It came as little surprise when yesterday the Atlantic 10 Conference formally accepted Butler University as a full member, starting July 1, 2013. With the addition of BU, there should no longer be a discussion over whether the A-10 is the premiere mid-major men’s basketball conference in America or whether Saint Louis University belongs in the Missouri Valley Conference.

First, let me give you Butler’s biography: A private university in Indianapolis, Ind., the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, arts and sciences, pharmacy and health sciences, and fine arts. The Bulldogs compete in 19 NCAA sanctioned sports, making appearances in NCAA National Championship Tournaments in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s soccer, volleyball, men’s cross country, lacrosse, and baseball.

Sound familiar?

There’s a reason why Butler belongs in a league like the A-10: outstanding academics, a dedication to integrity in collegiate sport and a diverse range of competitive athletic programs. It helps that the Bulldogs are in a major Midwestern metropolis (like SLU), further enhancing the A-10’s reach off the Eastern Seaboard. Listen, if someone tells you Butler is crazy to leave the Horizon League and move to the A-10, ask them if they think that 2012 is the Cubs’ year to finally win the Series.

Beyond the money and the exposure, though, Butler has taken the pedigree of A-10 sports – namely men’s basketball – to a whole new level.

According to the league, for the fifth year in a row, the A-10 Conference earned at least three bids and multiple at-large bids into the NCAA Tournament. Over the last six years, the A-10 has had 12 at-large selections – the seventh most among all other Division I conferences.

The Bulldogs only add to that. Butler, an NCAA Final Four participant in two of the last three years, will be the seventh A-10 program with at least one appearance in the Final Four. And, oh yeah, both appearances led to the National Championship, where took Duke to the buzzer and nearly upset the Connecticut Huskies in 2011. Talk about competitive.

SLU has been trying to schedule Butler for years and even lost a top recruit to Bulldogs head coach Brad Stevens late last year. Also, 2012 SLU signee Jared Drew is one of the most touted recruits coming out of super-star heavy Indiana. Adding Butler to the league opens up recruiting roads more than any other avenue could provide. The Bulldogs also raise the RPI level of SLU almost immediately, and the trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse is just a few hours to the east.

And that’s just basketball.

Finally, here’s my chance to rant and slap backs.

I don’t want to hear another SLU student say the following: “Why is SLU still in the A-10? We belong in the Valley.” Father Biondi, if you read this, can we insert a clause for instant dismal of any guilty individuals? Thanks.

I understand that adding Butler doesn’t greatly change the dynamic of the league. But, and it’s an important but, it brings the A-10 closer to being the most realistic, successful league for SLU. And that’s where we give thanks to league officials for being pro-active and aggressive. I have not always agreed with McGlade’s decisions, but she has hit a homerun with the addition of the Bulldogs. Following the loss of Temple, the A-10 had to be bold, and boy did it make a splash.

So Billikens, rejoice! Get the puppy treats ready. In two years, we’ll give the Bulldogs a Gateway City welcome.