Horizon League facts for kids
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| Formerly | Midwestern City Conference (1979–1985) Midwestern Collegiate Conference (1985–2001) |
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| Association | NCAA |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Commissioner | Julie Roe Lach (since 2021) |
| Sports fielded |
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| Division | Division I |
| Subdivision | non-football |
| No. of teams | 11 (12 in 2026) + 6 affiliate members |
| Headquarters | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Region | |
| Locations | |
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The Horizon League is a group of colleges that compete in sports. It's part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, which is the highest level for college sports in the United States. The league's main office is in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Horizon League has eleven member schools. These schools are mostly located around the Great Lakes region and in parts of the Southern United States.
The Horizon League started in 1979. It was first called the Midwestern City Conference. Later, in 1985, its name changed to Midwestern Collegiate Conference. Finally, in 2001, it became the Horizon League. The league began with six teams. Over the years, 24 different schools have been members. The league currently supports 19 different sports. It does not include football teams.
Contents
History of the League
How the League Started (1978-1979)
In May 1978, several universities met to talk about starting a new sports league. These included DePaul University, Bradley, Dayton, Detroit, Illinois State, Loyola–Chicago, Air Force, and Xavier. They all agreed that a new conference was a good idea.
More meetings happened in early 1979. Other schools like Butler, Creighton, Marquette, and Oral Roberts joined the discussions. On June 16, 1979, the Midwestern City Conference was officially formed. The first six members were Butler, Evansville, Loyola, Oklahoma City, Oral Roberts, and Xavier. Detroit joined the next year. Today, Detroit Mercy is the only original member still in the league.
Growing Up (1980-1992)
In 1980, the league set up its main office in Champaign, Illinois. The league became more important in 1981. It gained a special spot in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This meant its champion would automatically get to play in the big tournament. Saint Louis University joined the league that same year.
In 1982, Notre Dame joined for all sports except basketball and football. The league also started sponsoring women's sports in 1985. This caused Notre Dame to leave for a short time. The league's name changed slightly to Midwestern Collegiate Conference that year. ESPN even started showing the league's championship game in 1986.
More schools joined or left over these years. Dayton and Notre Dame rejoined in 1987. The league continued to grow, earning automatic spots in other NCAA tournaments like men's soccer and women's basketball.
Modern Times (1990-Present)
In 1993, a big change happened. Six new schools joined the Midwestern Collegiate Conference. These were Cleveland State, UIC, Northern Illinois, Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Wright State. This made the league have 12 members.
Over the next few years, some schools left, including Xavier and Notre Dame. On June 4, 2001, the conference changed its name to the Horizon League. This new name helped avoid confusion with another league. Youngstown State University joined that year, and Valparaiso University joined in 2007.
More changes happened in the 2010s. Loyola left in 2013, and Butler also departed. Oakland University quickly joined to replace Loyola. In 2015, Northern Kentucky University became a member.
In 2017, Valparaiso left, and IUPUI joined. IUPUI's sports program later became IU Indy in 2024, but it stayed in the Horizon League.
The 2020s brought more new members. Purdue Fort Wayne and Robert Morris joined in 2020. This made the league have 12 full-time members again for a short time. However, UIC left in 2022.
The Horizon League also started working with the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 2022. They combined their men's tennis leagues. This brought new "associate members" to the Horizon League for men's tennis, like Belmont and Chicago State.
In 2025, it was announced that Northern Illinois University would rejoin the Horizon League in 2026. This will bring the league back to 12 full members. The league also updated its logo in 2023, making a new gold "H" symbol its main logo.
Today, many of the Horizon League's full members used to be part of the Mid-Continent Conference (now called the Summit League).
