Butler to join Atlantic 10

Butler University has joined the Atlantic 10 Conference, the league council of presidents announced Wednesday.

Butler will join the A-10 on July 1, 2013. The Bulldogs have been to two of the last three basketball Final Fours. The council of presidents voted unanimously to accept Butler. Butler fields 17 of the A-10's 21 championship sports.

The A-10 recently lost Temple to the Big East Conference. The Owls will play Big East football in the fall and join the Big East for other sports in the fall of 2013.

The Atlantic 10 Conference Council of Presidents has unanimously voted to formally accept Butler University's application for membership the league announced Tuesday.

"Welcoming Butler University as the newest member of the Atlantic 10 Conference is an honor and privilege. Institutionally, they are a perfect fit for the league and bring a tradition of excellence in academics, athletics, integrity and personnel," A-10 commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a statement. "As a conference driven by national prominence in men's basketball, Butler further strengthens our league. Complementing their success in men's basketball is a broad-based sports program that will compete well in the A-10."