The Crusaders will begin Horizon League competition in 17 intercollegiate sports beginning with the 2007-08 academic year, vying for a league title in all sports but men's and women's golf.

Valparaiso will make the move from the Mid-Continent Conference based partly on the geographic benefits of entering the Horizon League.

"Institutions in the Horizon League are much more geographically centralized than the institutions within the Mid-Continent Conference," said university president Dr. Alan F. Harre. "The transition to the Horizon League means less time will be needed by our student-athletes as they travel to and from competition, and it means they will miss fewer classes. Shorter travel also means less fatigue and increased concentration in the classroom."

More than anything, the men's basketball program will benefit from the move, joining NCAA stalwarts Butler and Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the highly- competitive conference.

With the departures of Chicago St. and now Valparaiso, the Mid-Continent is now down to 7 teams. With formal requests for institutional profiles issued to NSDU, SDSU and IPFW, the Mid-Continent could be preparing for a 3 team expansion to a total of 10 teams.