Member Schools
Current Full Members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Endowment (millions) |
Nickname | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland State University | Cleveland, Ohio | 1964 | 1994 | Public | 16,418 | $89.8 | Vikings | |
| University of Detroit Mercy | Detroit, Michigan | 1877 | 1980 | Private (Jesuit) |
5,700 | $94.0 | Titans | |
| University of Wisconsin–Green Bay | Green Bay, Wisconsin | 1965 | 1994 | Public | 11,188 | $130.0 | Phoenix | |
| Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indy) |
Indianapolis, Indiana | 1969 | 2017 | Public | 20,568 | $1,150 | Jaguars | |
| University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 1956 | 1994 | Public | 33,502 | $262.0 | Panthers | |
| Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights, Kentucky | 1968 | 2015 | Public | 15,405 | $119.2 | Norse | |
| Oakland University | Rochester, Michigan | 1957 | 2013 | Public | 20,519 | $102.1 | Golden Grizzlies | |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne | Fort Wayne, Indiana | 1964 | 2020 | Public | 10,208 | $79.5 | Mastodons | |
| Robert Morris University | Moon Township, Pennsylvania | 1921 | 2020 | Private (Nonsectarian) |
4,895 | $38.2 | Colonials | |
| Wright State University | Fairborn, Ohio | 1964 | 1994 | Public | 17,074 | $95.5 | Raiders | |
| Youngstown State University | Youngstown, Ohio | 1908 | 2001 | Public | 15,058 | $321.5 | Penguins |
Future Members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joining | Type | Enrollment | Endowment | Nickname | Colors | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Illinois University | DeKalb, Illinois | 1895 | 2026 | Public | 16,769 | $99 | Huskies | Mid-American (MAC) |
Associate Members
These schools are members for specific sports, not all sports.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Horizon sport(s) |
Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1890 | 2022 | Private (Christian) |
8,700 | Bruins | Men's tennis | MVC |
| University of Southern Indiana | Evansville, Indiana | 1965 | 2022 | Public | 9,758 | Screaming Eagles | Men's tennis | OVC |
| Tennessee State University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1912 | 2022 | Public (HBCU) |
8,775 | Tigers | Men's tennis | OVC |
| Tennessee Technological University | Cookeville, Tennessee | 1915 | 2022 | Public | 10,492 | Golden Eagles | Men's tennis | OVC |
Former Full Members
These schools used to be full members of the Horizon League.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Nickname | Left for | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler University | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1855 | 1979 | 2012 | Private | Bulldogs | Atlantic 10 | Big East |
| University of Dayton | Dayton, Ohio | 1850 | 1987 | 1993 | Private | Flyers | Great Midwest | Atlantic 10 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 1878 | 1992 | 1993 | Private | Dukes | Atlantic 10 | |
| University of Evansville | Evansville, Indiana | 1854 | 1979 | 1994 | Private | Purple Aces | Missouri Valley | |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 1946 | 1994 | 2022 | Public | Flames | Missouri Valley | |
| La Salle University | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1863 | 1992 | 1995 | Private | Explorers | Atlantic 10 | |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 1870 | 1979 | 2013 | Private | Ramblers | Missouri Valley | Atlantic 10 |
| Marquette University | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | 1881 | 1988 | 1991 | Private | Warriors | Great Midwest | Big East |
| Northern Illinois University | DeKalb, Illinois | 1895 | 1994 | 1997 | Public | Huskies | Mid-American | |
| University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, Indiana | 1842 | 1982 | 1986 | Private | Fighting Irish | Big East | ACC |
| 1987 | 1995 | |||||||
| Oklahoma City University | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 1904 | 1979 | 1985 | Private | Chiefs | Sooner | |
| Oral Roberts University | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 1963 | 1979 | 1987 | Private | Titans | Independent | Summit |
| Saint Louis University | St. Louis, Missouri | 1818 | 1981 | 1991 | Private | Billikens | Great Midwest | Atlantic 10 |
| Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Indiana | 1859 | 2007 | 2017 | Private | Crusaders | Missouri Valley | |
| Xavier University | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1831 | 1979 | 1995 | Private | Musketeers | Atlantic 10 | Big East |
Membership Timeline
Full members Affiliate members Other Conference Other Conference
- Notes
- During the 1985–86 school year, Oklahoma City competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as an Independent.
- During the 1981–82 school year, UIC competed in the Division I ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an Independent.
Sports in the Horizon League
The Horizon League holds championships in 19 different sports. There are 9 sports for men's teams and 10 for women's teams.
For the 2020–21 school year, Detroit Mercy, Wright State, and Green Bay stopped offering men's and women's tennis. Youngstown State, however, brought back men's swimming and diving.
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 6 | – |
| Basketball | 12 | 12 |
| Cross country | 11 | 12 |
| Golf | 10 | 9 |
| Soccer | 11 | 12 |
| Softball | – | 10 |
| Swimming and diving | 7 | 7 |
| Tennis | 11 | 7 |
| Track and field (indoor) | 8 | 11 |
| Track and field (outdoor) | 8 | 11 |
| Volleyball | – | 11 |
Men's Sports by School
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Golf | Soccer | Swimming & Diving | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) |
Track & Field (Outdoor) |
Total Horizon Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland State | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | 5 |
| Detroit Mercy | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | 6 |
| Green Bay | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | 5 |
| IU Indy | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Milwaukee | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| Northern Kentucky | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Oakland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Purdue Fort Wayne | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | 6 |
| Robert Morris | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | 4 |
| Wright State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| Youngstown State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Associate members | ||||||||||
| Belmont | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
| Southern Indiana | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
| Tennessee State | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
| Tennessee Tech | Yes | 1 | ||||||||
| Totals | 5 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 77 |
| Future Members | ||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | 5 |
Men's sports not sponsored by the Horizon League: Some Horizon League schools play other sports that the league doesn't officially sponsor.
