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Missouri Valley Conference

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For the related football-only conference, see Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Missouri Valley Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded1907; 117 years ago (1907)
CommissionerJeff Jackson (since 2021)
Sports fielded
  • 18
    • men's: 8
    • women's: 10
DivisionDivision I
Subdivisionnon-football
No. of teams12 (11 in 2025)
HeadquartersSt. Louis, Missouri
RegionMidwestern & Southern United States
Official websitewww.mvc-sports.com
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}
Missouri Valley Conference
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
300km
200miles
Miami
Ball State
Bowling Green
Western Michigan
Northern Illinois
Little Rock
Murray State
UIC
Belmont
Valparaiso
Southern Illinois
Northern Iowa
Missouri State
Indiana State
Illinois State
Evansville
Drake
.
Bradley
Location of MVC members:
full member
departing member
affiliate member

The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the fourth-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwest though with substantial extension into the South in states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

History

[edit]

The MVC was established in 1907 (its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska, and Washington University in St. Louis) as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association or MVIAA, 12 years after the Big Ten Conference, the only Division I conference that is older. It is the fourth-oldest college athletic conference in the United States, after the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA Division III's Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).[1][2]

The MVIAA split in 1928, with most of the larger schools (the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska, Iowa Agricultural College (now Iowa State University), Kansas State University, and University of Oklahoma) forming a conference that retained the MVIAA name; this conference evolved into the Big Eight Conference. The Big Eight merged with four Texas schools of the Southwest Conference to form the Big 12 Conference in 1996.[3]

The smaller MVIAA schools (Drake, Grinnell and Washington University in St. Louis), plus Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, which joined the Big Eight in 1957), were joined by Creighton to form the MVC, which retained the old MVIAA's administrative staff.

To this day, it has never been definitively established which conference was the original and which was the spinoff, though the Big Eight would go on to become the more prestigious of the two. During the Big Eight's run, both conferences claimed 1907 as their founding date, and the same history through 1927.

MVC teams held a 74–27 non-conference record during the 2006–07 college basketball season, including a record of 44–1 at home. The Valley finished in the top six of the RPI and ahead of a BCS conference for the second consecutive year, while also garnering multiple NCAA bids for the ninth straight year and 12th of 14.[4]

The MVC has not sponsored football since 1985, when it was a hybrid I-A/I-AA (now FBS and FCS, respectively) conference. However, five members have football programs in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) (known as the Gateway from 1985 to 2008) of Division I FCS, and two others compete in another FCS conference, the Pioneer Football League. The Missouri Valley Conference shares its name with the MVFC, and all three conferences operate from the same headquarters complex in St. Louis; however, the three are separate administratively.

After weeks of speculation,[5][6] Wichita State announced on April 7, 2017, that it would leave the conference to join the American Athletic Conference starting with the 2017–18 season.[7] The conference announced it extended an invitation to Valparaiso University on May 9, 2017;[8] and on May 25, the MVC announced that Valparaiso would officially join the following July 1.[9]

The most recent changes to the core MVC membership were announced during the 2021–22 school year. On September 28, 2021, the MVC and Belmont University jointly announced that the school would leave the Ohio Valley Conference for the MVC effective July 1, 2022.[10] Then, on November 16, Loyola University Chicago announced it would leave the MVC at the same time, joining the Atlantic 10 Conference.[11] On the same day Loyola announced its departure, CBS Sports reported that the MVC was actively pursuing further expansion, having entered into talks with the University of Missouri–Kansas City (known athletically as Kansas City), Murray State University, and the University of Texas at Arlington (UT Arlington). The report indicated that the latter two were considered the strongest candidates, but that all three were likely to receive invitations in the coming months.[12] On January 7, 2022, the MVC announced that Murray State would officially join the conference on July 1 of that year.[13] UT Arlington would soon remove itself from the list of candidates by announcing a 2022 move to the Western Athletic Conference.[14]

Shortly before Murray State was officially announced as an incoming MVC member, Matt Brown of the Extra Points college sports blog reported that the MVC was also in membership discussions with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), then a member of the Horizon League. On the same weekend that Murray State's arrival was officially announced, MVC officials made a site visit to UIC. Brown's sources indicated that an invitation to UIC was likely. Brown noted that with the MVC losing Loyola, league officials believed that maintaining a presence in the city was a top priority, stating (emphasis in original):[15]

Throughout this process, multiple administrators at MVC institutions stressed the importance of getting access to new urban areas to recruit more students, not just athletes. With so many schools depending heavily on Chicago, and especially Chicago's suburbs, for enrollment, continuing to have a presence in the city was seen as a major priority.

