decision and says that the Horizon League was “willing to punish our students and inflict further stress on an already stressed student body.”
Because UIC did not give the HL early warning of its departure, bylaw 2.5.3.3. of the HL came into effect, clearly stating that UIC was “ineligible to play in any post-season championship tournament associated with the League.”
This bylaw that is inflicting further stress on UIC’s student body is there because of UIC. In order for the bylaw to be passed back in 2013, UIC’s own chancellor not only voted for the bill (that was unanimous) but presented the bill to the board in the first place.
UIC was fully aware that this bylaw existed, and they were reminded of it as they tried to leave, and yet they decided they would take a gamble anyway to join a new conference.
The Resolution
The HL has now restored UIC’s championship eligibility, but the relationship between itself and UIC is rapidly declining, and will most likely break apart after UIC’s departure.
As the Horizon League said in its final statement on the matter, “UIC rejected any alternative and did nothing to help the student-athletes they claimed to care about.”
For Wright State University (WSU) baseball, UIC is a team they look forward to playing every year. When the news first broke, it was surprising for WSU players and coaches.
“They’ve always been our best competition. The guys are always eager to play that series,” WSU Head Coach, Alex Sogard, said. “I just found out that they’re potentially not eligible for the postseason.”
