WHAT, EXACTLY, DOES BEING THE CLASS OF THE HORIZON LEAGUE MEAN?

I've taken more than an academic interest in the former North Star Conference rivals of Northern Illinois.  There have been a number of realignments (I lose track) and for the present, Northern Illinois are back in the Mid-American, while Green Bay, Milwaukee, and maybe one or two other North Star teams make up the Horizon League.

It matters come tournament time.

Tennessee players took in parts of No. 9 seed Quinnipiac's eventual win against No. 8 Miami. It was Quinnipiac's third tournament win in the past two years. Or one more than the Lady Vols in that span.

While they watched, someone asked which team No. 11 seed Central Michigan would play next after its 78-69 win against No. 6 seed LSU earlier in the afternoon.

Central Michigan was the automatic qualifier from the Mid-American, winning the conference tournament.

An aside: that conference tournament is always at a professional basketball arena in Cleveland. The few spectators rattle around in there. As each of the member universities has spent a lot of money on a basketball arena (frequently named "convocation center" so as to placate faculty specifically and taxpayers generally), why not rotate the tournaments among the universities, or split them, and in the fashion of the volleyball tournament, have the previous season's champion host?

For the first time in a long time, the Mid-American had an at-large qualifying team.

Not noticing that No. 11 seed Buffalo beat sixth-seeded South Florida 102-79 behind a career-best 36 points from Cierra Dillard, giving the MAC a second winner on the day.

That Cierra Dillard single-handedly got her squad to overtime in DeKalb back in January.

There's a reason Buffalo had one fewer win in conference than Central Michigan.

January 6, 2018

Somehow, Central Michigan and Buffalo got the second cross-division game this year, and they split that series.  Northern Illinois learned a lot this season, but they never got down on themselves or sideways with each other.  Note also the company Buffalo is in in the tournament.  "Three teams scored 100 points in the first round: Connecticut, Tennessee and Buffalo. One of them hadn't won a tournament game before this season."

Meanwhile, the geniuses with their power rankings put Wisconsin-Green Bay higher.

After a rough opening day in which they not only failed to spring upsets but twice failed to defend seeds, No. 7 Green Bay giving away a lead and No. 8 South Dakota State losing in overtime, mid-majors ensured they will be represented in the second round.

Thus, dear reader, I repeat: what does being the class of the Horizon League mean?