In a move that made more and more sense with each passing day, Robert Morris has found a new league to call its home.
After spending nearly four decades in the Northeast Conference, the Colonials will depart for the Horizon League, beginning in the upcoming athletic season, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
John Vargo of the Tribune Chronicle in Youngstown confirmed the news, gaining confirmation from Youngstown State athletic director Ron Strollo that the league will add Robert Morris, in addition to Purdue Fort-Wayne, to give the conference 12 teams for the upcoming basketball season. An announcement could come as soon as early next week.
It is a well-deserved feat for a university that has so heavily invested in its basketball program. In terms of basketball, here are Robert Morris' new conference opponents:
Cleveland State Vikings (Cleveland, Ohio)
Detroit Mercy Titans (Detroit, Michigan)
Green Bay Phoenix (Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin)
Illinois-Chicago Flames (Chicago, Illinois)
IUPUI Jaguars (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Milwaukee Panthers (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Northern Kentucky Norse (Highland Heights, Kentucky)
Oakland Golden Grizzlies (Rochester, Michigan)
Purdue-Fort Wayne Mastodons (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
Wright State Raiders (Fairborn, Ohio)
Youngstown State Penguins (Youngstown, Ohio)
In 2020-2021, the Colonials were set to host both Youngstown State and Cleveland State for non-conference meetings. Thus, two spots have opened up on the Colonials' schedule.
In basketball, the league operates with traveling pairs. For example, if someone is playing at Detroit Mercy on one night, they will be playing at Oakland in the same weekend for traveling/cost efficiency.
Robert Morris joining throws a wrench into nearly perfect geographical pairs. Robert Morris could and will likely be paired with Youngstown State. A decision has not been made in this regard.
With regards to the Colonials' other athletic programs, many questions still loom.
The football program has already released their 2020 schedule, filled with an entire Northeast Conference schedule. Per Pittsburgh Sports Now, the university is set to join the Big South Conference for football. In this conference, Robert Morris will face off against:
Campbell Fighting Camels (Buies Creek, North Carolina)
Charleston Southern Buccaneers (North Charleston, South Carolina)
Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (Boiling Springs, North Carolina)
Hampton Pirates (Hampton, Virginia)
Kennesaw State Owls (Kennesaw, Georgia)
Monmouth Hawks (West Long Branch, New Jersey)
North Alabama Lions (Florence, Alabama)
North Carolina A&T Aggies (Greensboro, North Carolina - joining in 2021)
However, since the upcoming season's schedule has already been released, Robert Morris will likely be unable to join the conference in time for the 2020 season. They will likely play the 2020 season as an FCS Independent.
Robert Morris' lacrosse program will also be temporarily left without a conference, as the Horizon League does not support lacrosse. Robert Morris, who does not have a baseball program, will be the only school in the league to not field a baseball team.
While these questions still linger, it is clear that the university has solely invested in the rapid growth of its basketball program.
The UPMC Events Center, which opened in 2019-2020, is much more suited for the Horizon League than the Northeast Conference. Combine the state-of-the-art venue with a stronger recruiting pitch, and Robert Morris finds themselves in a very good position.
While there are many blanks that have yet to be filled and more details to come, this is a monumental day and a large step forward for the growth of athletics at Robert Morris University.
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