Missouri Valley Conference

Last updated
Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference logo.svg
Association NCAA
Founded1907;116 years ago (1907)
Commissioner Jeff Jackson (since 2021)
Sports fielded
  • 17
    • men's: 7
    • women's: 10
Division Division I
Subdivisionnon-football
No. of teams12
Headquarters St. Louis, Missouri
Region Midwestern & Southern United States
Official website www.mvc-sports.com
Locations
Missouri Valley Conference map.svg
Missouri Valley Conference
Location of MVC members: Blue pog.svg full member, Green pog.svg affiliate member. Not pictured: affiliate member Marshall

The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest.

Contents

History

The MVC was established in 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association or MVIAA, 12 years after the Big Ten, the only Division I conference that is older. It is the third oldest college athletic conference in the United States, after the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA Division III Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). [1] The MVIAA split in 1928, with most of the larger schools forming a conference that retained the MVIAA name; this conference evolved into the Big Eight Conference. 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. The Big Eight merged with four Texas schools of the Southwest Conference to form the Big 12 Conference in 1996. [2]

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. [3]

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, [4] [5] 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. [6] The conference announced it extended an invitation to Valparaiso University on May 9, 2017; [7] and on May 25, the MVC announced that Valparaiso would officially join the following July 1. [8]

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. [9] Then, on November 16, Loyola University Chicago announced it would leave the MVC at the same time, joining the Atlantic 10 Conference. [10] 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. [11] On January 7, 2022, the MVC announced that Murray State would officially join the conference on July 1 of that year. [12] UT Arlington would soon remove itself from the list of candidates by announcing a 2022 move to the Western Athletic Conference. [13]

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): [14]

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. [15] UIC's entry was officially announced on January 26. [16]

Member schools

Current full members

InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedTypeEnrollment [17] NicknameColors
Belmont University Nashville, Tennessee 18902022 [lower-alpha 1] Private8,700 Bruins      
Bradley University Peoria, Illinois 18971948,
1955 [lower-alpha 2]
Private5,451 Braves    
Drake University Des Moines, Iowa 18811907,
1956 [lower-alpha 2]
Private5,270 Bulldogs    
University of Evansville Evansville, Indiana 18541994Private2,526 Purple Aces      
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, Illinois 19462022Public30,539 Flames    
Illinois State University Normal, Illinois 18571981Public20,683 Redbirds    
Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana 18651976 [lower-alpha 3] Public13,584 Sycamores    
Missouri State University Springfield, Missouri 19051990Public26,000 [18] Bears
Lady Bears
   
Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 19222022Public10,495 Racers    
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa 18761991Public12,273 Panthers    
Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois 18691975Public11,695 Salukis    
Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana 18592017 [lower-alpha 4] Private2,900 Beacons [lower-alpha 5]    
Notes
  1. Belmont had been an MVC affiliate in men's soccer for the 2000 fall season (2000–01 school year).
  2. 1 2 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. The Indiana State men's basketball team joined the MVC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (1977–78).
  4. 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).
  5. 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

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

InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedTypeEnrollmentNicknamePrimary
conference
MVC
sport(s)
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas 19272013–14Public13,167 Trojans OVC women's swimming
Marshall University Huntington, West Virginia 18372022–23 [19] [lower-alpha 1] Public11,926 Thundering Herd Sun Belt women's swimming
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville [21] Edwardsville, Illinois 19572021–22 [lower-alpha 2] Public14,000 Cougars OVC men's soccer
Notes
  1. 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. [20]
  2. SIUE had previously been an affiliate member in men's soccer from the 2010 to 2016 fall seasons (2010–11 to 2016–17 school years).

Future affiliate members

InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinsTypeEnrollmentNicknamePrimary
conference
MVC
sport(s)
Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio 19102023–24 [lower-alpha 1] Public18,142 Falcons MAC men's soccer
Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois 189516,769 Huskies
Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan 190319,887 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

Former full members (25)

InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedLeftTypeEnrollmentNicknameCurrent
conference
Butler University Indianapolis, Indiana 185519321934Private4,667 Bulldogs Big East
University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 181919571970Public42,421 Bearcats The American
(Big 12 in 2023)
Creighton University Omaha, Nebraska 18781928,
1976 [lower-alpha 1]
1948,
2013
Private7,730 Bluejays Big East
University of Detroit [lower-alpha 2] Detroit, Michigan 187719491956Private5,450 Titans Horizon
Grinnell College Grinnell, Iowa 184619181939Private1,688 Pioneers Midwest
(NCAA Division III)
University of Houston Houston, Texas 192719511959Public39,820 Cougars The American
(Big 12 in 2023)
University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 184719071908Public30,328 Hawkeyes Big Ten
Iowa State College [lower-alpha 3] Ames, Iowa 185819071928Public29,887 Cyclones Big 12
University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas 186519071928Public29,462 Jayhawks Big 12
Kansas State College [lower-alpha 4] Manhattan, Kansas 186319131928Public23,863 Wildcats Big 12
University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky 17981963 [lower-alpha 5] 1975Public19,743 Cardinals ACC
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, Illinois 187020132022Private16,437 [24] Ramblers Atlantic 10
Memphis State University [lower-alpha 6] Memphis, Tennessee 191219681973Public23,031 Tigers The American
University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri 183919071928Public33,805 Tigers SEC
University of Nebraska Lincoln, Nebraska 18691907,
1921
1919,
1928
Public24,593 Cornhuskers Big Ten
New Mexico State University [lower-alpha 7] Las Cruces, New Mexico 188819701983Public18,497 Aggies WAC
(C-USA in 2023)
North Texas State University [lower-alpha 8] Denton, Texas 189019571975Public35,694 Mean Green C-USA
(The American in 2023)
University of Oklahoma Norman, Oklahoma 189019191928Public30,303 Sooners Big 12
(SEC in 2025)
Oklahoma A&M College [lower-alpha 9] Stillwater, Oklahoma 189019251956Public21,419 Aggies/Cowboys [lower-alpha 10] Big 12
Saint Louis University St. Louis, Missouri 181819371974Private13,785 Billikens Atlantic 10
University of Tulsa Tulsa, Oklahoma 189419351996Private4,165 Golden Hurricane The American
Washburn University Topeka, Kansas 186519351942Public7,303 Ichabods MIAA
(NCAA Division II)
Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri 185319071942Private14,070 Bears UAA
(NCAA Division III)
West Texas State University [lower-alpha 11] Canyon, Texas 191019721986Public7,843 Buffaloes Lone Star
(NCAA Division II)
Wichita State University Wichita, Kansas 189519492017Public14,495 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. Currently known as Iowa State University.
  4. Currently known as Kansas State University.
  5. The Louisville men's basketball team joined the MVC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (1964–65).
  6. Currently known as the University of Memphis.
  7. 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).
  8. Currently known as the University of North Texas.
  9. Currently known as Oklahoma State University–Stillwater.
  10. 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.
  11. Currently known as West Texas A&M University.

Former affiliate members

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).

InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedLeftTypeEnrollmentNicknamePrimary
conference
MVC
sport(s)
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas 19271998–991999–2000Public13,167 Trojans OVC women's soccer
University of Central Arkansas Conway, Arkansas 19072010–112018–19Public13,863 Bears ASUN men's soccer
Dallas Baptist University Dallas, Texas 18982013–142022–23Private5,545 Patriots Lone Star
(NCAA Division II)
(C-USA for baseball)
baseball
Drury University Springfield, Missouri 18731999–20002004–05Private5,474 Panthers GLVC
(NCAA Division II)
women's soccer
Eastern Illinois University Charleston, Illinois 18951996–972010–11Public11,651 Panthers OVC
(Summit for men's soccer)
men's soccer
University of Hartford Hartford, Connecticut 18772014–152015–16Private6,935 Hawks Independent
(Commonwealth Coast Conference in 2023)
men's tennis [lower-alpha 1]
University of Maryland, Baltimore County Catonsville, Maryland 19662014–152015–16Public13,908 Retrievers America East men's tennis [lower-alpha 2]
Southern Methodist University University Park, Texas 19112000–012004–05Private12,000 Mustangs The American men's soccer
Stony Brook University Stony Brook, New York 19572014–152022–23Public24,594 Seawolves CAA men's tennis (until 2016–17), women's tennis [lower-alpha 3]
Texas Christian University Fort Worth, Texas 18732000–012000–01Private9,518 Horned Frogs Big 12 men's soccer [lower-alpha 4]
University of Tulsa [lower-alpha 5] Tulsa, Oklahoma 18942000–012004–05Private4,165 Golden Hurricane The American men's soccer
Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee 18731997–982005–06Private12,714 Commodores SEC men's soccer [lower-alpha 6]
Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, Kentucky 19061997–982007–08Public21,048 Hilltoppers C-USA men's soccer [lower-alpha 7]
Notes
  1. Hartford dropped men's tennis after the 2015–16 school year.
  2. UMBC dropped men's tennis after the 2015–16 season.
  3. 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. [25]
  4. TCU dropped men's soccer after the 2002 fall season (2002–03 school year).
  5. 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).
  6. Vanderbilt dropped men's soccer after the 2005 fall season (2005–06 school year).
  7. Western Kentucky dropped men's soccer after the 2007 fall season (2007–08 school year).