On January 22, 2022, Matt Norlander of CBSSports.com reported that UIC's July entry to the MVC was "a done deal", with his sources indicating that the MVC wanted to announce the move before the Conference Commissioners Association held its annual meeting in Naples, Florida in early February.[16] UIC's entry was officially announced on January 26.[17]

On May 10, 2024, Missouri State announced they would leave the MVC to transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and join Conference USA, effective for the 2025–26 season.[18]

Member schools

[edit]

Current full members

[edit]
Institution Location Founded Joined Type Enrollment[19] Endowment
(millions)		 Nickname Colors
Belmont University Nashville, Tennessee 1890 2022[a] Private

(Christian)

8,700 $356.8 Bruins      
Bradley University Peoria, Illinois 1897 1948,
1955[b] 		Private 5,451 $350 Braves    
Drake University Des Moines, Iowa 1881 1907,
1956[b] 		Private 5,270 $219.8 Bulldogs    
University of Evansville Evansville, Indiana 1854 1994 Private

(UMC)

2,526 $93.4 Purple Aces      
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, Illinois 1946 2022 Public 30,539 $3,380[c] Flames    
Illinois State University Normal, Illinois 1857 1981 Public 20,683 $204 Redbirds    
Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana 1865 1976[d] Public 13,584 $102.9[20] Sycamores    
Missouri State University Springfield, Missouri 1905 1990 Public 26,000[21] $193 Bears
Lady Bears[e] 		   
Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 1922 2022 Public 10,495 $100.2 Racers    
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa 1876 1991 Public 12,273 $163 Panthers    
Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois 1869 1975 Public 11,695 $171.8 Salukis    
Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana 1859 2017[f] Private

(Lutheran)

2,900 $254.2 Beacons[g]    
Notes
  1. ^ Belmont had been an MVC affiliate in men's soccer for the 2000 fall season (2000–01 school year).
  2. ^ a b Bradley and Drake both withdrew from the MVC during the 1951–52 school year in protest over the Johnny Bright incident, a racially motivated on-field attack by an Oklahoma A&M football player against Drake player Johnny Bright in a 1951 game. Bradley returned to the MVC for non-football sports in the 1955–56 school year, with Drake doing the same a year later (1956–57 school year). However, Bradley never returned to MVC football, dropping the sport after the 1970 fall season (1970–71 school year), and Drake did not return for football until the 1971 fall season (1971–72 school year).
  3. ^ Entire U of I system.
  4. ^ The Indiana State men's basketball team joined the MVC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (1977–78).
  5. ^ In beach volleyball, a sport not sponsored by the MVC, Missouri State uses Beach Bears instead of Lady Bears.
  6. ^ Valparaiso had been an MVC affiliate in women's soccer from the 1996 to the 1998 fall seasons (1996–97 to 1998–99 school years).
  7. ^ Valparaiso officially adopted the "Beacons" nickname shortly before the start of classes in the 2021–22 school year after abandoning its previous nickname of Crusaders due to unfavorable connotations.

Affiliate members

[edit]

Note: In the case of spring sports, the year of joining is the calendar year before the start of competition.

Institution Location Founded Joined Type Enrollment Nickname Primary
conference		 MVC
sport(s)
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
(Little Rock) 		Little Rock, Arkansas 1927 2013–14 Public 13,167 Trojans OVC women's swimming
Ball State University Muncie, Indiana 1918 2024–25 21,597 Cardinals MAC men's swimming and diving
Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio 1910 2023–24[a] 18,142 Falcons men's soccer
Miami University Oxford, Ohio 1809 2024–25 18,880 RedHawks men's swimming and diving
Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois 1895 2023–24 16,769 Huskies men's soccer
Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan 1903 19,887 Broncos
Notes
  1. ^ Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan's full-time home of the Mid-American Conference suspended men's soccer as a conference sport after the conclusion of the 2022 season.[22][23]

Former members

[edit]

Former full members (25)

