Missouri Valley Conference
 | |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Doug Elgin |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division I |
| Subdivision | non-football |
| Region | Midwestern United States |
| Official website | www |
| Locations | |
 | |
The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the second-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Currently, its members are located in the midwestern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I.
The MVC was founded in 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA), 12 years after the Big Ten, the only Division I conference that is older. However, some consider the MVC to have been formed from a split of the MVIAA in 1928. Most of the larger schools formed a conference that retained the MVIAA name and would ultimately become the Big Eight Conference. The smaller schools, plus Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University–Stillwater, which ultimately joined the Big Eight in 1957), formed the MVC. During the Big Eight's existence, both conferences claimed 1907 as their founding date, as well as the same history through 1927. It was never definitively established which conference was the original, but given that the Big Eight merged with four Texas schools of the Southwest Conference to form the Big 12 Conference in 1996,[1] only the MVC continues to have a claim to the original heritage.
During the 2006–07 college basketball season, MVC teams held a 74–27 non-conference record, including a record of 44–1 at home. The Valley finished in the Top 6 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.[2]
The MVC has not sponsored football since 1985, when it was a hybrid I-A/I-AA (now FBS and FCS), respectively. However, five members have football programs in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (known as the Gateway from 1985–2008) of Division I FCS, and a sixth competes in another FCS conference, the Pioneer Football League. The Missouri Valley Conference shares its name with the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and the two also operate from the same headquarters complex in St. Louis. However, the two are separate administratively.
Member schools
Current members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment[3] | Endowment[3] | Nickname | Colors | U.S. News Ranking[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley University | Peoria, Illinois
(119,698) |
1897 | 1948, 1955† |
Private | 5,451 | $227,539,450 | Braves | Red & White |
4 (Regional-Midwest) |
| Drake University | Des Moines, Iowa
(203,433) |
1881 | 1907, 1956† |
Private | 5,270 | $149,284,407 | Bulldogs | Blue & White |
3 (Regional-Midwest) |
| University of Evansville | Evansville, Indiana
(120,235) |
1854 | 1994 | Private (Methodist) |
2,526 | $74,420,319 | Purple Aces (most) Lady Aces (women's basketball) |
Purple, White & Orange |
8 (Regional-Midwest) |
| Illinois State University | Normal, Illinois
(53,837) |
1857 | 1981 | Public | 20,706 | $67,288,958 | Redbirds | Red & White |
149 (National) |
| Indiana State University | Terre Haute, Indiana
(61,112) |
1865 | 1977 | Public | 13,584 | $47,585,398 | Sycamores | Blue & White |
Not published (National) |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, Illinois
(2,718,782) |
1870 | 2013[4] | Private (Catholic/Jesuit) |
15,720 | $405,955,000 | Ramblers | Maroon & Gold |
99 (National) |
| Missouri State University | Springfield, Missouri
(164,122) |
1905 | 1990 | Public | 20,629 | $62,262,517 | Bears (men's) Lady Bears (women's basketball) |
Maroon & White |
64 (Regional-Midwest) |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, Iowa
(39,993) |
1876 | 1991 | Public | 12,273 | $68,600,583 | Panthers | Purple & Gold |
18 (Regional-Midwest) |
| Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, Illinois
(26,241) |
1869 | 1975 | Public | 18,847 | $94,596,800 | Salukis | Maroon & White |
153 (National) |
| Wichita State University | Wichita, Kansas
(385,577) |
1895 | 1945 | Public | 14,893 | $210,567,384 | Shockers | Yellow & Black |
Not published (National) |
† - Bradley and Drake both withdrew from the MVC during the 1951–52 academic 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. However, Bradley never returned to MVC football, dropping the sport in 1970, and Drake did not return for football until 1971.
