The Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference ( MIFC ) was a football-only NCAA Division II conference active for nine seasons in the 1990s. The creation of the MIFC was announced in February 1989. Conference play began in September 1990.
71-615: The conference was formed by a merger of the football-only Heartland Collegiate Conference and the football playing members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), which dropped football as a conference sport after the 1989 season. The membership of the MIFC was somewhat unstable. The league started with 11 teams and finished with 14, but just 8 members played all nine seasons. Seventeen different institutions were members of
142-648: A hardwood plaque and features each team's logo on respective sides of the helmet. A gold plate is added each year to commemorate the winner and score of the contest. Currently, Butler holds a 9–3 series lead when playing for the Hoosier Helmet. Both Butler and Valparaiso compete in the NCAA FCS (formerly division I-AA), non-scholarship Pioneer Football League. The Butler Relays were a prestigious American Track and Field competition, founded by track coach Herman Phillips who won three NCAA quartermile championships and
213-530: A new school record with 14 inner conference wins and a new record with 4 tournament game wins which tied the school record for best league finish in the 2010–2011 season. They have a notable assistant coach in Jenna Grim whom was a professional softball Player for the Chicago Bandits and an assistant with Northwestern University for two years. Her key responsibilities in the program are to work with
284-531: A second team qualified in two seasons. MIFC teams, collectively, had a 5–11 record in the playoffs. MIFC players who went on to the NFL include running backs Eric Lynch (Grand Valley State) and Tom Beer (Saginaw Valley State, Wayne State); linebackers Mark Maddox (Northern Michigan) and Monty Brown (Ferris State); offensive lineman Mike Sheldon (Grand Valley State); and defensive linemen Paul Spicer (Saginaw Valley State) and Lamar King (Saginaw Valley State). King
355-547: A way to fire people up when "Shimmy", a bulldog owned by one of the fraternities, wandered into their office. Shimmy inspired cartoonist George Dickson to draw a bulldog labeled "Butler" taking a bite out of John the Baptist . Butler lost the game, but the nickname "Bulldogs" stuck. Eventually, the bulldog was selected as the official mascot of the university. For many years, Butler had unofficial live bulldog mascots that kept by various fraternities. In 2000, Butler Blue became
426-856: Is supported by higher air pressure inside and is permanently fixed over the courts. Situated next adjacent to Bulldog Park as a part of the Davey Athletic Complex, the Davey Track & Field is used primarily by the Butler track & field teams and the football team for practices but is also utilized by the other athletics programs for conditioning. Butler University broke ground on its new, 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m ) Health and Recreation Complex (HRC) in June 2005. The HRC offers many new services to students, faculty and staff, while expanding others presently available. In addition to being
497-772: Is women's lacrosse, with Butler elevating its former club team to full varsity status for the 2016–17 school year (2017 season). Historically, the Butler basketball program competed in the Missouri Valley Conference from 1932 to 1934, the Mid-American Conference from 1946 to 1950, the Indiana Collegiate Conference from 1950 to 1978, the Horizon League from 1979 to 2012, the Atlantic 10 Conference for
568-473: The Horizon League following the 2011–12 season, nearly all teams competed in the Atlantic 10 Conference . The football team is a founding member of the non-scholarship Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)-level Pioneer League . On March 20, 2013, the Butler administration announced that the school would join the Big East , and moved to the new league July 1, 2013. The most recently added varsity sport
639-793: The Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC). The formation of the MIFC was announced in February 1989, making the league's final season a lame duck campaign for the five remaining teams. The last HCC game was played on November 11, 1989. St. Joseph's defeated Valparaiso, 49-28. The HCC's days would have been numbered in any event, because after the 1992 season, the NCAA no longer allowed Division I members to play football in Division II or III conferences. This compelled Butler and Valparaiso to leave
710-527: The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). In 1983, Butler (9-0-1) lost to UC-Davis , 25-6, and in 1986, Ashland (9-1) lost to North Dakota State , 50-0. In 1988, the first year that the bracket was expanded to 16 teams, Butler (8-1-1) lost to Tennessee-Martin , 23-6. As the most successful programs in the HCC, Butler and Ashland each won or shared five conference championships, but five of
781-652: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and Ashland College (today Ashland University ), which had played in Division III since the recent reorganization of the NCAA. A ninth institution, the University of Dayton , was involved in preliminary discussions in April 1978 but chose not to join the conference. The founding of the HCC was viewed, initially, as merely a rebranding of