[edit]
Institution Location Founded Joined Left Type Enrollment Nickname Current
conference
Butler University Indianapolis, Indiana 1855 1932 1934 Private 4,667 Bulldogs Big East
University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 1819 1957 1970 Public 42,421 Bearcats Big 12
Creighton University Omaha, Nebraska 1878 1928,
1976[a] 		1948,
2013 		Private 7,730 Bluejays Big East
University of Detroit[b] Detroit, Michigan 1877 1949 1956 Private 5,450 Titans Horizon
Grinnell College Grinnell, Iowa 1846 1918 1939 Private 1,688 Pioneers Midwest[c]
University of Houston Houston, Texas 1927 1951 1959 Public 39,820 Cougars Big 12
University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 1847 1907 1908 Public 30,328 Hawkeyes Big Ten
Iowa State College[d] Ames, Iowa 1858 1907 1928 Public 29,887 Cyclones Big 12
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 1865 1907 1928 Public 29,462 Jayhawks Big 12
Kansas State College[e] Manhattan, Kansas 1863 1913 1928 Public 23,863 Wildcats Big 12
University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky 1798 1963[f] 1975 Public 19,743 Cardinals ACC
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, Illinois 1870 2013 2022 Private 16,437[24] Ramblers Atlantic 10
Memphis State University[g] Memphis, Tennessee 1912 1968 1973 Public 23,031 Tigers The American
University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri 1839 1907 1928 Public 33,805 Tigers SEC
University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska 1869 1907,
1921 		1919,
1928 		Public 24,593 Cornhuskers Big Ten
New Mexico State University[h] Las Cruces, New Mexico 1888 1970 1983 Public 18,497 Aggies CUSA
North Texas State University[i] Denton, Texas 1890 1957 1975 Public 35,694 Mean Green The American
University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma 1890 1919 1928 Public 30,303 Sooners SEC
Oklahoma A&M College[j] Stillwater, Oklahoma 1890 1925 1956 Public 21,419 Aggies/Cowboys[k] Big 12
Saint Louis University St. Louis, Missouri 1818 1937 1974 Private 13,785 Billikens Atlantic 10
University of Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma 1894 1935 1996 Private 4,165 Golden Hurricane The American
Washburn University Topeka, Kansas 1865 1935 1942 Public 7,303 Ichabods MIAA[l]
Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri 1853 1907 1942 Private 14,070 Bears UAA[c]
West Texas State University[m] Canyon, Texas 1910 1972 1986 Public 7,843 Buffaloes Lone Star[l]
Wichita State University Wichita, Kansas 1895 1949 2017 Public 14,495 Shockers The American
Notes
  1. ^ Creighton previously withdrew from the MVC from 1948–49 to 1975–76.
  2. ^ Currently known as the University of Detroit Mercy.
  3. ^ a b Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  4. ^ Currently known as Iowa State University.
  5. ^ Currently known as Kansas State University.
  6. ^ The Louisville men's basketball team joined the MVC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (1964–65).
  7. ^ Currently known as the University of Memphis.
  8. ^ The New Mexico State football team joined the MVC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (1971–72); while its men's basketball team joined the MVC two years after (1972–73).
  9. ^ Currently known as the University of North Texas.
  10. ^ Currently known as Oklahoma State University–Stillwater.
  11. ^ During Oklahoma A&M's tenure in the MVC, the nicknames "Aggies" and "Cowboys" were used interchangeably. When the school adopted its current name in 1957, the "Cowboys" nickname was exclusively adopted.
  12. ^ a b Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  13. ^ Currently known as West Texas A&M University.

Former affiliate members

[edit]

This list does not include current full members Belmont and Valparaiso. As noted above, the Bruins played men's soccer in the MVC for the 2000 fall season (2000–01 school year), and the Beacons, then known as the Crusaders, played women's soccer in the MVC from the 1996 to 1998 fall seasons (1996–97 to 1998–99 school years).

