National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Jun 11, 2010 3:00:52 PM

The following appeared in the June 11 Indianapolis Star.

By Jon LeCrone

In her guest column published in The Indianapolis Star on June 8, 2010, Penn State-Abington Athletics Director Karen Weaver opines that in light of possible expansion of the so‐called "power conferences" of intercollegiate athletics, the clock is about to strike midnight for schools such as Butler and Valparaiso and conferences such as The Horizon League.

She believes leagues and schools like ours will be left "without a seat" and "without a dream" amidst the race for expansion, dollars, conference‐based television networks and football playoff games.

With all respect, Weaver must have limited knowledge of the Horizon League and its mission.

Indeed, I say to her and all others who might care that our dance card has never been busier, the lights have never been brighter and the future never more exciting in the life of the Horizon League, its members and, most importantly, its student‐athletes.

Why the optimism? Just a couple fundamental reasons: One, the "DNA factor." The Horizon League DNA is made of athletic competition, learning, service, and accountability. We take pride in being able to compete nationally on annual athletics budgets that average $10 million per school (compared to BCS budgets of $40‐$120 million).

We have held our own in the current unbalanced financial/political system and we will continue to hold our own in the next iteration, whatever form it might take.

Second, it's about our core values. The glue that holds our league together is affordable competition and connected institutional/league values that promote learning, service and accountability. We are not having meeting after meeting fretting about our next big TV deal nor are we wringing our hands worrying about a 16‐team Big Ten. Instead, we are working everyday to provide the best possible experience for more than 1,600 student‐athletes. That includes building our own digital media platform, the Horizon League Network, and filling it full of content that underscores our daily commitment to our model of athletics – a model that recognizes competition, learning, service, and accountability.

So, Dr. Weaver, thanks for the concern, but we will be fine. While others race for new members, market share, TV dollars, playoff games, and multi‐million‐dollar coaching contracts, our race is to go as fast as we can to make the Horizon League athletic experience an exceptional added value to the education experience, one that promotes citizenship, responsibility and academic achievement.

That race may not lead us to the Final Four every year, but it can make a positive difference in the lives and futures of our student‐athletes. They are the ones we serve, and they are why we exist.

Jon LeCrone is the commissioner of the Horizon League.