Butler joining A-10 this fall instead of 2013

Butler will now move to the Atlantic 10 this fall instead of waiting until the 2013 season, industry sources told CBSSports.com. Butler announced four weeks ago it was leaving the Horizon League for the A-10 but would not make the move until 2013. However, that changed when Horizon League presidents favored making the Bulldogs ineligible for the Horizon League's championships.

Brad Stevens' Bulldogs are jumping to the A-10 immediately. (US Presswire)

Butler will now move to the Atlantic 10 this fall instead of waiting until the 2013 season, industry sources told CBSSports.com.

Butler announced four weeks ago it was leaving the Horizon League for the A-10 but would not make the move until 2013. However, that changed when Horizon League presidents favored making the Bulldogs ineligible for the Horizon League's championships in 2012-13.

If ineligible for the Horizon League's championship in men's basketball, Butler could only have earned an NCAA tournament berth as an at-large selection and would have been ineligible for the automatic berth given to the conference tournament champion.

The Atlantic 10 confirmed CBSSports.com's report later Tuesday and released a statement from A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade.

"The Atlantic 10 is looking forward to welcoming Butler immediately for participation in our league," McGlade said. "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."

Butler and VCU, which left the Colonial Athletic Association, will join the A-10 this fall. VCU also decided to join the A-10 in 2012 instead of 2013 because it didn't want to experience a lame duck season in 2012 when the Rams would have been ineligible for the CAA conference tournament.

The addition of Butler and VCU helps offset the upcoming losses of Temple, which is joining the Big East as a football member this fall and as an all-sports member in 2013, and Charlotte, which is headed to Conference USA.

The A-10 will now have 16 league members in 2012 and 14 members in 2013 when Temple and Charlotte leave.

Butler and VCU had discussions about joining the A-10, CBSSports.com first reported two months ago. Neither school was expected to join the A-10 until 2013. However, both schools moved that timetable up a year instead of playing a lame duck season in their current leagues and being ineligible in their conference tournament.