Two thoughts entered my mind when I was first approached with the concept of the Horizon League Network Game of the Week.
1. This will be a lot of fun for me, and a great opportunity to get out to more Horizon League men's basketball games throughout the season.
2. How far the League has progressed, to be in a position where television stations around the Midwest are all but drooling to get Horizon League men's basketball games on their air...regardless of the teams involved.
It was about 15 years ago (give or take a couple) when the Horizon League...then, the Midwestern Collegiate Conference...underwent a shift in its member schools. After several had jumped ship, the League added Cleveland State, Green Bay, Milwaukee, UIC, and Wright State (and Northern Illinois, who left soon after). Youngstown State was added in 2001, and Valparaiso joined in 2007. Believe it or not, each of these schools left the Summit League...then, the Mid-Continent Conference...to forge a new path for their athletic programs. Success in men's basketball was a priority, and remains so today.
Some of the new members took a little while to get their feet underneath them, while others hit the ground running. Green Bay was an NCAA Tournament team in its first two years under its new league affiliation. UIC made its way to the Big Dance just four years after joining the League, while long-standing members Butler and Detroit also helped raise the Horizon League's profile.
Entering the mid-2000s, Butler had maintained their success, while UIC had fallen, and risen once again. Further north, a new, fiery coach brought Milwaukee to power within the Horizon League. And as we sit here now, just weeks from closing out this decade, we've seen Wright State and Cleveland State both make forays into the field of 65, while Butler has sustained its success for so long that they're part of college basketball's national conversation.
Horizon League teams aren't just getting to the NCAA Tournament, they're winning. In the past seven years, the Horizon League can claim nine tournament wins, and 12 overall since the major expansion of 1994-95. 15 years in the world of college athletics is hardly a long time.
So, the HL clearly has the on-court success and competitiveness part down. But, there's something else that has allowed the Horizon League to be in a position to bring a larger collection of men's basketball games to the fans via television. The answer is the site you're on right now, the Horizon League Network. And HLN, in its current form, is partly a result of that on-court success in the NCAA Tournament.
At one point it was nothing more than a "little engine that could." But now, it's widely regarded as one of the top destinations to watch college athletics online. For what it admittedly lacks when compared to a full-scale television production, I encourage anyone reading this to comb through other blogs and message boards associated with other mid-major conferences. Or, for that matter, watch a webcast involving teams from other leagues. No matter what you may think of the Horizon League Network, and what is offered on this site, a little looking around at what others have (or don't have) may change your thoughts on what HLN actually provides.
Regardless, the increased exposure that HLN provides has helped place the League's 10 member schools into the consciousness of more fans in each of the League's markets. Many Horizon League schools, being in big cities, compete for attention with other D-I programs, or professional teams that swallow up headlines and TV time. Obviously, the decision-makers at each of the new television partners recognize this, and see the product as valuable...something they want to put on their station on a Saturday afternoon.
Think about this for a moment...SportsTime Ohio wants to show a game featuring Milwaukee and Green Bay, an affiliate in Indianapolis wants to show a game between Loyola and Wright State, and Comcast SportsNet Chicago will air a game between Detroit and Valparaiso. Now, would something like this be happening if there wasn't success on the basketball court, combined with the Horizon League giving life to, and investing in, a platform like HLN? No way.
Oh, almost forgot. Six of the eight games in this television package will also be available on ESPN FullCourt, the network's pay-per-view package. So not only will teams be exposed to markets around the Midwest, but the opportunity exists for college basketball fans across the nation (and the world, via HLN and ESPN360.com) to see what we've got.
This league's history is being written now. While many will have the opportunity to watch from their living room, I couldn't be happier to have the opportunity to watch from courtside as it all unfolds. It's going to be quite a ride!
Tags: Horizon League - Men's Basketball