| School | Fencing | Football | Ice hockey | Lacrosse | Skiing | Volleyball | Wrestling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland State | Independent | No | No | NEC | No | No | No |
| Detroit Mercy | Independent | No | No | NEC | No | No | No |
| Green Bay | No | No | No | No | CCSA | No | No |
| Northern Illinois | No | Mountain West | No | No | No | No | MAC |
| Northern Kentucky | No | No | No | No | No | MIVA | No |
| Purdue Fort Wayne | No | No | No | No | No | MIVA | No |
| Robert Morris | No | NEC | AHA | NEC | No | No | No |
| Youngstown State | No | MVFC | No | No | No | No | No |
Women's Sports by School
| School | Basketball | Cross Country | Golf | Soccer | Softball | Swimming & Diving | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) |
Track & Field (Outdoor) |
Volleyball | Total Horizon Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland State | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Detroit Mercy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | 7 |
| Green Bay | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | 7 |
| IU Indy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Milwaukee | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Northern Kentucky | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Oakland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Purdue Fort Wayne | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Robert Morris | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| Wright State | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6 |
| Youngstown State | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Totals | 11 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 80 |
| Future Members | |||||||||||
| Northern Illinois | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
Women's sports not sponsored by the Horizon League: Some Horizon League schools play other sports that the league doesn't officially sponsor.
| School | Bowling | Fencing | Gymnastics | Ice hockey | Lacrosse | Rowing | Skiing | Stunt | Triathlon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland State | No | Independent | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Detroit Mercy | No | Independent | No | No | MAC | No | No | No | No |
| Green Bay | No | No | No | No | No | No | CCSA | No | No |
| Northern Illinois | No | No | MAC | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Northern Kentucky | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Independent | Independent |
| Robert Morris | No | No | No | AHA | MAC | MAAC | No | No | No |
| Wright State | CUSA | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Youngstown State | CUSA | No | No | No | MAC | No | No | No | No |
Broadcasting Games
In 2006, the Horizon League started its own online network called the Horizon League Network (HLN). It showed over 200 live sports events for free on its website.
The HLN website was updated in 2009. In 2014, the Horizon League Network moved to ESPN3. By 2015–16, over 700 events were streamed live. In 2018, Horizon League games became part of ESPN+, along with games from other college sports leagues.
The league extended its deal with ESPN in 2021. Now, over 500 events are shown on ESPN+ each year. Some men's basketball games are also shown on ESPN2 and ESPNU. The men's and women's basketball championships are shown on ESPN and ESPNU.
Basketball games not shown on national TV are often broadcast by local sports channels. These include WMYD Detroit, Marquee Sports Network, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports Wisconsin, and SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Men's Basketball Highlights
Tournament Champions
The Horizon League holds a tournament each year to decide its men's basketball champion.
League Success in Tournaments
From 1995 to 2011, the Horizon League had a great record in the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Its teams made it to the "Sweet 16" (the final 16 teams) five times. This was a big achievement for a league that isn't one of the very biggest.
Four schools from the league have reached the Sweet 16: Loyola (1985), Xavier (1990), Milwaukee (2005), and Butler (2003, 2007, 2010, and 2011). Butler even played in the national championship game in both 2010 and 2011. This was the farthest any Horizon League team has gone in the tournament.
The Horizon League has a strong winning record in the NCAA tournament compared to other leagues.
2002–03 Season
In the 2003 NCAA tournament, the Horizon League sent two teams for the first time since 1998. Milwaukee lost a close game in the first round. Butler, however, made it to the Sweet 16. They beat two higher-ranked teams before losing to Oklahoma. Butler finished the season ranked 21st in the national polls.
2004–05 Season
In the 2005 NCAA tournament, Milwaukee had an amazing run. They reached the Sweet 16 by beating Alabama and Boston College. They then lost to Illinois, who ended up being the tournament runner-up.
2005–06 Season
Milwaukee continued its success in the 2006 NCAA tournament. They upset Oklahoma in the first round. They then lost to Florida, who went on to win the national championship. This was the second year in a row a Horizon League team advanced past the first round.
2006–07 Season
In the 2006–07 season, Butler won the Preseason NIT tournament. They beat strong teams like Notre Dame and Indiana. Butler also became the first Horizon League school to be ranked in the Top 10 nationally. They reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament before losing to Florida, the eventual national champion. Wright State also made it to the NCAA tournament that year.
2007–08 Season
Butler continued to play well in the 2007–08 season. They won the Great Alaska Shootout tournament. They also beat other big schools like Ohio State. Butler made it to the second round of the 2008 NCAA tournament. They finished the season ranked 11th in the national polls.