Affiliate members
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 Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, Arkansas | 1907 | 2010 | Public | 13,863 | Bears | Southland | men's soccer |
| Dallas Baptist University | Dallas, Texas | 1898 | 2013 | Private | 5,545 | Patriots | Heartland (NCAA Division II) |
baseball |
| University of Hartford | Hartford, Connecticut | 1877 | 2014 | Private | 6,935 | Hawks | America East | men's tennis |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Little Rock) | Little Rock, Arkansas | 1927 | 2013 | Public | 13,167 | Trojans | Sun Belt | women's swimming |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) | Catonsville, Maryland | 1966 | 2014 | Public | 13,908 | Retrievers | America East | men's tennis |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, Illinois | 1957 | 2010 | Public | 14,265 | Cougars | OVC | men's soccer |
| Stony Brook University, SUNY | Stony Brook, New York | 1957 | 2014 | Public | 24,594 | Seawolves | America East | men's tennis |
Former members
Former full members
- Notes
- ^ Creighton previously withdrew from the MVC from 1948-49 to 1975-76
- ^ Currently known as the University of Detroit Mercy.
- ^ Currently known as Iowa State University.
- ^ Currently known as Kansas State University.
- ^ Currently known as the University of Memphis.
- ^ Currently known as the University of North Texas.
- ^ Currently known as Oklahoma State University–Stillwater.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Currently known as West Texas A&M University.
Former affiliate members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Primary Conference | MVC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, Arkansas | 1927 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | Public | 13,167 | Trojans | Sun Belt | women's soccer |
| Belmont University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1890 | 2000-01 | 2000-01 | Private | 6,374 | Bruins | OVC (Horizon League for men's soccer) |
men's soccer |
| Drury University | Springfield, Missouri | 1873 | 1999-2000 | 2004-05 | Private | 5,474 | Panthers | GLVC (NCAA Division II) |
women's soccer |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, Illinois | 1895 | 1996-97 | 2010-11 | Public | 11,651 | Panthers | OVC (The Summit League for men's soccer) |
men's soccer |
| Southern Methodist University | University Park, Texas | 1911 | 2000-01 | 2004-05 | Private | 12,000 | Mustangs | The American | men's soccer |
| Texas Christian University | Fort Worth, Texas | 1873 | 2000-01 | 2000-01 | Private | 9,518 | Horned Frogs | Big 12 | men's soccer[A 1] |
| University of Tulsa[A 2] | Tulsa, Oklahoma | 1894 | 2000-01 | 2004-05 | Private | 4,165 | Golden Hurricane | The American | men's soccer |
| Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Indiana | 1859 | 1996-97 | 1998-99 | Private | 4,061 | Crusaders | Horizon League | women's soccer |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1873 | 1997-98 | 2005-06 | Private | 12,714 | Commodores | SEC | men's soccer[A 3] |
| Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, Kentucky | 1906 | 1997-98 | 2007-08 | Public | 21,048 | Hilltoppers | C-USA | men's soccer[A 4] |
- Notes
Membership timeline
Full members (non-football) (Full members) Assoc. members (football only) Assoc. member (other sports)
Commissioners
- C.E. McClung (1907 – 19??)[5]
- Arthur (Artie) E. Eilers (1925 – 1957)[5]
- Norvell Neve (1957 – 1969)[5][6]
- DeWitt T. Weaver (1969 – 1972)[5]
- Mickey Holmes (1972 – 1979)[7][5]
- David Price (1979 – 1981)[8][5]
- Richard D. Martin (1981 – 1985)[5]
- James A. Haney (1985 – 1988)[9][5]
- Doug Elgin (1988 – present)[5][10]
Sports
The Missouri Valley Conference sponsors championship competition in eight men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[11] Central Arkansas and SIU Edwardsville are Affiliate members for men's soccer, Dallas Baptist is an Affiliate member for baseball, and Arkansas-Little Rock is an Affiliate member for swimming and diving.
