March Madness is basically a drug for college basketball fans. But honestly, if you were watching the Horizon League Tournament 2025, you know the real chaos started way before the Selection Sunday big-screen reveal. It was a week where regular-season logic went to die in Indianapolis.
You've got the blue-blood programs hogging the headlines every year, sure. But the Barbasol Horizon League championships? That’s where the actual desperation lives. This year was especially weird. We saw Robert Morris—a team that wasn't even on most people’s radar for the title—totally dismantle the bracket. Meanwhile, on the women’s side, Green Bay reminded everyone why they’ve been the gold standard for like, forever.
The Robert Morris Takeover
Nobody expected Robert Morris to do what they did. Seriously. They came in as the No. 1 seed, which sounds dominant on paper, but in this league, the top seed is often just a target. Andrew Toole finally got his first Horizon League title after years of grinding, and he did it by leaning on Kam Woods.
Woods was an absolute bucket. He dropped 59 total points across the tournament and took home the Valeo MVP trophy. In the championship game against Youngstown State, it felt like he couldn't miss. RMU won that game 89-78, securing their first-ever trip to the Big Dance as a member of the Horizon League.
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The atmosphere at Corteva Coliseum was kinda electric for that final. Youngstown State fans traveled well, but they watched their dreams slip away in the second half. It was a 56-54 nail-biter in the semifinals for the Penguins against Cleveland State, so maybe they just ran out of gas. RMU, on the other hand, looked fresh. They had that "team of destiny" vibe from the jump.
Green Bay’s 18th Masterclass
If the men’s side was about a new king rising, the women’s Horizon League Tournament 2025 was about a dynasty refusing to crumble. Green Bay is basically the final boss of this conference. They secured their 18th title—yeah, you read that right, eighteen—by beating Purdue Fort Wayne 76-63 in the final.
Natalie McNeal was the engine. She won the Key4Women MVP and played with a level of composure that most pros would envy. Kayla Karius, in her first year at the helm, didn't skip a beat. It’s sort of terrifying how consistent that program is. They went 19-1 in the conference during the regular season, so while it wasn't a "shocker," the way they handled the pressure in Indy was clinical.
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The Weirdest Stats from the Week
Basketball is a game of runs, but some of the numbers from this tournament were just flat-out bizarre.
- 27 Rebounds: Wright State’s Amaya Staton grabbed 27 boards in a single game against Youngstown State. That’s not a typo. She tied the league's all-time record and set a new tournament high.
- The 22-18 Slugfest: Over in the baseball tournament (which also happened in 2025), Oakland beat Youngstown State 22-18. I know we’re talking hoops, but that score is too insane not to mention.
- Road Warriors: Oakland’s men’s team, coached by the legendary Greg Kampe, went into Milwaukee as an underdog and snatched a 72-64 win in the quarterfinals. Kampe has been around since the dawn of time, and he still knows how to ruin a home team’s night.
Why Indianapolis Works
There’s been a lot of talk about moving the tournament around, but the Corteva Coliseum (at the Indiana State Fairgrounds) just feels right. It’s intimate. When a team like Northern Kentucky or Cleveland State gets a run going, the noise in that building is deafening because the fans are right on top of the court.
The Valeo Fan Zone was back this year too. It’s basically a massive party in the Grand Hall across from the arena. You’ve got local artists like Xavier Gray painting murals, fans grabbing overpriced (but delicious) snacks, and that general feeling that "March Starts Here." It’s a lot more grounded than the corporate feel of the Final Four.
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What This Taught Us for 2026
The 2025 cycle proved that depth in this league is at an all-time high. Look at Robert Morris. They weren't a legacy power here, but they built a roster that fit the physical style of the Horizon.
The league is actually changing the format for 2026. They're bringing more teams to Indianapolis, which means the "campus site" era for the early rounds is shrinking. This is a big deal. For years, higher seeds loved the home-court advantage of the quarterfinals. Taking that away and moving everyone to Indy earlier is going to lead to even more upsets.
If you're looking to follow the momentum from the Horizon League Tournament 2025, here is what you need to do:
- Watch the Transfer Portal: Teams like RMU and Oakland are living and dying by veteran transfers. Keep an eye on where the mid-major stars land this summer.
- Check the 2026 Schedule: The league already dropped the 2025-26 slate. If you’re a Green Bay or Wright State fan, circle those early December conference games. They set the tone for the whole seed-chase.
- Follow the New Format: Since more teams are heading to Indy in 2026, the regular season finish for the 9th and 10th spots actually matters now. No more "meaningless" games in February.
The 2025 tournament wasn't just a bridge to the NCAA tournament; it was a reminder that mid-major basketball is often more compelling than the big-budget stuff. It's grittier, the stakes feel more personal, and sometimes, a kid like Kam Woods just decides he isn't going to lose. That’s why we watch.