Butler will join the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports in 2012 instead of 2013.
“The Atlantic 10 is looking forward to welcoming Butler immediately for participation in our league,” Commissioner Bernadette McGlade said in a statement. “We are willing to make all necessary schedule adjustments and modifications to accommodate Butler’s entry into the A-10 on July 1, 2012.
“The unexpected circumstances that precipitated Butler’s request to move immediately were unfortunate, but we will welcome Butler into the A-10 as a valuable new member. The Atlantic 10 has the potential to have the strongest year in league history in 2012-13 with 16 outstanding programs.”
VCU will also join the A-10 this year, giving the league 16 teams.
Buter, which reached the Final Four in 2010 and ’11, had been in the 18-team Horizon League, meaning the Bulldogs still must flesh out their schedule somewhat. They will no longer appear in the Bracket Busters event.
Sources said each A-10 team would play everyone else once and play one team a second time for a total of 16 league games.
The A-10 will play its conference tournament this year at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the first time.
In 2013, the A-10 will lose Temple to the Big East and Charlotte to Conference-USA.
