Remember the Horizon League?

Yes, the conference that poached IUPUI from the Summit League on three days notice this past summer. The last-minute change on June 23rd hurt their fellow Summit League peers by damaging soccer, basketball, volleyball, and basketball programs that had already cemented their schedules for 2017-2018. It is typical that universities provide proper notice, of usually 1 year, before departing their conferences or pay a penalty – in this case $1 million.

Now, the Horizon League has sued both Valparaiso and their new conference – the Missouri Valley. As you may recall, Valparaiso exited the Horizon league in early May this past summer.

And the Horizon’s argument?

According to a recent article, “The reasoning, as spelled out in the suit, states that Valparaiso’s exit caused the Horizon League to ‘adjust their schedules for a nine-team rotation and deal with substantial costly disruptions, including the potential loss of at least one valuable home basketball game at each institution.’”

It’s called chutzpah – and the hypocrisy is just way too good to miss.

A lawyer representing the Missouri Valley Conference, Mitchell Margo said, “The Missouri Valley Conference is party (to the lawsuit) because our invitation to Valparaiso was somehow different than the Horizon League’s invitation to IUPUI,” Margo said sarcastically. “I guess they are better inviters than we are.”

Even the sleepy commissioner of the Summit League, Tom Douple, chimed in on the situation. “The Horizon League modus operandi is purging schools from our league,” he said. “They would not be in existence without raiding our membership. This lawsuit against the Missouri Valley Conference is mind-boggling at best.”

“It’s ironic that (the Horizon League) lawsuit is June 27, yet four days prior was the date that they invited IUPUI in nearly the same geographic location as Valparaiso,” Douple said. “With one hand, the Horizon League is penning a lawsuit with tortious interference (against the Valley) and on the other hand they are composing an invitation to one of our schools. Their actions appear to be contradictory and hypocritical.”

The Horizon League is seeking a $500,000 exit penalty from the Crusaders, based on an expired exit clause that required a 1-year notice period. Valpo continues to assert their rights and refuses to send the Horizon League a check.

Ha, Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.

Its called Karma kickback.