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Butler definitely made the correct move to the A-10, and now to the C-7/NBE.  They are going to reap $ benefits, more national exposure, etc, for both academic and athletic purposes.

This.

No question there will need to be big adjustments on the athletic side, but a school like Butler can't pass up the opportunity to be aligned with universities like Marquette, Georgetown, Villanova, etc.  The nBE also gets closer to making regional sense, with DePaul in Chicago, Marquette in Milwaukee, Cincy still covered, St. Louis & Dayton possibly joining, etc.

There are a bunch of reasons Butler fans love to bicker, most of which are really stupid considering how successful the program has been, but the conference moves are being made for all the right reasons - not just for the athletic department, but for the entire university.

[Butler Claims Record-Setting Eighth McCafferty Trophy]

I understand their move is all about men's basketball, but nonetheless, I find it interesting that in revenue sports Butler is finishing a really bad year in the Horizon.
Here is where they finished or are currently placed:

Men's basketball   4th
Women's BB         5th
Men's soccer        8th
Women's soccer   6th
Baseball              5th
Softball               5th

In the meantime, in only our 5th year, Valpo does this:

Men's Basketball  1st
Women's BB        8th
Men's Soccer       1st
Women's soccer  3rd
Baseball             2nd
Softball              1st

Butler does have one heck of a Cross Country tradition though!   

Whatever makes you happy, I guess.

Butler Claims Record-Setting Eighth McCafferty Trophy (06/01/2011)

INDIANAPOLIS – On the strength of six Horizon League postseason championships, Butler University has won the James J. McCafferty Trophy as the Horizon League's all-sports champion for the second straight year and the eighth time overall. For the Bulldogs, their eighth title snaps a tie with former League members Notre Dame and Oral Roberts.

The six titles allowed Butler to cruise to the 2010-11 title by an 8.5-point margin over runner-up Milwaukee. The Bulldogs started the year in historic fashion, winning regular season or tournament championships in all five fall sports, building what would prove to be an insurmountable lead.

The Bulldogs added to their points haul by winning the Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship before the women's golf team took home the League title and the softball team advanced to the League championship, building Butler's total of 59 points.

Milwaukee finished runner-up to Butler for the second consecutive season, finishing in the top three of the McCafferty standings for the 12th straight year. The Panthers started the 2010-11 season with the women's soccer title before sweeping both men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and adding the men's swimming title in the winter.

With a strong spring season, Cleveland State jumped to third in the standings; the Vikings collected Horizon League titles in men's tennis and men's golf.

Wright State claimed its lone League championship in the final sport of the year, sweeping through the baseball tournament to narrowly pass Green Bay for fourth place in the final standings. The Phoenix captured crowns in women's basketball and women's swimming.

Picking up titles in women's tennis and softball, UIC climbed to sixth in the final standings. City rival Loyola was immediately behind in seventh, while Youngstown State, Detroit and Valparaiso rounded out the standings, respectively.

Named in honor of James J. McCafferty, who served as the conference's first commissioner from 1979-80, the McCafferty Trophy is awarded annually by the Horizon League to a member institution compiling the greatest number of performance points, based on their finish in the League's 19 championship sports.  For the sports of men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, softball and baseball, points are awarded based on combined regular-season (60 percent) and championship (40 percent) finishes.  For all other sports, points are based on performance in the League championships.

McCafferty Trophy Standings
    School, Points (Titles)
1. Butler, 59 (6)
2. Milwaukee, 50.5 (6)
3. Cleveland State, 39.5 (2)
4. Wright State, 28.5 (1)
5. Green Bay, 28 (2)
6. UIC, 25.5 (2)
7. Loyola, 25 (0)
8. Youngstown State, 17 (0)
9. Detroit, 14 (0)
10. Valparaiso, 13 (0)

Men's Sports Totals
    School, Points (Titles)
1. Butler, 25 (3)
2. Milwaukee, 23 (3)
3. Cleveland State, 22.5 (2)
4. Wright State, 17.5 (1)
5. UIC, 15 (0)
6. Green Bay, 13 (0)
t-7. Loyola, 9 (0)
t-7. Youngstown State, 9 (0)
t-9. Detroit, 5 (0)
t-9. Valparaiso, 5 (0)

Women's Sports Totals
    School, Points (Titles)
1. Butler, 34 (3)
2. Milwaukee, 27.5 (3)
3. Cleveland State, 17 (0)
4. Loyola, 16 (0)
5. Green Bay, 15 (2)
6. Wright State, 11 (0)
7. UIC, 10.5 (1)
8. Detroit,  9 (0)
t-9. Valparaiso, 8 (0)
t-9. Youngstown State, 8 (0)

Sorry, thought Stigall was a senior.  As for Butlcher hardly playing, my comment was to the fact that he started last night and played 14 minutes. Starting generally doesn't equate to "hardly playing".  I also forgot that clarke was a transfer not an incoming freshman.  As for Aldridge, can he play defense like Nored?  I doubt it.  Last night he played 19 minutes and scored 3 points.  Maybe it is his defense that will make him good!  We'll just have to wait and see.

