Missouri Valley Conference


The Missouri Valley Conference is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Currently, its members are located in the midwestern United States.

History

The MVC 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 MIAA. The MVIAA split and most of the larger schools formed a conference that retained the MVIAA name and ultimately became the Big Eight Conference in 1928. The smaller schools, plus Oklahoma A&M, formed the MVC, who retained the old MVIAA's administrative staff. Both conferences claimed 1907 as their founding date during the Big Eight's existence. The Big Eight merged with four Texas schools of the Southwest Conference to form the Big 12 Conference in 1996.
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.
The MVC has not sponsored football since 1985, when it was a hybrid I-A/I-AA, respectively. However, five members have football programs in the Missouri Valley Football Conference of Division I FCS, and a sixth and a seventh compete in another FCS conference, the Pioneer Football League. The Missouri Valley Conference shares its name with the MVFC, and the two also operate from the same headquarters complex in St. Louis; however, the two are separate administratively.
After weeks of speculation, 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. The conference announced it extended an invitation to Valparaiso University on May 9, 2017; and on May 25, the MVC announced that Valparaiso would officially join the following July 1.

Member schools

Current members

;Notes

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 sports
Dallas Baptist UniversityDallas, Texas18982013Private5,545PatriotsLone Star
baseball
University of Arkansas
at Little Rock		Little Rock, Arkansas19272013Public13,167TrojansSun Beltwomen's swimming
Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, New York19572016Public24,594SeawolvesAmerica Eastwomen's tennis

;Notes

Future affiliate members

;Notes

Former members

Former full members

; Notes

Former affiliate members

This list does not include current full member Valparaiso. As noted above, the Crusaders played women's soccer in the MVC from 1996 to 1998.
InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedLeftTypeEnrollmentNicknamePrimary ConferenceMVC Sport
Little Rock, Arkansas19271998–991999–2000Public13,167TrojansSun Beltwomen's soccer
Belmont UniversityNashville, Tennessee18902000–012000–01Private6,374BruinsOVC
men's soccer
Conway, Arkansas19072010–112018–19Public13,863BearsSouthland
men's soccer
Drury UniversitySpringfield, Missouri18731999–20002004–05Private5,474PanthersGLVC
women's soccer
Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, Illinois18951996–972010–11Public11,651PanthersOVC
men's soccer
Hartford, Connecticut18772014–152015–16Private6,935HawksAmerica Eastmen's tennis
Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville		Edwardsville, Illinois19572010–112016–17Public14,142CougarsOVC
men's soccer
Southern Methodist UniversityUniversity Park, Texas19112000–012004–05Private12,000Mustangsmen's soccer
Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, New York19572014–152016–17Public24,594SeawolvesAmerica Eastmen's tennis
Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, Texas18732000–012000–01Private9,518Horned FrogsBig 12men's soccer
Tulsa, Oklahoma18942000–012004–05Private4,165Golden Hurricanemen's soccer
Catonsville, Maryland19662014–152015–16Public13,908RetrieversAmerica Eastmen's tennis
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee18731997–982005–06Private12,714CommodoresSECmen's soccer
Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, Kentucky19061997–982007–08Public21,048HilltoppersC-USAmen's soccer