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Cross Country | ||
| Golf | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Softball | ||
| Swimming & Diving | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Track and Field (Indoor) | ||
| Track and Field (outdoor) | ||
| Volleyball |
Men's sponsored sports by school
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country |
Golf | Soccer | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) |
Track & Field (Outdoor) |
Total MVC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley |  |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
6 |
| Drake | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
| Evansville | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
| Illinois State | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
| Indiana State | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
| Loyola | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
| Missouri State | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
| Northern Iowa | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 |
| Southern Illinois | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
| Wichita State | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
| Totals | 7+1* | 10 | 9 | 9 | 5+2** | 4+3*** | 7 | 8 | 59+6 |
- * = Baseball associate Dallas Baptist
- ** = Soccer associates Central Arkansas and SIU Edwardsville
- *** = Tennis associates Hartford, Stony Brook, and UMBC
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Missouri Valley Conference which are played by Valley schools:
| School | Football | Swimming & Diving | Volleyball | Wrestling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | Pioneer League | No | No | No |
| Evansville | No | MAC | No | No |
| Illinois State | MVFC | No | No | No |
| Indiana State | MVFC | No | No | No |
| Loyola | No | No | MIVA | No |
| Missouri State | MVFC | MAC | No | No |
| Northern Iowa | MVFC | No | No | MAC |
| Southern Illinois | MVFC | MAC | No | No |
Women's sponsored sports by school
| School | Basketball | Cross Country |
Golf | Soccer | Softball | Swimming | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) |
Track & Field (Outdoor) |
Volleyball | Total MVC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
| Drake | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
| Evansville | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
| Illinois State | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
| Indiana State | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
| Loyola | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
| Missouri State | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
| Northern Iowa | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 |
| Southern Illinois | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
| Wichita State | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
| Totals | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 5+1* | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 88+1 |
- * = Affiliate Arkansas–Little Rock (UALR).
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Missouri Valley Conference which are played by Valley schools:
| School | Field hockey | Gymnastics | Rowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | No | No | MAAC |
| Illinois State | No | MIC | No |
| Missouri State | MAC | No | No |
Facilities
| School | Soccer stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity | Softball field | Capacity | Baseball field | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley | Shea Stadium | 3,800 | Peoria Civic Center (men) Renaissance Coliseum (women) |
11,164 4,200 |
Laura Bradley Park | — | Dozer Park | 7,500 |
| Drake | James W. Cownie Soccer Complex | 2,000 | Knapp Center | 7,152 | Ron Buel Field | 500 | Non-baseball school | |
| Evansville | Arad McCutchan Stadium | 2,500 | Ford Center | 10,000 | James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium |
650 | Charles H. Braun Stadium | 1,200 |
| Illinois State | Adelaide Street Field | 1,000 | Redbird Arena | 10,200 | Marian Kneer Softball Stadium |
1,050 | Duffy Bass Field | 1,200 |
| Indiana State | Non-soccer school | Hulman Center | 10,200 | Price Field At Eleanor Forsythe St. John Softball Complex |
700 | Sycamore Stadium | 1,000 | |
| Loyola | Loyola Soccer Park | — | Joseph J. Gentile Arena | 4,486 | Loyola Softball Park | 500 | Non-baseball school | |
| Missouri State | Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium | 1,000 | JQH Arena | 11,000 | Killian Softball Stadium | 1,200 | Hammons Field | 7,986 |
| Northern Iowa | Cedar Valley Soccer Complex | — | McLeod Center | 7,018 | Robinson-Dresser Sports Complex |
— | Non-baseball school | |
| Southern Illinois | Non-soccer school | SIU Arena | 8,339 | Charlotte West Stadium | 502 | Abe Martin Field | 2,000 | |
| Wichita State | Non-soccer school | Charles Koch Arena | 10,506 | Wilkins Stadium | 1,000 | Eck Stadium | 7,851 | |
| Affiliate Members | ||||||||
| Central Arkansas | Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex | 400–bleachers + lawn seating |
Soccer-only member | |||||
| Dallas Baptist | Baseball-only member | Horner Ballpark | 2,000 | |||||
| SIU Edwardsville | Ralph Korte Stadium | 4,000 | Soccer-only member | |||||
- Note
- 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 Championship 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".