Institution Location Founded Joined Left Type Enrollment Nickname Primary
conference 		MVC
sport(s)
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas 1927 1998–99 1999–2000 Public 13,167 Trojans OVC women's soccer
University of Central Arkansas Conway, Arkansas 1907 2010–11 2018–19 Public 13,863 Bears ASUN men's soccer
Dallas Baptist University Dallas, Texas 1898 2013–14 2022–23 Private 5,545 Patriots Lone Star[a][b] baseball
Drury University Springfield, Missouri 1873 1999–2000 2004–05 Private 5,474 Panthers GLVC[a] women's soccer
Eastern Illinois University Charleston, Illinois 1895 1996–97 2010–11 Public 11,651 Panthers OVC men's soccer
University of Hartford Hartford, Connecticut 1877 2014–15 2015–16 Private 6,935 Hawks CNE[c] men's tennis[d]
Marshall University Huntington, West Virginia 1837 2022–23[25][e] 2023–24 Public 11,926 Thundering Herd Sun Belt women's swimming
University of Maryland, Baltimore County Catonsville, Maryland 1966 2014–15 2015–16 Public 13,908 Retrievers America East men's tennis[f]
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville[27] Edwardsville, Illinois 1957 2010–11
2021–22 		2017–18
2023–24 		Public 14,000 Cougars OVC men's soccer
Southern Methodist University University Park, Texas 1911 2000–01 2004–05 Private 12,000 Mustangs ACC men's soccer
Stony Brook University Stony Brook, New York 1957 2014–15 2022–23 Public 24,594 Seawolves CAA men's tennis (until 2016–17), women's tennis[g]
Texas Christian University Fort Worth, Texas 1873 2000–01 2000–01 Private 9,518 Horned Frogs Big 12 men's soccer[h]
University of Tulsa[i] Tulsa, Oklahoma 1894 2000–01 2004–05 Private 4,165 Golden Hurricane The American men's soccer
Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee 1873 1997–98 2005–06 Private 12,714 Commodores SEC men's soccer[j]
Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, Kentucky 1906 1997–98 2007–08 Public 21,048 Hilltoppers CUSA men's soccer[k]
Notes
  1. ^ a b Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  2. ^ Dallas Baptist plays baseball in CUSA.
  3. ^ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  4. ^ Hartford dropped men's tennis after the 2015–16 school year.
  5. ^ Marshall will be an MVC affiliate for the 2022–23 season only. Marshall's full-time home of the Sun Belt Conference will add women's swimming & diving in 2023–24.[26]
  6. ^ UMBC dropped men's tennis after the 2015–16 season.
  7. ^ Stony Brook dropped men's tennis after the 2016–17 season. The school's women's tennis team remained an MVC affiliate, but left when it joined the CAA in July 2022.[28]
  8. ^ TCU dropped men's soccer after the 2002 fall season (2002–03 school year).
  9. ^ Tulsa was a full member from 1935–36 to 1995–96, but re-joined the MVC as a men's soccer associate from the 2000 to 2004 fall seasons (2000–01 to 2004–05 school years).
  10. ^ Vanderbilt dropped men's soccer after the 2005 fall season (2005–06 school year).
  11. ^ Western Kentucky dropped men's soccer after the 2007 fall season (2007–08 school year).

Membership timeline

[edit]
University of Illinois ChicagoMurray State UniversityAtlantic 10 ConferenceLoyola University ChicagoOhio Valley ConferenceAtlantic Sun ConferenceBelmont UniversityHorizon LeagueMid-Continent ConferenceValparaiso UniversityUniversity of EvansvilleUniversity of Northern IowaConference USAMissouri State UniversityIllinois State UniversityIndiana State UniversitySouthern Illinois University CarbondaleLone Star ConferenceNCAA Division II independent schoolsWest Texas A&M UniversityConference USAWestern Athletic ConferenceSun Belt ConferenceBig West ConferenceNew Mexico State UniversityAmerican Athletic ConferenceConference USAMetro ConferenceUniversity of MemphisAtlantic Coast ConferenceAmerican Athletic ConferenceBig East Conference (1979–2013)Conference USAMetro ConferenceUniversity of LouisvilleAmerican Athletic ConferenceConference USASun Belt ConferenceBig West ConferenceSouthland ConferenceUniversity of North TexasBig 12 ConferenceAmerican Athletic ConferenceBig East Conference (1979–2013)Conference USAGreat Midwest ConferenceMetro ConferenceNCAA Division I independent schoolsUniversity of CincinnatiBig 12 ConferenceAmerican Athletic ConferenceConference USASouthwest ConferenceUniversity of HoustonHorizon LeagueHorizon LeagueUniversity of Detroit MercyBradley UniversityAmerican Athletic ConferenceWichita State UniversityWichita State UniversityAtlantic 10 ConferenceConference USAGreat Midwest ConferenceHorizon LeagueMetro ConferenceSaint Louis UniversityMid-America Intercollegiate Athletics AssociationCentral States Intercollegiate ConferenceGreat Plains Athletic Conference (1972–1976)Rocky Mountain Athletic ConferenceCentral Intercollegiate ConferenceWashburn UniversityAmerican Athletic ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of TulsaBig East ConferenceAtlantic 10 ConferenceHorizon LeagueHorizon LeagueIndiana Collegiate ConferenceIndiana Intercollegiate ConferenceButler UniversityBig East ConferenceCreighton UniversityBig 12 ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceOklahoma State University–StillwaterSoutheastern ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceUniversity of OklahomaMidwest ConferenceGrinnell CollegeBig 12 ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceKansas State UniversityUniversity Athletic AssociationSouthern Collegiate Athletic ConferenceWashington University in St. LouisBig Ten ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceUniversity of NebraskaSoutheastern ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceUniversity of MissouriBig 12 ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceUniversity of KansasBig 12 ConferenceBig Eight ConferenceIowa State UniversityBig Ten ConferenceUniversity of IowaNCAA Division I independent schoolsDrake University