; Notes

Membership timeline


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id:line value:black
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id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
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bar:1 color:FullxF from:1907 till:1908 text:Drake,
bar:1 color:Full from:1908 till:1951
bar:1 color:AssocF from:1951 till:1952
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1957 till:1971
bar:1 color:Full from:1971 till:1986
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1986 till:end
bar:2 color:AssocF from:1907 till:1911 text:Iowa
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1907 till:1908 text:Iowa State
bar:3 color:Full from:1908 till:1928
bar:4 color:Full from:1907 till:1928 text:Kansas
bar:5 color:Full from:1907 till:1928 text:Missouri
bar:6 color:Full from:1907 till:1919 text:Nebraska
bar:6 color:Full from:1921 till:1928
bar:7 color:Full from:1907 till:1943 text:Washington U
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1943 till:1947
bar:8 color:Full from:1913 till:1928 text:Kansas State
bar:9 color:Full from:1918 till:1939 text:Grinnell
bar:10 color:Full from:1919 till:1928 text:Oklahoma
bar:11 color:Full from:1925 till:1956 text:Oklahoma A&M
bar:12 color:Full from:1928 till:1943 text:Creighton
bar:12 color:FullxF from:1943 till:1948
bar:12 color:FullxF from:1976 till:2013
bar:13 color:Full from:1932 till:1934 text:Butler
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1934 till:1935 text:Tulsa
bar:14 color:Full from:1935 till:1986
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1986 till:1996
bar:14 color:AssocOS from:2000 till:2005
bar:15 color:Full from:1935 till:1941 text:Washburn
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1941 till:1943
bar:16 color:Full from:1937 till:1950 text:Saint Louis
bar:16 color:FullxF from:1950 till:1974
bar:17 color:Full from:1945 till:1986 text:Wichita State
bar:17 color:FullxF from:1986 till:2017
bar:18 color:FullxF from:1948 till:1949 text:Bradley
bar:18 color:Full from:1949 till:1951
bar:18 color:AssocF from:1951 till:1952
bar:18 color:FullxF from:1955 till:end
bar:19 color:Full from:1949 till:1957 text:Detroit
bar:20 color:Full from:1951 till:1960 text:Houston
bar:21 color:Full from:1957 till:1970 text:Cincinnati
bar:22 color:Full from:1957 till:1975 text:North Texas State
bar:23 color:Full from:1963 till:1975 text:Louisville
bar:24 color:Full from:1968 till:1973 text:Memphis State
bar:25 color:Full from:1970 till:1983 text:New Mexico State
bar:26 color:Full from:1970 till:1986 text:West Texas State
bar:27 color:Full from:1975 till:1986 text:Southern Illinois
bar:27 color:FullxF from:1986 till:end
bar:28 color:Full from:1976 till:1986 text:Indiana State
bar:28 color:FullxF from:1986 till:end
bar:29 color:Full from:1980 till:1986 text:Illinois State
bar:29 color:FullxF from:1986 till:end
bar:30 color:FullxF from:1990 till:end text:Missouri State
bar:31 color:FullxF from:1991 till:end text:Northern Iowa
bar:32 color:FullxF from:1994 till:end text:Evansville
bar:33 color:AssocOS from:1996 till:2011 text:Eastern Illinois
bar:34 color:AssocOS from:1996 till:1999 text:Valparaiso
bar:34 color:FullxF from:2017 till:end text:
bar:35 color:AssocOS from:1997 till:2008 text:Western Kentucky
bar:36 color:AssocOS from:1997 till:2006 text:Vanderbilt
bar:37 color:AssocOS from:1998 till:2000 text:Little Rock
bar:37 color:AssocOS from:2013 till:end text:
bar:38 color:AssocOS from:1998 till:2005 text:Drury
bar:39 color:AssocOS from:2000 till:2005 text:SMU
bar:40 color:AssocOS from:2000 till:2001 text:TCU
bar:41 color:AssocOS from:2000 till:2001 text:Belmont
bar:42 color:AssocOS shift: from:2010 till:2017 text:SIU Edwardsville
bar:42 color:AssocOS from:2021 till:end
bar:43 color:AssocOS shift: from:2010 till:2019 text:Central Arkansas
bar:44 color:FullxF shift: from:2013 till:end text:Loyola
bar:45 color:AssocOS shift: from:2013 till:end text:Dallas Baptist
bar:46 color:AssocOS shift: from:2014 till:2016 text:Hartford
bar:47 color:AssocOS shift: from:2014 till:end text:Stony Brook
bar:48 color:AssocOS shift: from:2014 till:2016 text:UMBC
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    Commissioners

  2. C. E. McClung
  3. Arthur E. Eilers
  4. Norvell Neve
  5. DeWitt T. Weaver
  6. Mickey Holmes
  7. David Price
  8. Richard D. Martin
  9. James A. Haney
  10. Doug Elgin