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#1732786584086852-500: The Pioneer Football League , in which Butler still competes. Butler capped its decade of dominance, seven league titles in ten years with three playoff berths, by winning another conference championship in 1994. The Dawgs were led by the great Arnold Mickens who broke numerous NCAA Division I rushing records, including eight straight 200 yard performances during the campaign. The Bulldogs, led by Coach Jeff Voris, won
923-572: The "high-major" Big East Conference in 2013, the Butler basketball program had been considered one of the best " mid-major " basketball programs, having won at least 20 games and reached postseason play twelve of the last fourteen seasons, including appearances in nine NCAA tournaments where the Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2003 and 2007 , as well as back-to-back Final Four and championship game appearances in 2010 and 2011 . Since
994-524: The 1992 conference championship, Ferris State won four consecutive titles from 1993–96, three of them in undefeated seasons. Ferris State was the most successful MIFC team overall, winning or sharing five championships. Grand Valley State was second with four titles, followed by Butler (two), Ashland (one), and Hillsdale (one). An MIFC team qualified for the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs every season, and
1065-406: The 1995 season, when St. Joseph's left the league. The final change occurred in 1998 when the University of Findlay , Mercyhurst College , and Westminster College all joined the conference, increasing the membership to 14. Through all of these changes, the MIFC maintained a 10-game conference schedule. The MIFC experienced extremes of parity and single-team domination. After four schools tied for
1136-707: The 2001 BP Top of the World Classic, the 2006 NIT Season Tip-Off , the 2007 Great Alaska Shootout and the 2010 Diamond Head Classic . Individual honors include the selection of Butler junior guard AJ Graves as a Wooden Award National Player of the Year finalist in men's college basketball in 2007, the same year Head Coach Todd Lickliter was named the National Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches after winning
1207-404: The 2009 Pioneer Football League title by compiling a 7–1 league record and an 11–1 season overall. The conference title run included a come-from-behind 25–24 victory over Pioneer League preseason favorite San Diego, a 31–28 road win at Dayton (who also finished with a 7–1 league record), and a 20–17 title-clinching victory over Drake. The Pioneer Football League title earned the Bulldogs a berth in
1278-575: The 2012–13 season, and are now current members of the Big East . Prior to the development of the NCAA tournament , Butler claimed the AAU national championship in 1924 and the national championship John J. McDevitt trophy by the Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia. The Bulldogs reached postseason play for the first time in 1958, and the team's first victory in postseason play came the following year when
1349-442: The 2013 season. The new student hill is now located on the north end of the stadium. The fieldhouse, which was the largest of its kind when it was completed in 1928 and remained the largest in the U.S. for several decades, is a historical landmark. The Butler Fieldhouse, which was renamed Hinkle Fieldhouse in 1966, came to symbolize not only Butler athletics, but also Indiana " Hoosier hysteria ." From its opening in 1928 until 1971,
1420-468: The 2016 Big East Championship. The Butler baseball team has been led since 2017 by Head Coach Dave Schrage . The program's success includes Horizon League regular season championships in 1996, 1998, and 1999, as well as Horizon League tournament titles in 1998 and 2000, providing berths to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championships. The Bulldogs also had 34 win seasons in 2002 and 2003, surpassing
1491-596: The 30 win season totals in 1998 and 2000. Notable alumni of the program include middle reliever pitcher Pat Neshek (2001), who played for the Minnesota Twins from 2006 to 2010, the St. Louis Cardinals where he was selected for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game , and currently the Philadelphia Phillies . The Butler softball team has been led by Scott Hall for the last 5 seasons. In his first season, he set
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#17327865840861562-629: The Bulldogs began competition at the NCAA Division II level and joined the Horizon League and Division I competition for the 1986–87 season. The Bulldogs qualified for Division I post-season play for the first time in 1993, competing in the WNIT, and competed in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament for the first time in 1996. Their last post-season appearance in the 1990s was in the WNIT in 1998. The Bulldogs did not return to
1633-594: The Bulldogs made it to the NIT Quarterfinals . The Bulldogs have competed in the NIT postseason tournament seven times, twice reaching the quarterfinals. The bulldogs qualified for the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament for the first time in 1962 . In total, the Bulldogs have qualified or been selected for the NCAA tournament twelve times and boast a record of 19–12, including three sweet sixteen finishes and two national runner-up finishes. Until moving to