Membership timeline

Western Michigan UniversityNorthern Illinois UniversityBowling Green State UniversityMarshall UniversityUniversity of Illinois ChicagoMurray State UniversityUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore CountyStony Brook UniversityUniversity of HartfordDallas Baptist UniversityLoyola University ChicagoUniversity of Central ArkansasSouthern Illinois University EdwardsvilleBelmont UniversityTexas Christian UniversitySouthern Methodist UniversityDrury UniversityUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockVanderbilt UniversityWestern Kentucky UniversityValparaiso UniversityEastern Illinois UniversityUniversity of EvansvilleUniversity of Northern IowaMissouri State UniversityIllinois State UniversityIndiana State UniversitySouthern Illinois University CarbondaleWest Texas A&M UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityUniversity of MemphisUniversity of LouisvilleUniversity of North TexasUniversity of CincinnatiUniversity of HoustonUniversity of Detroit MercyBradley UniversityWichita State UniversitySaint Louis UniversityWashburn UniversityUniversity of TulsaButler UniversityCreighton UniversityOklahoma State University–StillwaterUniversity of OklahomaGrinnell CollegeKansas State UniversityWashington University in St. LouisUniversity of NebraskaUniversity of MissouriUniversity of KansasIowa State UniversityUniversity of IowaDrake UniversityMissouri Valley Conference

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

Commissioners

  1. C. E. McClung (1907–19??) [26]
  2. Arthur (Artie) E. Eilers (1925–1957) [26]
  3. Norvell Neve (1957–1969) [26] [27]
  4. DeWitt T. Weaver (1969–1972) [26]
  5. Mickey Holmes (1972–1979) [28] [26]
  6. David Price (1979–1981) [29] [26]
  7. Richard D. Martin (1981–1985) [26]
  8. James A. Haney (1985–1988) [30] [26]
  9. Doug Elgin (1988 – 2021) [26] [31]
  10. Jeff Jackson (2021 – Present)

Sports

Former Missouri Valley Conference logo Missouri Valley Conference former logo.png
Former Missouri Valley Conference logo

The Missouri Valley Conference sponsors championship competition in seven men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. [32] Little Rock and Marshall are affiliates for swimming and diving and SIU Edwardsville is an affiliate in men's soccer.

The most recent change to the roster of sports was the dropping of men's tennis after the 2016–17 school year due to a lack of participating teams. Two of the four full conference members that sponsored the sport in that season no longer play men's tennis in the MVC. Southern Illinois dropped both men's and women's tennis, [33] and Wichita State joined the American Athletic Conference. Affiliate member Stony Brook dropped men's tennis after the 2016–17 season. The two remaining MVC men's tennis schools from 2016 to 2017, Drake and Illinois State, joined the Summit League for that sport, [34] and incoming MVC member Valparaiso also joined the Summit League in men's tennis.

Teams in Missouri Valley Conference competition
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
10
-
Basketball
12
10
Cross country
11
10
Golf
10
10
Soccer
7
9
Softball
-
10
Swimming & Diving
-
9
Tennis
-
7
Track and field (indoor)
10
10
Track and field (outdoor)
10
10
Volleyball
-
10

Men's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBaseballBasketballCross
Country
GolfSoccerTrack & Field
(Indoor)
Track & Field
(Outdoor)
Total MVC
Sports
BelmontGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg7
BradleyGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg7
DrakeRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
EvansvilleGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg7
UICGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
Illinois StateGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
Indiana StateGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
Missouri StateGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svg4
Murray StateGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgRed x.svgRed x.svg4
UNIRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg5
Southern IllinoisGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
ValparaisoGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg6
Totals101211106+1 [lower-alpha 1] 101069+1
  1. Men's Soccer associate SIU Edwardsville is departing in 2023. Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan become associates in 2023.

