Perspectives: Touring the Horizon League

One of my immediate goals when coming to the Horizon League two months ago was to visit each of the 10 institutions.

More than 2,000 miles and three trips later -- not including the very short one to nearby Butler here in the HL headquarters city of Indianapolis -- I can sum up in one word what I learned.

Commitment.

Commitment to building new facilities or improving existing ones.

Commitment to hiring the best coaches and athletic support personnel possible.

Commitment to achieving the most, even if it sometimes means doing that with less.

Commitment to the enterprise of providing the best possible athletic and educational experiences for the student-athletes.

Driving southward toward Indianapolis along Interstate 65 at the conclusion to my third and last trip -- which concluded with visits to Loyola and UIC -- I couldn’t help feel anything less than overwhelmingly positive about the pride, vision and, yes, commitment, that exists within the League.

I also discovered, of course, what I already knew … the Horizon League’s amazingly eclectic mix of universities, from the small, private institutions to the large public variety. Yet, despite all the differences, here they are, competing against one another on more or less equal terms.

It was an enlightening, illuminating and inspiring journey. After each stop, I would call Commissioner Jon LeCrone and say something to the effect of, “Wow, I can’t believe how impressed I was with what I saw today.”

Finally, on a personal note,  I want to thank all the sports information directors and their assistants for taking the time from their busy schedules to show me around. It’s clear they have real passion for their universities, their programs and their jobs.