Full members  Full members (non-football)  Assoc. members (football only)  Assoc. member (other sports)  Other Conference  Other Conference 

Commissioners

[edit]
  1. C. E. McClung (1907–19??)[29]
  2. Arthur (Artie) E. Eilers (1925–1957)[29]
  3. Norvell Neve (1957–1969)[29][30]
  4. DeWitt T. Weaver (1969–1972)[29]
  5. Mickey Holmes (1972–1979)[31][29]
  6. David Price (1979–1981)[32][29]
  7. Richard D. Martin (1981–1985)[29]
  8. James A. Haney (1985–1988)[33][29]
  9. Doug Elgin (1988–2021)[29][34]
  10. Jeff Jackson (2021–present)

Sports

[edit]
Former Missouri Valley Conference logo

The Missouri Valley Conference sponsors championship competition in eight men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[35] Ball State (men), Little Rock (women), and Miami (OH) (men) are affiliates in swimming and diving, and Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan are affiliates in men's soccer.

The most recent change to the roster of sports came in the 2024–25 school year, when the MVC reinstated men's swimming & diving after a 22-year absence. The inaugural season of the relaunched league features 7 sponsoring members, with full members Evansville, UIC, Missouri State, Southern Illinois, and Valparaiso joined by new affiliates Ball State and Miami (OH)— previously, all these programs were housed in the Mid-American Conference.[36]

Teams in Missouri Valley Conference competition
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball
10
—
Basketball
12
10
Cross country
11
10
Golf
10
10
Soccer
9
9
Softball
—
10
Swimming & diving
7
9
Tennis
—
7
Track and field (indoor)
10
10
Track and field (outdoor)
10
10
Volleyball
—
10

Men's sponsored sports by school

[edit]
School Baseball Basketball Cross
country		 Golf Soccer Swimming
& diving		 Track & field
(indoor)		 Track & field
(outdoor)		 Total MVC
sports
Belmont Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 7
Bradley Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 7
Drake No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 6
Evansville Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 8
UIC Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 7
Illinois State Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes 6
Indiana State Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes 5
Missouri State Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No 5
Murray State Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No 4
Northern Iowa No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes 5
Southern Illinois Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 7
Valparaiso Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes[a] Yes Yes 7
Totals 10 12 11 10 6+3[b] 5+2[c] 10 10 74+5
  1. ^ Valparaiso does not include diving in its intercollegiate aquatics program.
  2. ^ Men's soccer associates Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan.
  3. ^ Men's swimming & diving associates Ball State and Miami (Ohio).

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Missouri Valley Conference which are played by Valley schools:

School Football Rifle[a] Tennis Wrestling
Belmont No No Horizon No
Drake Pioneer League No Summit No
UIC No No MAC No
Illinois State MVFC No Summit No
Indiana State MVFC No No No
Missouri State MVFC No No No
Murray State MVFC OVC[b] No No
Northern Iowa MVFC No No Big 12
Southern Illinois MVFC No No No
Valparaiso Pioneer League No No No
  1. ^ Rifle is a fully coeducational sport, though the NCAA treats it as a men's sport for purposes of its sports sponsorship regulations.
  2. ^ Murray State fields a single coeducational rifle team.

Women's sponsored sports by school

[edit]
School Basketball Cross
country		 Golf Soccer Softball Swimming Tennis Track & field
(indoor)		 Track & field
(outdoor)		 Volleyball Total MVC
sports
Belmont Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
Bradley Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 8
Drake Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
Evansville Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 9
UIC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Illinois State Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Indiana State Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 9
Missouri State Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Murray State Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
Northern Iowa Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Southern Illinois Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 8
Valparaiso Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes[a] Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Totals 12 12 12 11 12 7+1[b] 9 12 12 12 92+1
  1. ^ Valparaiso does not include diving in its intercollegiate aquatics program for either men or women.
  2. ^ Swimming & diving associate Little Rock

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Missouri Valley Conference which are played by Valley schools:

School Acrobatics &
tumbling[a]		 Beach volleyball Bowling Gymnastics Rifle[b] Rowing Stunt[a]
Drake No No No No No MAAC No
Illinois State No No No MIC No No No
Missouri State Independent CUSA No No No No Independent
Murray State No No No No OVC[c] No No
Valparaiso No No CUSA No No No No
  1. ^ a b Part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.
  2. ^ Rifle is a fully coeducational sport, though the NCAA treats it as a men's sport for purposes of its sports sponsorship regulations.
  3. ^ Murray State fields a single coeducational rifle team.