1704-543: The Butler Cross Country Team include Julius Mwangi, Justin Young, Fraser Thompson (a Rhodes Scholar), Mark Tucker, Olly Laws, Andrew Baker, Callum Hawkins, Mara Olson, Katie Clark, Erik Peterson, Olivia Pratt, and Euan Makepeace. Former coach, Joe Franklin, was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year for leading the Bulldogs to their 2004 4th-place finish. It was clear from the earliest days that athletics
1775-519: The GLIAC was announced in June 1999. The GLIAC now treats the MIFC records of 1990-98 as part of its own football history. Second-place teams qualifying for the playoffs: 1991: Grand Valley State lost to Texas A&M Commerce, 36-15 1994: Grand Valley State lost to Indiana (PA), 35-27 Heartland Collegiate Conference The Heartland Collegiate Conference ( HCC ) was an NCAA Division II athletic conference that operated from 1978 to 1990. It
1846-657: The Gridiron Classic. It was Butler's first postseason appearance since 1991 when they were still a Division-II football program. Butler defeated Central Connecticut State 28–23 to win the Gridiron Classic in Indianapolis. In 2012 the Bulldogs were able to rattle of 7 consecutive league victories to secure the share of the PFL Championship. This is the third PFL Championship for the Dawgs, and its second in
1917-738: The HCC crowned champions in football, baseball, cross country, wrestling, swimming, track, golf, and tennis. One month after the HCC was formed, three of its members--Indiana Central, Ashland, and St. Joseph's--became charter members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). Conceived as a basketball-only league (accommodating the HCC members that played the sport in Division II), the GLVC soon duplicated HCC offerings in baseball, cross country, golf, and tennis. Meanwhile, in 1979 Butler and Evansville became charter members of
1988-462: The HCC did not; this solidified the GLVC's status as primary conference for the members it shared with the HCC. Following an interim period in which most HCC members had four of their men's sports competing simultaneously in two conferences, the HCC became a football-only league for the last five years of its existence. In the spring of 1985 the HCC held its last championship tournaments in baseball and tennis and its last conference track meet. Butler won
2059-725: The Holcomb Gardens across the Inland Waterway Canal. The field is a part of a larger athletic field complex that features Varsity Field (the alternate field for both the men's and women's soccer teams), the outdoor tennis courts and intramural softball and soccer fields. The field features brick dugouts for both the home and visiting benches, a bullpen area and batting cages located down the first base line out of play and spectator seating for up to 500 people. The field's outfield dimensions extend to 200 feet (61 m) from foul pole to foul pole. A minor renovation during
2130-551: The ICC, but the change was much more significant, in that it created a multi-sport Division II men's athletic conference that did not compete in basketball. This anomaly allowed league members Butler, Evansville, and Valparaiso to pursue membership in Division I basketball conferences while playing the rest of their sports on the Division II level, at a time when the NCAA still allowed this practice. In its first year of operation (1978-79),
2201-563: The MIFC at one time or another. The founding MIFC members from the Heartland Conference were Saint Joseph's College , Ashland University , Valparaiso University , the University of Indianapolis and Butler University . The founding members from the GLIAC were Ferris State University , Grand Valley State University , Hillsdale College , Northern Michigan University , Saginaw Valley State University and Wayne State University . Membership changes came quickly and often to
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2272-501: The MIFC for the Division I non-scholarship Pioneer Football League in 1993. The GLIAC eventually absorbed the MIFC in 1999. + Indiana Central was renamed University of Indianapolis in 1986 Butler Bulldogs The Butler Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent Butler University , located in Indianapolis, Indiana . The Bulldogs participate in 20 NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports . After leaving
2343-429: The MIFC. Butler and Valparaiso left after the 1992 season, when the NCAA stopped allowing Division I schools to play football at the Division II or III level. They were replaced by Northwood University and the University of St. Francis for the 1993 season. The next change came in the 1994 season when Michigan Technological University joined the conference as its 12th member. The MIFC reverted to an 11-team lineup after
2414-670: The Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (now the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). Butler added back to back league titles in 1991 and 1992 with Bob Bartlameo at the helm, including a trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1991. The following season, Butler and member school Valparaiso moved up to NCAA Division I-AA (now Division I FCS) under the guidance of Ken LaRose to join with Dayton, Drake, Evansville, and San Diego to form
2485-571: The NAIA, left the HCC to transition to Division III. Finally, in advance of the 1988 season, Evansville withdrew from the league to become a football-only member of the NAIA (while maintaining the rest of its athletic program in Division I). The HCC ceased operations after the 1989 football season, when Butler, Valparaiso, Indianapolis, Ashland, and St. Joseph's joined six members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to create
