The Horizon League Does The Right Thing, Reverses Course, And Will Allow UIC Athletes To Compete In Championships This Year

I have been sitting on this blog since February 9th, waiting, hoping, wishing that the Horizon League would grow the fuck up and allow UIC athletes to finish out their careers and that is exactly what happened.

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The conference officially reversed the ban on Flames’ teams and athletes taking part in conference tournaments, immediately restoring them for Winter and Spring sports for the rest of the academic year.

Originally, UIC teams were banned from Horizon League postseason play due to a conference bylaw that states a team must give one year’s notice before leaving in order to keep their teams in the tournaments. The Flames announced in January that they would be leaving for the Missouri Valley Conference starting with the 2022-2023 academic year.

Good on the Horizon League for coming to their senses because their original position was BULLSHIT. UIC made a business decision to move to the Missouri Valley next year. The Horizon League's response...punish the student athletes who had NOTHING to do with the decision. I mean who the fuck did the Horizon League think they were with that line of thinking to begin with? You're the Horizon League and you're acting out against UIC. The Big12 didn't react like this when Oklahoma and Texas left the conference and they're OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS and them leaving for the SEC basically kills the Big12 as we know it. The UIC kids are actually student athletes. They're the ones who are featured in those old enterprise car rental commercials talking about going pro in something else besides sports. UIC wanted a step up, theoretically, and the response was to tell a senior on the diving team that she can't compete? I mean what the fuck are we talking about. 

Thank god cooler heads prevailed because the Horizon League was about to get kicked out of my brain for good. A lifetime ban from Barstool Chicago. Serious shit. 

Anyways, glad reasonable adults took over to ensure that the last time student athletes are allowed to compete in a serious way shouldn't be taken away over petty business decisions. Good on everyone involved and congratulations to the kids.