Facilities

[edit]
School Soccer Stadium Capacity Basketball Center Capacity Softball Complex Capacity Baseball Field Capacity
Belmont
[37] 		E. S. Rose Park 300 Curb Event Center 5,085 E. S. Rose Park 250 E. S. Rose Park 750
Bradley
[38] 		Shea Stadium 3,800 Men: Carver Arena
Women: Renaissance Coliseum 		11,060
4,200 		Louisville Slugger Sports Complex 1,000 Dozer Park 7,500
Drake
[39] 		Mediacom Stadium 4,000 The Knapp Center 6,424 Ron Buel Field 500 Non-baseball school
Evansville
[40] 		Arad McCutchan Stadium 2,500 Men: Ford Center
Women: Meeks Family Fieldhouse 		10,000
1,087 		James & Dorothy
Cooper Stadium 		650 Charles H. Braun Stadium 1,200
UIC
[41] 		Flames Field 1,200 Credit Union 1 Arena 8,000 Flames Field 500 Curtis Granderson Stadium 2,000
Illinois State
[42] 		Adelaide Street Field 1,000 CEFCU Arena 10,200 Marian Kneer Softball Stadium 1,050 Duffy Bass Field 1,000
Indiana State
[43] 		Memorial Stadium 12,764 Hulman Center 9,000 Eleanor Forsythe St. John Softball Complex 700 Sycamore Stadium 2,000
Missouri State
[44] 		Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium 1,500 Great Southern Bank Arena 11,000 Killian Softball Stadium 1,200 Hammons Field 8,000
Murray State
[45] 		Cutchin Field 250 CFSB Center 8,600 Racer Field 500 Johnny Reagan Field 800
Northern Iowa
[46] 		UNI Soccer Field — McLeod Center 6,500 Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex — Non-baseball school
Southern Illinois
[47] 		Saluki Stadium 15,000 Banterra Center 8,339 Charlotte West Stadium 502 Itchy Jones Stadium 2,000
Valparaiso
[48] 		Brown Field 5,000 Athletics–Recreation Center 5,000 Valpo Softball Complex — Emory G. Bauer Field 500
Affiliate members
Bowling Green
[49] 		Mickey Cochrane Stadium 1,500 Men's soccer-only member
Northern Illinois
[50] 		NIU Soccer and Track & Field Complex 1,500 Men's soccer-only member
Western Michigan
[51] 		WMU Soccer Complex 1,000 Men's soccer-only member
Note
  1. For football venues of the member schools who participate in the sport, see Missouri Valley Football Conference | Facilities and Pioneer Football League | Conference facilities.

Basketball tournament champions by year

[edit]
Main articles: Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament and Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament

The Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament is often referred to as Arch Madness, in reference to the Gateway Arch at the tournament's present location of St. Louis, Missouri, and a play on "March Madness". The women's tournament is currently promoted as Hoops in the Heartland.

Season Men's Champion Women's Champion
1977 Southern Illinois No Tournament
1978 Creighton No Tournament
1979 Indiana State No Tournament
1980 Bradley No Tournament
1981 Creighton No Tournament
1982 Tulsa No Tournament
1983 Illinois State Illinois State
1984 Tulsa No Tournament
1985 Wichita State No Tournament
1986 Tulsa No Tournament
1987 Wichita State Southern Illinois
1988 Bradley Eastern Illinois
1989 Creighton Illinois State
1990 Illinois State Southern Illinois
1991 Creighton Southwest Missouri State
1992 Southwest Missouri State Southwest Missouri State
1993 Southern Illinois Southwest Missouri State
1994 Southern Illinois Southwest Missouri State
1995 Southern Illinois Drake
1996 Tulsa Southwest Missouri State
1997 Illinois State Illinois State
1998 Illinois State Illinois State
1999 Creighton Evansville
2000 Creighton Drake
2001 Indiana State Southwest Missouri State
2002 Creighton Creighton
2003 Creighton Southwest Missouri State
2004 Northern Iowa Southwest Missouri State
2005 Creighton Illinois State
2006 Southern Illinois Missouri State
2007 Creighton Drake
2008 Drake Illinois State
2009 Northern Iowa Evansville
2010 Northern Iowa Northern Iowa
2011 Indiana State Northern Iowa
2012 Creighton Creighton
2013 Creighton Wichita State
2014 Wichita State Wichita State
2015 Northern Iowa Wichita State
2016 Northern Iowa Missouri State
2017 Wichita State Drake
2018 Loyola Chicago Drake
2019 Bradley Missouri State
2020 Bradley Canceled (COVID-19 pandemic)
2021 Loyola Chicago Bradley
2022 Loyola Chicago Illinois State
2023 Drake Drake
2024 Drake Drake

