UIC can play in Horizon League championships now after the conference reverses its ban on the Flames

The Flames were appreciative to be in the situation after the Horizon League board of directors voted Tuesday to restore UIC’s eligibility for winter and spring conference championships.

The reversal comes after news broke last week that UIC would not be allowed to participate because of its scheduled move to the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1.

“Our student-athletes are thrilled and appreciative of the opportunity to fully participate in their sports as we complete our final year in the Horizon League,” UIC athletic director Michael Lipitz said in a phone interview Tuesday.

“We want to thank the commissioner and the board for their leadership in this regard, and we’re excited to finish our time in the Horizon League and continue to represent both UIC and the Horizon League with the pride that we’ve had for the last 28 years.”

Women’s basketball player Tiana Jackson in a statement thanked the board for “allowing our voices to be heard, along with everyone who has supported us along the way.”

“The Flames are so excited to be able to compete in the postseason!” said Jackson, who is also president of UIC’s student-athlete advisory committee.

Ashish Vaidya, chair of the Horizon League board, said in a statement the decision “is the culmination of a three-week effort to find a pathway for all student-athletes to participate in upcoming league championships.”

“I appreciate the willingness of our board members to work through this difficult situation on behalf of UIC student-athletes,” said Vaidya, the president of Northern Kentucky University.

In regard to the timeline, the Horizon League said in Tuesday’s statement that UIC “had known for months that failing to provide a one-year notice would render its student-athletes ineligible.”

After the conference’s initial ruling, UIC asked the Horizon League to reconsider.

The Flames sent a letter Sunday to Vaidya and Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach. In addition to reiterating items such as a “timely payment of associated exit fees,” the letter laid out additional considerations, including forgoing the hosting of any championships the remainder of the school year.

“Other leagues have done that in lieu of declaring student-athletes ineligible for postseason competition,” Lipitz said. “We offered that as an additional consideration.”

The board of directors met again to “consider UIC’s request for a special exemption.”

“I credit our League’s Board of Directors for prioritizing UIC’s student-athletes despite UIC leaders’ continued actions regarding their move to another conference,” Roe Lach said in the Horizon League’s statement. “The response from UIC leaders has been disappointing, disingenuous and inconsistent with our League values.

“At the end of the day, our League’s Board of Directors realized that UIC leaders were not going to take any action to restore eligibility for their student-athletes — including by making a simple request to the Missouri Valley Conference to enter in 2023. So our Board chose to exercise their authority to grant the student-athletes an exception to the agreed-upon bylaw.”

And now the path is cleared for the athletes to compete.

“Of course we were going to advocate for our student-athletes to have these opportunities,” Lipitz said. “We’re just pleased the board was able to make this decision.”

The ruling comes in time for not only the conference’s swimming and diving championships, but also its indoor track and field championships (Feb. 26-27) and basketball tournaments (March 1-8).

“We’re in good shape to be ready, to have our teams ready in those championships,” Lipitz said. “I talked to a number of our student-athletes already, they’re thrilled. They’re excited because now they have that opportunity that they expected to have to compete.

“We appreciate the board seeing clear to make this decision that’s in the best interest of our student-athletes and that’s in the best interest of the league.”