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

SchoolFootballRifle [lower-alpha 1] Swimming & DivingTennisWrestling
BelmontNoNoNo Horizon No
Drake Pioneer League NoNo Summit No
EvansvilleNoNo MAC NoNo
Illinois State MVFC NoNo Summit No
Indiana State MVFC NoNoNoNo
Missouri State MVFC No MAC NoNo
Murray State OVC [lower-alpha 2] OVC [lower-alpha 3] NoNoNo
UNI MVFC NoNoNo Big 12
Southern Illinois MVFC No MAC NoNo
UICNoNo MAC Southland No
Valparaiso Pioneer League No MAC [lower-alpha 4] NoNo
  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 football will compete in the OVC in 2022, but will join the MVFC in 2023.
  3. Murray State fields a single coeducational rifle team.
  4. Valparaiso does not include diving in its intercollegiate aquatics program.

Women's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBasketballCross
Country
GolfSoccerSoftballSwimmingTennisTrack & Field
(Indoor)
Track & Field
(Outdoor)
VolleyballTotal MVC
Sports
BelmontGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg9
BradleyGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg8
DrakeGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg9
EvansvilleGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg9
UICGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
Illinois StateGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
Indiana StateGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg9
Missouri StateGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
Murray StateGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg9
UNIGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
Southern IllinoisGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg8
ValparaisoGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg [lower-alpha 1] Green check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
Totals1010109107+2 [lower-alpha 2] 610101092+1
  1. Valparaiso does not include diving in its intercollegiate aquatics program for either men or women.
  2. Swimming & diving associates Little Rock and Marshall; the latter will leave after the 2022–23 season when its full-time home of the Sun Belt Conference adds that sport.

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

SchoolBeach volleyballBowlingGymnasticsRifle [lower-alpha 1] Rowing
DrakeNoNoNoNo MAAC
Illinois StateNoNo MIC NoNo
Missouri State CCSA NoNoNoNo
Murray StateNoNoNo OVC [lower-alpha 2] No
ValparaisoNo Southland Bowling NoNoNo
  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.

Facilities

Future members in gray.

SchoolSoccer stadiumCapacityBasketball arenaCapacitySoftball fieldCapacityBaseball fieldCapacity
Belmont E. S. Rose Park 300 Curb Event Center 5,085Cheryl Holt Field300 E. S. Rose Park 750
Bradley Shea Stadium 3,800 Peoria Civic Center (men)
Renaissance Coliseum (women)
11,433
4,200
Petersen Hotels Field [35] 1,000 Dozer Park 7,500
Drake James W. Cownie Soccer Complex2,000 Knapp Center 6,424Ron Buel Field500Non-baseball school
Evansville Arad McCutchan Stadium 2,500 Ford Center (men)
Meeks Family Fieldhouse (women)
10,000
1,087
James & Dorothy
Cooper Stadium
650 Charles H. Braun Stadium 1,200
UIC Flames Field 1,000 Credit Union 1 Arena 8,000 Flames Field 500 Curtis Granderson Stadium 2,000
Illinois State Adelaide Street Field1,000 Redbird Arena 10,200Marian Kneer
Softball Stadium
1,050 Duffy Bass Field 1,200
Indiana State Non-soccer school Hulman Center 10,200Price Field At
Eleanor Forsythe St. John
Softball Complex
700 Sycamore Stadium 2,500
Missouri State Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium1,000 JQH Arena 11,000Killian Softball Stadium1,200 Hammons Field 7,986
Murray State Cutchin Field250 CFSB Center 8,600Racer Field500 Johnny Reagan Field 800
UNI Cedar Valley Soccer Complex McLeod Center 7,018Robinson-Dresser
Sports Complex
Non-baseball school
Southern Illinois Lew Hartzog Complex500 Banterra Center 8,339Charlotte West Stadium502 Itchy Jones Stadium 2,000
Valparaiso Brown Field 5,000 Athletics–Recreation Center 5,000Valpo Softball Complex Emory G. Bauer Field 500
Affiliate members
Bowling Green Mickey Cochrane Stadium 1,500Men's soccer-only member
Northern Illinois NIU Soccer Complex 1,500Men's soccer-only member
SIU Edwardsville Ralph Korte Stadium 4,000Men's soccer-only member
Western Michigan WMU Soccer Complex 1,000Men's soccer-only member
Note
  1. For the football venues of schools who participate in the sport, see Facilities of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Facilities of the Pioneer Football League.