NB: Missouri State was known as Southwest Missouri State until August 2005.

Postseason history multiple bids

[edit]
NCAA tournament
Year MVC Rep.
1979 (1) Indiana State (10) New Mexico State
1981 (6) Wichita State (8) Creighton
1984 (4) Tulsa (8) Illinois State
1985 (6) Tulsa (9) Illinois State (11) Wichita State
1986 (7) Bradley (10) Tulsa
1987 (11) Tulsa (11) Wichita State
1988 (9) Bradley (12) Wichita State
1994 (11) Southern Illinois (12) Tulsa
1995 (6) Tulsa (10) Southern Illinois
1996 (8) Bradley (11) Tulsa
1999 (10) Creighton (11) Evansville (12) Southwest Missouri State
2000 (10) Creighton (12) Indiana State
2001 (10) Creighton (13) Indiana State
2002 (11) Southern Illinois (12) Creighton
2003 (6) Creighton (11) Southern Illinois
2004 (9) Southern Illinois (14) Northern Iowa
2005 (7) Southern Illinois (10) Creighton (11) Northern Iowa
2006 (7) Wichita State (10) Northern Iowa (11) Southern Illinois (13) Bradley
2007 (4) Southern Illinois (10) Creighton
2012 (5) Wichita State (8) Creighton
2013 (7) Creighton (9) Wichita State
2015 (5) Northern Iowa (7) Wichita State
2016 (11) Northern Iowa (11) Wichita State
2021 (8) Loyola Chicago (11) Drake

National team titles by institution

[edit]

School – Number – NCAA championships

  • Belmont
  • Bradley – 2 [52]
  • Drake – 3 [52]
  • Evansville – 0+5* [52]
  • UIC
  • Illinois State – 0+1* [52]
  • Indiana State – 1 [52]
  • Missouri State – 0 +2* [52]
  • Murray State
  • UNI – 1+2* [52]
  • Southern Illinois – 5+3* [52]
  • Valparaiso – 0[52]

NCAA Championships as of March 2013

(*-Titles won by schools in Division II/College Division prior to their moving to Division I in the late 1960s or early 1970s)

Football poll, Helms and AIAW titles are not included in the NCAA Championship count.

Men's basketball attendance

[edit]

Sources:[53][54][55]

The Valley is well known for having some of the most dedicated fanbases in all of college basketball, with several members regularly selling out their large arenas on a nightly basis throughout the year. Former member (Creighton) had the sixth highest attendance for Division I in 2012–13 while Bradley, Illinois State, Missouri State, and Indiana State were all among the NCAA's top 100 teams in home attendance.

In 2010–11, 2011–12, and 2012–13, the Valley maintained its position as the eighth ranked conference in average attendance.

The Valley made history in March 2007 with record attendance for four days at St. Louis' Scottrade Center as 85,074 fans turned out to watch the five sessions of the tournament. The two sellout crowds of 22,612 for the semifinals and final of the 2007 State Farm Tournament set an all-time attendance record for basketball at the arena and also gave The Valley the distinction of having the largest championship crowd for any of the 30 NCAA conference tournaments in 2007.[56]

Football champions by year

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Main article: Missouri Valley Conference football

MVC TV Network

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Since at least 1993, the MVC has produced an in-house package of sports as part of the MVC TV Network.[57]Starting in 1996, those telecasts were produced, in part, by Bally Sports Midwest (formerly Fox Sports Midwest). These games were distributed to regional sports networks including Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, and NBC Sports Chicago (as well as shown on Bally Sports Midwest).[58]Until the 2020–21 season, some of these telecasts also aired on Fox College Sports. Outside of regional networks these telecasts were also available on ESPN3 until the 2018–19 season; those telecasts were then migrated over to ESPN+.[59]

