Title's prediction

[wh]

Anyone who visits the other HL fan boards knows that Title has been predicting that sooner or later Butler will be departing the HL for the Big East.  Just this morning he said this on the Milw board:

With it looking like the Big 12 looking like they are going to solve their dispute by going to 11 and adding WVU and Louisville this week and ND telling the Big 12 they'll let them know by January if they are moving too, this is all about run to it's completion.

There'll be many finding new homes, Butler will just be the first

Notice that this time he said "new home" - but did not specifically say in the Big East.  I (and others) have been saying that there is no way that Butler is Big East material as a trade-out for a Syracuse or Pitt.  That said, if the Big East completely implodes and becomes only a shadow of its former self - loses its BCS status, looks more like Atl 10, etc. - I could see Butler possibly being part of something like that - a reformed, watered down basketball conference that would be more highly regarded than the HL but significantly below the Big East profile of a year ago.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[valpopal]

Obviously, the blogosphere has been speculating for a long time about Butler possibly leaving the Horizon League. Over at Panther U. one scenario has been the subject of a poll for Butler fans, where a new conference or non-football Big East hybrid becomes a league with possible candidate schools like Marquette, Georgetown, Villanova, St. John's, Seton Hall, DePaul, Providence,  Xavier, Dayton, St. Joseph's, Saint Louis, Richmond, UMass, Temple, George Mason, Old Dominion, etc.

I have also heard rumors that the Horizon League is looking at options should Butler leave. Among the schools that might be invited to join the Horizon would be Oakland, DePaul, IUPUI, IPFW, St. Louis, etc. I would like to see Oakland invited due to the rivalry with Valpo, whether Butler leaves or not, though Detroit possibly has a veto over their entry at this time. DePaul would also be a nice addition even if Butler stays, but I don't know if I see it happening. IUPUI could only be invited if Butler leaves.

All this could change if we see other notable teams that might be ideal in the Horizon League left out during conference realignments. In the end, it is all speculation, but that is one of the fun activities for fan boards, isn't it?

[valpotx]

The Big East will have to implode as you said, in order for Butler to be admitted over the other schools being considered: SMU, Houston, UCF, East Carloina, Navy, Air Force, Memphis, Temple, etc.  Football drives the big bucks, and the Big East wants to maintain that presence.  They aren't losing basketball-only schools, they are losing all sports schools. 

If the Horizon does need to add a member or two, I also would prefer Oakland.  IPFW and IUPUI would just be more YSUs.

[crusaderjoe]

Anyone who visits the other HL fan boards knows that Title has been predicting that sooner or later Butler will be departing the HL for the Big East.  Just this morning he said this on the Milw board:

With it looking like the Big 12 looking like they are going to solve their dispute by going to 11 and adding WVU and Louisville this week and ND telling the Big 12 they'll let them know by January if they are moving too, this is all about run to it's completion.

There'll be many finding new homes, Butler will just be the first

Notice that this time he said "new home" - but did not specifically say in the Big East.  I (and others) have been saying that there is no way that Butler is Big East material as a trade-out for a Syracuse or Pitt.  That said, if the Big East completely implodes and becomes only a shadow of its former self - loses its BCS status, looks more like Atl 10, etc. - I could see Butler possibly being part of something like that - a reformed, watered down basketball conference that would be more highly regarded than the HL but significantly below the Big East profile of a year ago.  It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

This is why David Wood's blog report (the one you linked in the other realignment thread) was completely irrelevant as it related to Butler.  The big danger in losing Butler was not that it would move to the Big East, but that it would join a conference made up of private former Big East basketball schools once the conference fragmented itself because of the death of Big East football.  ESPN has reported that the Big 12 has extended an invite to WVU.  With this move, Big East football is about as near death as it can be IMO.  The writing is on the wall.  Hello HL and A-10 ripple effect, IMO.

[valpotx]

There will be a ripple effect, but it won't be because the Big East does away with football.  They are inviting 4-6 football playing schools, and I am sure of at least 3-4 accepting: SMU, Houston, UCF, and probably Air Force.  If the service academies do not accept, I bet East Carolina is invited keeping football at 10, I believe.  This would be the ripple effect, in that these other conferences would want to replace their losses, but since they are coming from conference that also need football, they probably won't be seeking out non-FBS teams.  Maybe CUSA or A-10 would invite Butler, but not the Big East.