    Sports

The Missouri Valley Conference sponsors championship competition in seven men's and ten women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Dallas Baptist is an affiliate for baseball, Little Rock is an affiliate for swimming and diving, and Stony Brook is an affiliate in women's tennis.
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, 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 2016–17, Drake and Illinois State, joined the Summit League for that sport, and incoming MVC member Valparaiso also joined the Summit League in men's tennis.
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
8
-
Basketball
10
10
Cross country
9
10
Golf
9
10
Soccer
6
8
Softball
-
10
Swimming & Diving
-
8
Tennis
-
7
Track and field
9
10
Track and field
9
10
Volleyball
-
10

Divisions

The MVC plans to use divisions in men's and women's basketball, softball, and women's volleyball in the near future. The division alignments are as follows:
East DivisionWest Division
EvansvilleBradley
Illinois StateDrake
Indiana StateMissouri State
LoyolaNorthern Iowa
ValparaisoSouthern Illinois

Men's sponsored sports by school

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Missouri Valley Conference which are played by Valley schools:
SchoolFootballSwimming & DivingTennisVolleyballWrestling
DrakePioneer LeagueNoSummitNoNo
EvansvilleNoMACNoNoNo
Illinois StateMVFCNoSummitNoNo
Indiana StateMVFCNoNoNoNo
LoyolaNoNoNoMIVANo
Missouri StateMVFCMACNoNoNo
UNIMVFCNoNoNoBig 12
Southern IllinoisMVFCMACNoNoNo
ValparaisoPioneer LeagueSummitSummitNoNo

Women's sponsored sports by school

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Missouri Valley Conference which are played by Valley schools:
SchoolBeach volleyballBowlingGymnasticsRowing
DrakeNoNoNoMAAC
Illinois StateNoNoMICNo
Missouri StateCCSANoNoNo
ValparaisoNoSouthland BowlingNoNo

Facilities

; 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 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".
SeasonMen's ChampionWomen's Champion
1977Southern IllinoisNo Tournament
1978CreightonNo Tournament
1979Indiana StateNo Tournament
1980BradleyNo Tournament
1981CreightonNo Tournament
1982TulsaNo Tournament
1983Illinois StateIllinois State
1984TulsaNo Tournament
1985Wichita StateNo Tournament
1986TulsaNo Tournament
1987Wichita StateSouthern Illinois
1988BradleyEastern Illinois
1989CreightonIllinois State
1990Illinois StateSouthern Illinois
1991CreightonMissouri State
1992Missouri StateMissouri State
1993Southern IllinoisMissouri State
1994Southern IllinoisMissouri State
1995Southern IllinoisDrake
1996TulsaMissouri State
1997Illinois StateIllinois State
1998Illinois StateIllinois State
1999CreightonEvansville
2000CreightonDrake
2001Indiana StateMissouri State
2002CreightonCreighton
2003CreightonMissouri State
2004UNIMissouri State
2005CreightonIllinois State
2006Southern IllinoisMissouri State
2007CreightonDrake
2008DrakeIllinois State
2009UNIEvansville
2010UNIUNI
2011Indiana StateUNI
2012CreightonCreighton
2013CreightonWichita State
2014Wichita StateWichita State
2015UNIWichita State
2016UNIMissouri State
2017Wichita StateDrake
2018Loyola–ChicagoDrake
2019BradleyMissouri State
2020BradleyCancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic

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

National team titles by institution

School – Number – NCAA Championships
  • Bradley – 9
  • Drake – 3
  • Evansville – 0+5*
  • Illinois State – 0+1*
  • Indiana State – 1
  • Loyola University Chicago – 3
  • Missouri State – 0 +2*
  • UNI – 1+2*
  • Southern Illinois – 5+3*
  • Valparaiso – 0
NCAA Championships as of March, 2013
Football poll, Helms and AIAW titles are not included in the NCAA Championship count.

Men's basketball attendance

Sources:
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 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.

Football champions by year

  • All MVC schools that currently play football are part of the Missouri Valley Football Conference except for Drake and Valparaiso, which play in the Pioneer Football League.