Butler moving to A-10 year earlier than expected

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Butler is leaving the Horizon League and joining the Atlantic 10 Conference – a year ahead of schedule.

When Butler first announced its conference change , it said that the move would happen after the 2012-13 season. The timetable for the move changed Tuesday after Butler Athletic Director Barry Collier announced that the school would play A-10 conference games starting next fall.

“We had announced about a month ago that we were leaving for the '13-'14 season, and that led to some discussions about what the coming year would be about and ultimately what our goals were," Collier said. "In the end, we were able to get agreement that we could go immediately to the A-10, so we're very excited about that. We think that it's obviously a move up in the schedule, but an eventuality anyway. It's a good thing all the way around.”

The A-10 will comprise 16 teams in the 2012-13 athletic seasons. Butler will join fellow first-year member VCU, as well as Charlotte, Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, La Salle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph’s, Saint Louis, Temple and Xavier.