2008–09 Season
In 2009, Cleveland State won the league tournament and went to the NCAA tournament. Butler also received a special invitation to the tournament. Cleveland State caused a big surprise by beating Wake Forest in the first round. This was one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history.
2009–10 Season
The 2009–10 season was historic for Butler. They made it all the way to the Final Four. They beat top teams like Syracuse and Kansas State. In the national semifinals, they beat Michigan State. Butler then played Duke for the NCAA National Championship in Indianapolis, their hometown. It was a very close game, but Butler lost 61–59. This was the farthest any Horizon League team has ever gone.
2010–11 Season
Butler had another amazing season in 2010–11. They returned to the Final Four as an 8 seed. They upset top-ranked Pittsburgh and then beat Florida to reach the national championship game for the second year in a row. They faced Connecticut in the final game but lost 53–41. Butler was the national runner-up for two straight seasons.
2011–12 Season
In 2012, the Detroit Titans won their first Horizon League Championship since 1999. They beat Valparaiso in the final game.
2012–13 Season
Valparaiso won the regular season championship in 2013. They also won the Horizon League Championship tournament. This was the first season without Butler, who had left the league.
2013–14 Season
Green Bay won the regular season championship in 2014. However, Milwaukee upset them in the tournament semifinals and went on to win the tournament.
2014–15 Season
The Milwaukee Panthers were not allowed to play in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Valparaiso won both the regular season and postseason championships. They went to the NCAA tournament but lost in the first round.
2015–16 Season
Northern Kentucky joined the league in the 2015 season. Valparaiso won the regular season championship again. But Green Bay defeated them in the tournament championship game.
2023–24 Season
The Oakland University Golden Grizzlies won the conference tournament in 2024. Even though they were not at the top of the regular season standings, they went on to beat Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Other Sports Highlights
The Milwaukee baseball team made news in 1999 by upsetting top-ranked Rice in the NCAA Tournament. In the 2004–05 school year, Milwaukee's men's soccer team beat San Francisco. Detroit's women's soccer team also upset Michigan in their NCAA tournaments.
That same year, Butler's men's cross country team finished fourth in the nation. Also, Victoria Mitchell from Butler became the first Horizon League athlete to win a national title in an individual event. She won the 3,000 Meter Steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Green Bay also upset Oregon State in the NCAA softball tournament.
Even though the Horizon League doesn't have football, some of its members do. Robert Morris and Youngstown State play football in Division I FCS. Youngstown State plays in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Robert Morris joined the Big South Conference for football.
School Facilities
This table shows the main sports facilities for each school in the Horizon League.
| School | Soccer stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity | Baseball field | Capacity | Softball field | Capacity |
| Cleveland State | Krenzler Field | 1,680 | Wolstein Center | 13,610 | Non-baseball school | Viking Field | 500 | |
| Detroit Mercy | Titan Soccer Field | 500 | Calihan Hall | 8,295 | Buysse Ballpark | 500 | ||
| Green Bay | Aldo Santaga Stadium | 3,500 | Resch Center (men) Kress Events Center (women) |
9,729 4,018 |
Phoenix Softball Field | 500 | ||
| IU Indy | Carroll Stadium | 12,111 | The Jungle Corteva Coliseum (men's alternate) |
1,215 6,800 |
IU Indy Softball Complex | 500 | ||
| Milwaukee | Engelmann Stadium | 2,200 | UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena (men) Klotsche Center (women) |
10,783 3,500 |
Franklin Field | 4,000 | Non-softball school | |
| Northern Illinois | NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex | 1,500 | Convocation Center | 10,000 | Ralph McKinzie Field | 1,500 | Mary M. Bell Field | 600 |
| Northern Kentucky | NKU Soccer Stadium | 1,000 | Truist Arena | 8,427 | Bill Aker Baseball Complex | 500 | Frank Ignatius Grein Softball Field | 500 |
| Oakland | Oakland University Soccer Field | 1,000 | OU Credit Union O'rena | 4,005 | Oakland University Baseball Field | 500 | OU Softball Field | 250 |
| Purdue Fort Wayne | Hefner Soccer Complex | 2,000 | Hilliard Gates Sports Center Allen County War Memorial Coliseum (special events) |
1,800 13,000 |
Non-baseball school | Non-softball school | ||
| Robert Morris | North Athletic Complex | N/A | UPMC Events Center | 4,000 | North Athletic Complex | N/A | ||
| Wright State | Alumni Field | 1,000 | Nutter Center | 10,449 | Nischwitz Stadium | 750 | WSU Softball Field | N/A |
| Youngstown State | Farmers National Bank Field | 500 | Beeghly Center Covelli Centre (special events) |
4,641 5,900 |
Eastwood Field | 6,300 | YSU Softball Complex | 500 |
See also
In Spanish: Horizon League para niños
- List of Horizon League champions