Basketball tournament champions by year

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.

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

Postseason History Multiple Bids

SeasonMen's ChampionWomen's Champion
1977 Southern IllinoisNo Tournament
1978 CreightonNo Tournament
1979 Indiana StateNo Tournament
1980 BradleyNo Tournament
1981 CreightonNo Tournament
1982 TulsaNo Tournament
1983 Illinois StateIllinois State
1984 TulsaNo Tournament
1985 Wichita StateNo Tournament
1986 TulsaNo Tournament
1987 Wichita StateSouthern Illinois
1988 BradleyEastern Illinois
1989 CreightonIllinois State
1990 Illinois StateSouthern Illinois
1991 CreightonMissouri State
1992 Missouri StateMissouri State
1993 Southern IllinoisMissouri State
1994 Southern IllinoisMissouri State
1995 Southern IllinoisDrake
1996 TulsaMissouri State
1997 Illinois StateIllinois State
1998 Illinois StateIllinois State
1999 CreightonEvansville
2000 CreightonDrake
2001 Indiana StateMissouri State
2002 CreightonCreighton
2003 CreightonMissouri State
2004 UNIMissouri State
2005 CreightonIllinois State
2006 Southern IllinoisMissouri State
2007 CreightonDrake
2008 DrakeIllinois State
2009 UNIEvansville
2010 UNIUNI
2011 Indiana StateUNI
2012 CreightonCreighton
2013 CreightonWichita State
2014 Wichita StateWichita State
2015 UNIWichita State
2016 UNIMissouri State
2017 Wichita StateDrake
2018 Loyola ChicagoDrake
2019 BradleyMissouri State
2020 BradleyCanceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Loyola ChicagoBradley
2022 Loyola Chicago Illinois State
2023 Drake Drake
NCAA tournament
YearMVC Rep.
1979 (1) Indiana State(10) New Mexico State
1981 (6) Wichita St(8) Creighton
1984 (4) Tulsa(8) Illinois State
1985 (6) Tulsa(9) Illinois State(11) Wichita St
1986 (7) Bradley(10) Tulsa
1987 (11) Wichita St(11) Tulsa
1988 (9) Bradley(12) Wichita St
1994 (11) Southern Illinois(12) Tulsa
1995 (6) Tulsa(10) Southern Illinois
1996 (8) Bradley(11) Tulsa
1999 (10) Creighton(12) Southwest Missouri State(11) Evansville
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 St(10) Northern Iowa(11) Southern Illinois(13) Bradley
2007 (4) Southern Illinois(10) Creighton
2012 (5) Wichita St(8) Creighton
2013 (7) Creighton(9) Wichita St
2015 (7) Wichita St(5) Northern Iowa
2016 (11) Wichita St(11) Northern Iowa
2021 (8) Loyola Chicago(11) Drake

National team titles by institution

School – Number – NCAA Championships

  • Belmont
  • Bradley – 2 [36]
  • Drake – 3 [36]
  • Evansville – 0+5* [36]
  • Illinois State – 0+1* [36]
  • Indiana State – 1 [36]
  • Missouri State – 0 +2* [36]
  • UNI – 1+2* [36]
  • Southern Illinois – 5+3* [36]
  • Valparaiso – 0 [36]

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

Sources: [37] [38] [39]

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. [40]

Football champions by year

MVC Network

Since at least 1993, the MVC has produced an in-house package of sports as part of the MVC Network. [42] Since 1996, these telecasts have produced, in part, by Bally Sports Midwest (formerly Fox Sports Midwest). These games are distributed to regional sports networks including Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Indiana and NBC Sports Chicago. [43] Until the 2020-21 season, these telecasts also aired on Fox College Sports. Outside of regional networks these telecasts were also available on ESPN3 until the 2018-19 season. These telecasts are now available on ESPN+. [44] The MVC Network is home to the first two rounds of Arch Madness, the nickname for the MVC men's basketball tournament.

See also

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