2556-450: The artificial surface of the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl and the natural surface of Varsity Field. Varsity Field features a covered area for both team benches, an elevated press box, a storage area for equipment and seating along the southern sideline for up to 500 spectators. The soccer teams are also able to take advantage of the practice fields located north of the main field. Bulldog Park is
2627-726: The award for mid-season National Coach of the Year. In 2008, Senior Mike Green was the Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award Winner. In 2010 the Bulldogs made it to the Championship game, in Indianapolis, for the first time in school history. Sophomore Gordon Hayward entered the NBA draft and was a lottery pick by the Utah Jazz . Hayward was the first Butler player to play in the NBA since Ralph O'Brien in
2698-439: The basketball program's influence over fieldhouse scheduling. Men's soccer at Butler began in 1989, and the women's team was added in 1991. In the program's 20-year history, the men's soccer team has made five post-season appearances, acquiring a 3–5 record in post-season play. The Bulldogs' last post-season appearance was in 2009. Butler's men's soccer qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2009, reaching
2769-626: The building became the combined home of Butler basketball and the final rounds of the Indiana High School Athletic Association 's basketball tournament. The legends of Indiana basketball, from Oscar Robertson to George McGinnis to Larry Bird , all played in the Fieldhouse at one time or another. In 1954, Butler Fieldhouse hosted the historic final when Milan High School (enrollment 161) defeated Muncie Central High School (enrollment over 1,600) to win
2840-531: The course of 60 seasons from 1934 to 1994 when Bulldog football teams won 31 conference championships, including seven straight Indiana Collegiate Conference titles from 1934 to 1940, league titles in 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, and seven straight from 1958 to 1964, all under Tony Hinkle . Following the move from the College Division to NCAA Division II, Butler won 4 straight conference championships from 1972 to 1975, along with another one in 1977, all under
2911-575: The early 1950s. The women's basketball program at Butler University began in the 1975–76 season, competing in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), and saw its first winning season two years later, earning a 9–5 record under the direction of coach Linda Mason. The Bulldogs played in the AIAW National Tournament for the first time in 1982, falling in the second round to William Penn, 77–94. The next year,
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2982-407: The eight members claimed at least one title. Indiana Central and Franklin won two apiece, and St. Joseph's won one. During the 1980s the HCC gradually dwindled from eight members to five. Georgetown, which had maintained dual membership in the NCAA and the NAIA, quit the conference to return to full NAIA membership in 1983. Four years later, Franklin, which likewise had maintained a dual membership in
3053-411: The football rivalry that has existed since 1921. The helmet trophy was created to further intensify the rivalry between these two teams. A group of Butler players, along with their head coach, Jeff Voris, came up with the idea for the helmet. After Valparaiso head coach Stacey Adams agreed to play for the helmet, Butler equipment manager John Harding put the helmet together. The white helmet is mounted on
3124-571: The guidance of Bill Sylvester Sr. Ashland joined Butler and fellow ICC members to form the Heartland Collegiate Conference, in which Butler won league titles in 1983, 1985, and three straight from 1987 to 1989, under coach Bill Lynch. The Bulldogs also went the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1983 and 1988. Butler and fellow HCC member schools joined with the Great Lakes Valley Conference to form
3195-463: The headquarters for Butler's department of recreation, the HRC also houses Counseling and Consultation Services, Health Education and Health Services, making it a true wellness center on campus. Since opening Aug 30, 2006, over 250,000 participants have enjoyed it so far. While the Fieldhouse provided a nationally acclaimed setting for Butler athletics, it was Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle , credited with inventing
3266-478: The home of Butler's baseball program. It has a capacity of 500 spectators. Formerly both a baseball field and football practice facility, the park was converted to a baseball-only facility in the 1990s. Its dimensions are 330 ft. down the foul lines, 370 ft. to the gaps, and 400 ft. to center field. The Butler softball team calls the Butler Softball Field home, located adjacent to
3337-550: The inaugural trophy in 1933 and the University of Notre Dame taking the final prize in 1942. The University of Michigan captured the eight intervening awards. Butler claimed the College Division "Mayor's Trophy" between 1938 and 1941. In addition to the participation of legendary American Olympians Jesse Owens, Glenn Cunningham, Ralph Metcalfe, and IU's Don Lash, the Butler Relays saw ten world records set or tied during
