Butler set to join A10 in 2013

The Atlantic 10 conference announced today that Butler will join the conference starting with the 2013-2014 season. 

The announcement comes after speculation regarding Charlotte’s possible move from the conference and Temple’s decision to join the Big East conference.

However, Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said the move did not come from any team’s absence in the conference and that the conference was comfortable with 13 teams and not 14. 

McGlade also added that more membership decisions could be made in the near future, but that she is happy with the current members of the conference. 

Butler will be one of the conference’s western teams alongside St. Louis, Dayton, Xavier and Duquesne. The Bulldogs hail from Indianapolis, where McGlade is excited about more possible media coverage.

McGlade also added that schedules may be adjusted and that the conference is looking into 18 games of conference play during basketball season instead of the 16 teams play now. She added that the decision will be discussed during the A10’s annual spring meeting in late May. 

This is not the first time Duquesne and Butler are in the same conference as the teams were both members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference during the 1992-1993 academic year, which was the only year Duquesne men’s basketball competed against the Bulldogs going 1-1.

The women’s basketball team has yet to win against Butler and recently lost 59-58 to the Bulldogs in 2009 during the first round of the NIT.