| 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 | Missouri State |
| 1992 | Missouri State | Missouri State |
| 1993 | Southern Illinois | Missouri State |
| 1994 | Southern Illinois | Missouri State |
| 1995 | Southern Illinois | Drake |
| 1996 | Tulsa | Missouri State |
| 1997 | Illinois State | Illinois State |
| 1998 | Illinois State | Illinois State |
| 1999 | Creighton | Evansville |
| 2000 | Creighton | Drake |
| 2001 | Indiana State | Missouri State |
| 2002 | Creighton | Creighton |
| 2003 | Creighton | Missouri State |
| 2004 | Northern Iowa | 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 | Missouri State |
| 2012 | Creighton | Creighton |
| 2013 | Creighton | Wichita State |
| 2014 | Wichita State | Wichita State |
| 2015 | Northern Iowa | Wichita State |
| 2016 |
NB: Missouri State was known as Southwest Missouri State until August 2005.
National team titles by institution
School - Number - NCAA Championships
- Bradley - 0 [12]
- Drake - 3 [12]
- Evansville - 0+5* [12]
- Illinois State - 0+1* [12]
- Indiana State - 1 [12]
- Loyola University Chicago - 2 [12]
- Missouri State - 0 +2* [12]
- Northern Iowa - 1+2* [12]
- Southern Illinois - 5+3* [12]
- Wichita State - 1 [12]
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
| 2014–15 Men's Basketball Avg. Attendance | |
| School | Average Attendance |
|---|---|
| Wichita State | 10,732 |
| Bradley | 6,608 |
| Indiana State | 5,946 |
| Southern Illinois | 5,223 |
| Missouri State | 5,217 |
| Illinois State | 4,842 |
| UNI | 4,693 |
| Evansville | 4,546 |
| Drake | 3,726 |
| Loyola Chicago | 1,928 |
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. One member (Wichita State) sold out every single game for the 2006–07 season and in 2012-13 averaged 10,312 attendees in their 10,506 seat arena. Former member (Creighton) had the sixth highest attendance for Division I in 2012-13 while Wichita State, 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.[16]
Football champions by year
- (All MVC schools that currently play football are part of the Missouri Valley Football Conference except for Drake, which plays in the Pioneer Football League.)
See also
References
- ^ "Merger Creates Dynamite Dozen". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ "MVC in the NCAA and NIT" (PDF).
- ^ a b c "US News Education - Best Colleges - Best Graduate Schools - Online Schools - US News". US News & World Report. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
- ^ ""Loyola Joins Missouri Valley Conference," Loyola University Chicago Athletics, Friday, April 19, 2013". Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ 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 29 July 2012.
- ^ "ACC Jobs Expected To Be Filled". Greensboro, North Carolina: Radford News Journal. April 29, 1969. pp. 8 (on page 5). Retrieved 20 February 2013.
- ^ Gregorian, Vahe (September 10, 2012). "FCS foes could pose problems for Mizzou, Illini; Former MVC head dies". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ Missouri Valley Conference 75 1981 Football/Anniversary Issue. Missouri Valley Conference. p. Page 2.
- ^ Weyler, John (March 9, 1988). "Haney Expected to Get PCAA Job : Missouri Valley Commissioner May Be Named This Week". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Doug Elgin, current Commissioner". MVC-Sports.com. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ "Missouri Valley Conference Sports". MVC-Sports.com. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "National Team Titles by Institution" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-02-28.
- ^ http://www.ncaa.org/championships/statistics/ncaa-mens-basketball-attendance
- ^ "Official NCAA attendance figures".
- ^ http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2013/2013%2007%20Attendance%20section%2010-18.pdf
- ^ "MVC official site:"This is the MVC"".