We may enjoy this "down" year, but next year we will be the favorites.  How does second sound??

It sounds like you're optimistic like any fan should be.

As for Butcher, yes...he barely plays.  He's averaging 9.5 minutes this year and only started because Stevens wanted to send a message to Marshall about his effort in the last game.  He has terrible knees and isn't counted upon for any meaningful production.  He does tough things and is a great leader, but his presence on the court won't be missed next year.

With regard to Aldridge; I watch the game with my eyes, not with the box score.  He's not playing with a ton of confidence yet, but he's a significantly better player than Nored is.

As for the Vucic/Fernandez comment...Vucic isn't good and Fernandez hasn't played a single minute of D1 basketball yet.  Maybe Vashil is great, but excuse me if I don't get excited just because he has a big wingspan.  Kameron Woods must be the next Jarvis Varnado with his 7-3 wingspan.

Nor saying you won't be "scary good", as any Brad Stevens coached team has the potential.  I just think that your current guys will need to step it up to reach the scary good level as relying on freshman very seldom works.  You lose three starters (from the starters last night) if I'm not mistaken, although you have a pretty deep rotation.

You are mistaken; Nored and Butcher are the only seniors on the team.  Butcher hardly plays and Aldridge is significantly more talented than Nored is, he just needs to get some confidence.  Rotnei Clarke (5th year transfer) will be a first-teamer; he was second team all-SEC last year.  This team won't be relying on freshmen really at all next year.  Dunham will have his chance because of how well he shoots the basketball and Morgan may get some run in some spot defensive situations, but that will probably be about it.

The only questionable spot next year will be center, but Smith is still better than most 5's in the Horizon.  Enjoy the "down" year while you can.

[Sophomores Khyle Marshall and Chrishawn Hopkins, who played key roles in last season's postseason run, should fill two of those spots.]

From the article:

Butler must replace three starters - Matt Howard, Shelvin Mack and Shawn Vanzant - from a squad that reached college basketball's biggest stage, the national championship game, the last two seasons. Sophomores Khyle Marshall and Chrishawn Hopkins, who played key roles in last season's postseason run, should fill two of those spots.

Hopkins was never in Butler's rotation last year.  He played in 4 of their last 20 games for a total of 15 minutes.  He played in 2 of their 6 tournament games, logging 4 minutes in each.  He was scoreless in one and hit one 3-pt. basket in the other.  He may well be a starter this year (who knows), but the writer is wrong to predict it based on last year's accomplishments.

Based on last year's accomplishments - in games - you'd be right.  Stevens, though, said Hopkins was just as far along as Marshall in terms of his grasp of the system and consistency in practice, but that he was simply buried behind more experienced options in the backcourt.  With three guards graduating he's going to be asked to fill a big chunk of their production.

Should be an intesting year with good and bad spots.  If you include the two new walk-ons and the transfer, the roster has seven new faces that need to get up to speed in practice.  The good news for Butler is that just about everyone in the league will be working to put new pieces in place.  Detroit's the exception, really.  Cleveland State lost the best player in the league.  Milwaukee lost its two best players and leading scorers.  Valpo lost two of its best players.  Green Bay lost their starting backcourt.  Wright State lost...everyone.

Just a couple things.

To the Butler fan clinging to the basketball-only league - WKU is not basketball-only, they play football in the Sun Belt.  Tell Marquette and other basketball Big East schools that they should let the football schools go and team up with you.

If the Big East split takes place it will be on the basis of growing the Big East football brand; those basketball-only schools won't have a say in the matter.  That's the theory, anyway.  TCU makes 17 schools, but with only 9 for football.  If they want to get to 12 so they can have their title game, that makes 20.  Does that model work?  If Kansas and K-State ditch the fading Big 12 for the Big East, does that do enough to ditch the basketball-only schools and keep a strong enough basketball brand?

Butler fans at that point would just be hoping and praying that some generous new league official would think "Hey, adding Butler to our league could make some sense."  Regardless of whether it's even remotely realistic or not, I still hate the idea.  It involves way too much time taking and "wait and see" approach instead of being proactive and finding another solution if that's what is truly desired.

To me, if you compare the MVC vs. the Horizon, the MVC has a pretty significant upper hand.  Historical success, facilities, fan following and marketing potential, that's a league that needs some direction and a shot in the arm in terms of media attention, but it's really not that close.  Their public universities are independent and don't live in the shadows of bigger state schools.  Creighton and Bradley have a tremendous following with their local fans and the facilities to be really, really good programs with the right pitch.

Not that I hate the Horizon - I actually think it's a really competitive league with some good basketball, but it's an absolute marketing dud.