Starting with the 2024-25 academic year, production and distribution rights were acquired by Gray Media, with Gray Media-owned Indianapolis-based Tupelo Honey handling the actual production and distribution.[60] It is a linear over-the-air station package distributed in Gray Media markets within the MVC member states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee as well as third-party broadcast partners in markets within those same states where Gray Media has no presence; in addition, simulcasts will be available live nationally (via ESPN+ and through the ESPN app) without any digital blackouts (prior contracts prohibited simulcast availability within the MVC footprint).

The MVC TV Network serves as the home for the opening and quarterfinal rounds of Arch Madness (the nickname for the MVC men's basketball tournament).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "History of the MIAA – America's Oldest Collegiate Conference". MIAA. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 4, 2019. Retrieved September 5, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Merger Creates Dynamite Dozen". Los Angeles Times. August 27, 1996. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "MVC in the NCAA and NIT" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on May 8, 2018.
  5. ^ Thamel, Pete. "Sources: Wichita State in talks to join AAC". SI.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  6. ^ Katz, Andy. "Source: Wichita St. eyes 2017 move to AAC". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  7. ^ "American Athletic Conference - Wichita State to Become Member of American Athletic Conference". American Athletic Conference. February 21, 2017. Archived from the original on May 14, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
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  9. ^ "It's Official. Welcome, Valparaiso" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. May 25, 2017. Archived from the original on June 12, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  10. ^ "Belmont University to Join Missouri Valley Conference" (Press release). Belmont Bruins. September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  11. ^ "Atlantic 10 Conference Accepts Loyola University Chicago as Full Member Institution" (Press release). Atlantic 10 Conference. November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  12. ^ Norlander, Matt (November 16, 2021). "Missouri Valley Conference loses Loyola Chicago but pursuing Murray State, UT Arlington and Kansas City". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  13. ^ "Murray State University Joins The Missouri Valley Conference" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  14. ^ "University of Texas at Arlington Accepts Invitation to Join WAC" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  15. ^ Brown, Matt (January 5, 2022). "MVC expected to add Murray State, likely to add more". Extra Points. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  16. ^ Norlander, Matt (January 22, 2022). "UIC to join Missouri Valley Conference in July, rounding out league's expansion effort at 12 teams". CBSSports.com. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "UIC to Join the Missouri Valley Conference" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. January 26, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
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  24. ^ "Loyola University Chicago | Loyola at a Glance Loyola at a Glance". Luc.edu. Archived from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  25. ^ "Marshall Joins MVC As Women's Swimming & Diving Affiliate Member" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  26. ^ "Sun Belt Presidents/Chancellors add two sports, look into adding third" (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  27. ^ "MVC Adds SIUE As Men's Soccer Affiliate". Missouri Valley Conference. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  28. ^ "Stony Brook Athletics to Discontinue Men's Tennis" (Press release). Stony Brook Seawolves. March 31, 2017. Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i "2011–12 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball media guide" (PDF). Missouri Valley Conference. 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  30. ^ "ACC Jobs Expected To Be Filled". Greensboro, North Carolina: Radford News Journal. April 29, 1969. pp. 8 (on page 5). Retrieved February 20, 2013.
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  34. ^ "Doug Elgin, current Commissioner". MVC-Sports.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  35. ^ "Missouri Valley Conference Sports". MVC-Sports.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  36. ^ "MVC To Sponsor Men's Swimming & Diving in 2024-25" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  37. ^ BELMONT UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC FACILITIES at BelmontBruins.com, URL accessed December 5, 2024.
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  53. ^ "NCAA Men's Basketball Attendance | NCAA.org – The Official Site of the NCAA". NCAA.org. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
  54. ^ "Official NCAA attendance figures". Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
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  56. ^ "MVC official site:"This is the MVC"". Archived from the original on March 16, 2010.
  57. ^ "MVC To Televise 24-Game Network Package". mvc-sports.com. October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  58. ^ "MVC TV Network (PDF) - Missouri Valley Conference" (PDF). mvc-sports.com. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  59. ^ "Everything You Need to Know About the MVC and ESPN+". mvc-sports.com. April 10, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  60. ^ "MVC & Gray Media Execute Multi-Year Broadcasting Agreement". mvc-sports.com. September 10, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
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