3408-456: The last four years. In 2013, Butler became the first PFL team to compete in the FCS playoffs after the conference was given an automatic invitation, losing in the first round to Tennessee State . The Hoosier helmet was established as the trophy helmet for the rivalry football game played between Butler and Valparaiso University. The Hoosier Helmet was created prior to the 2006 season to commemorate
3479-498: The league's last all-sports trophy, awarded in May 1985 for the 1984-85 academic year. Even before the HCC became a football-only conference, football was considered its signature sport. Nevertheless, the league sent a team to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs just three times in twelve seasons. For several years after its founding in 1973, Division II had an 8-team bracket dominated by schools that eventually moved up to
3550-553: The likes of the Four Horsemen from Notre Dame and Red Grange from Illinois. The Bowl was downsized to a 20,000-seat stadium in 1955 with the addition of the Hilton U. Brown Theatre, and is the home field for Butler football and soccer today. A 2006 renovation of the stadium included seating for 7,500, larger sidelines, and field turf, allowing it to host football, soccer, and other events. The new Student Apartment Housing overlooks
3621-409: The meet's decade-long run. When Phillips became head track and field coach at Purdue University in 1938, Lawrence Holmes directed the relays for one year. Butler alumnus and former world two mile (3 km) record holder Ray Sears staged the games from 1939 until the fieldhouse was dedicated to military use in 1942. The Butler Relays were not reinstituted after World War II because of the expense and
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#17327865840863692-501: The men and women won the Atlantic 10 Championships in 2012, their lone year in the conference. The Men's team has placed as high as 4th in the nation in recent years, earning a team trophy at the NCAA Division I championships in 2004. The women also earned an NCAA podium finish, placing 3rd in 2013. Both teams have frequently qualified for nationals in recent years, placing individuals as high as 3rd (Mark Tucker, 2003). All-Americans from
3763-400: The men's basketball team joined the Missouri Valley Conference . Other sports joined conferences in later years. On May 2, 2012, it was made official that Butler would join the Atlantic 10 Conference beginning in the 2013 season. However, the timeline was later shortened so that the Bulldogs would begin competition beginning in the 2012 season. On August 1, 2012, Butler announced it joined
3834-516: The new Midwestern City Conference (today's Horizon League ), and in 1982 Valparaiso joined the Mid-Continent Conference (today's Summit League ). These Division I basketball-centered conferences likewise grew to sponsor other sports that duplicated the HCC. After the NCAA absorbed the functions of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) in 1982, the GLVC expanded its offerings to include women's sports but
3905-406: The orange basketball, who brought national recognition to the school as a coach and athletic administrator. He came to Butler in 1921 and remained with the university until his death in 1992. Hinkle served as a teacher, coach and athletic administrator for nearly half a century and compiled more than 1,000 victories with the school's football, basketball and baseball teams. The Bulldogs have carried on
3976-678: The pitching staff and catchers. The other assistant coach is Jack Lewis who brings in over 30 years of coaching experience. Butler softball plays at the Butler Softball Field as their home field. The Bulldogs won the 2016 Big East Conference softball tournament , their first conference championship. As of April 7, 2015 the Bulldogs are ranked 158th in the nation. Some of Butler's most notable athletic accomplishments have come in Cross Country. Butler won thirteen Horizon League Championships in Men's Cross Country and twelve Women's Championships. Both
4047-402: The post-season until 2009 and 2010 under head coach Beth Couture , who led the team to four consecutive 20-win seasons in 2008 through 2011. The Butler Bulldogs football program has a long history, beginning with Indiana's first intercollegiate football game at the old 7th Street Baseball Grounds in the spring of 1884. For the game between Butler and DePauw, Butler senior John F. Stone compiled
4118-455: The round of 16 in 1995 and 1998. Butler won the Horizon League (formerly MCC) tournament title in 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2010. They also won or shared the regular season title seven times, including 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2010. The 1998 squad enjoyed national rankings as high as #8 in the country and the 2010 squad was ranked as high as #5 in the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. The Bulldogs won
4189-440: The rules by combining association (soccer) rules with eastern intercollegiate rules to form the western intercollegiate rules, which were published by Charles Mayer of Indianapolis. Butler won the game by a score of four goals to one. The Bulldogs have appeared in three Division II playoff games, the last in 1991 when it lost to eventual national champion Pittsburg State 26–16. The Bulldogs saw their greatest success in football over
4260-413: The school's first official live mascot. To date, there have been four dogs to carry the name "Blue", the university's primary color, with the fourth officially assuming mascot duties for the 2020–21 school year. In addition to "Blue," a person in bulldog costume also performs as "Hink" for various Butler University athletic and university events. Butler first joined a Division I conference in 1932 when
4331-470: The stadium on the east end, with the original seating on the west side of the stadium. A new press box and new seating on the west end and additional seating on the east end of the Bowl have been completed for the 2010 fall season. New lighting was completed in 2011 and was utilized for the first time during the 2012 season. New seating and the new entrance on the south end of the stadium were completed in time for
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#17327865840864402-592: The start of the 2006–07 season , the Bulldogs have earned a 15–8 record against members of the BCS conferences, including a 7–2 record against the Big Ten . The program's success has been attributed to " The Butler Way ", a now-unique style of team play that many have said harkens back to the Indiana glory days, as well as being called "the way the game should be played." The Bulldogs' recent accomplishments include winning
4473-530: The state title. The state final depicted in the 1986 movie Hoosiers , loosely based on the Milan Miracle story, was shot in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Other facilities include Varsity Field, which serves as one of the homes of the Butler men's and women's soccer teams. A natural grass field, the complex gives the soccer teams a unique advantage in being able to play games and have practices on both
4544-749: The winning traditions set forth by Hinkle. In the past decade, Butler teams have captured 26 conference championships (in four different leagues). The Bulldogs have made appearances in NCAA National Championship Tournaments in men's and women's basketball, men's soccer, volleyball, men's cross country, lacrosse, and baseball. Butler won the James J. McCafferty trophy, awarded annually by the conference for all-sports excellence based on conference championship points, five times, including three-straight from 1996–97 to 1998–99 and back-to-back years in 2001–02 and 2002–03. Butler University
4615-456: The winter of 2007 saw new dirt added to the infield and regraded for a more consistent playing surface. The Butler Bubble is home to the Bulldog men's and women's tennis teams and is used as an indoor practice facility for the Butler baseball, football and soccer teams. All of the Butler tennis teams' home matches during the winter and early spring take place inside the bubble, which is located behind Hinkle Fieldhouse off of 52nd Street. The Bubble
4686-411: Was a first-round draft pick (#22 overall) in 1999. In the MIFC's last three seasons, Indianapolis and St. Francis were the only members who were not also members of the GLIAC. After St. Francis left the conference following the 1998 season, the GLIAC voted to resume sponsorship of football as a conference sport, accommodating Indianapolis as a football-only associate member. This "merger" of the MIFC into
4757-524: Was a member of the 1928 U.S. Olympic 1,600 meter gold medal relay team. The event annually showcased 350–400 athletes representing 20–30 colleges and universities. From an attendance of 3,500, the games grew to attract over 10,000 spectators to Butler (Hinkle) Fieldhouse each March. The college's fraternities and sororities vied in yearly ticket sales, parade float, house decoration, and Relay Queen competitions. The University Division "Governor's Cup" went to each year's victor, with Indiana University claiming
4828-438: Was destined to play a major role in shaping Butler University. When the school moved to its current Fairview campus location, two of the first structures completed were a 15,000-seat fieldhouse and a 36,000-seat football stadium. The football stadium, which came to be known as the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl (known as the Butler Bowl until 2017), was built in 1927. The original stadium had seating for 36,000 and hosted games versus
4899-540: Was formed in June 1978 as the successor to the Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC), after the ICC made up for membership losses by adding institutions from Ohio and Kentucky. The HCC had eight founding members. Five were from the final lineup of the ICC: Butler University , the University of Evansville , Valparaiso University , St. Joseph's College , and Indiana Central (which became the University of Indianapolis in 1986). They were joined by Franklin College (IN) and Georgetown College (KY) , both long-time members of
4970-410: Was originally constructed at the far west end of the Hinkle Fieldhouse parking lot, but was relocated to along the right field line of Bulldog Park after the original plot was broke for the construction of the new Health and Recreation Complex in the summer of 2005. The Bubble houses four hard-surface tennis courts as well as additional room for storage of equipment for both tennis teams. The bubble itself
5041-423: Was originally founded as North Western Christian University by Ovid Butler in 1855. He chose "Christians" as the school mascot. Sometime after the school had been renamed in honor of its founder, Butler was suffering a poor football season in 1919. As losses mounted, people grew wary of the "Christians" nickname. Before a big game against the rival Franklin "Baptists", the Butler Collegian was trying to conceive of
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