. The conference participates in the
Founded in 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA), the MVC is the nation's second oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference. However, some consider the MVC to have been formed from a split of the MVIAA in 1928. Most of the larger MVIAA schools formed a conference that retained the MVIAA name and would ultimately become the
. The smaller schools, plus Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University, which ultimately [re]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 has never been definitively established which conference is the original and which is the spin-off.
During the 2006–2007 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.
since 1985, when it was classified as a I-A (now FBS) conference, but five members have football programs in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (known as the Gateway from 1985–2008) of Division I FCS (formerly I-AA), and a sixth competes in another FCS conference, the
. 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.
| Institution |
Location – City |
Location – State |
Founded |
Type |
Enrollment |
Nickname |
Joined |
| Bradley University Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
|
PeoriaPeoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
|
IllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
|
1897 |
Private |
6,100 |
Braves |
1948 |
Creighton UniversityCreighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
|
OmahaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
|
NebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
|
1878 |
Private |
7,300 |
Bluejays The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...
|
19771 |
Drake UniversityDrake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
|
Des MoinesDes Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
|
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
|
1881 |
Private |
5,200 |
BulldogsThe Drake Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Drake University. Athletic scholarships are offered in basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, tennis, and volleyball. However, all football players are walk-ons as Drake does not offer athletic scholarships in that sport...
|
19072 |
University of EvansvilleThe University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
|
EvansvilleEvansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
|
IndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
|
1854 |
Private |
3,050 |
Purple Aces & Lady AcesThe Evansville Purple Aces represent the University of Evansville in NCAA Division I sports.-Purple Aces and Ace Purple:The University of Evansville's nickname, the Aces, was acquired after an opposing coach cracked a joke after losing to the Evansville College Pioneers in the 1920s...
|
1994 |
| Illinois State University Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...
|
NormalNormal is an incorporated town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It had a population of 52,497 as of the 2010 census. Normal is the smaller of two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
|
IllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
|
1857 |
Public |
20,800 |
Redbirds The Illinois State Redbirds are the athletic teams that represent Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Teams play at the NCAA Division I level . The football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while most other teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
|
1981 |
Indiana State UniversityIndiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
|
Terre HauteTerre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
|
IndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
|
1865 |
Public |
10,760 |
Sycamores The Indiana State University Sycamores are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Indiana State University. They are members of the Missouri Valley Conference, joining in the 1977-78 academic year; past conference memberships include the Indiana College Athletic League , the Indiana Intercollegiate...
|
1977 |
Missouri State UniversityMissouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
|
SpringfieldSpringfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
|
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
|
1905 |
Public |
20,800 |
Bears & Lady Bears The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State athletics date back to 1908. Missouri State is in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and most teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
|
1990 |
| University of Northern Iowa The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
|
Cedar FallsCedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States, and it is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. The population was 39,260 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 36,145 population in the 2000 census...
|
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
|
1876 |
Public |
15,000 |
Panthers The Northern Iowa Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Northern Iowa. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 15 varsity teams in 11 sports:...
|
1991 |
Southern Illinois UniversitySouthern Illinois University Carbondale is a public research university located in Carbondale, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1869, SIUC is the flagship campus of the Southern Illinois University system...
|
Carbondale Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...
|
IllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
|
1869 |
Public |
20,900 |
Salukis The Southern Illinois Salukis are the varsity athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University. The nickname comes from the saluki, the royal dog of Egypt and the Persian greyhound, which ties into the fact that southern Illinois has had the nickname "Little Egypt" for just under 200...
|
1975 |
| Wichita State University Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
|
WichitaWichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
|
KansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
|
1895 |
Public |
15,000 |
Shockers The Shockers are the athletic teams at Wichita State University, who compete in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference. Wichita State is well known for its fan support and its baseball program, which has the highest winning percentange of any college baseball team over the past 31 years...
|
1945 |
The Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Championship is often referred to as Arch Madness, in reference to the
Football, Helms and AIAW titles are not included in the NCAA Championship count.
| School |
Football stadium |
Capacity |
Basketball arena |
Capacity |
Baseball venue |
Capacity |
| Bradley |
Non-Football School |
N/A |
Peoria Civic CenterPeoria Civic Center is a convention center located next to Peoria City Hall in downtown Peoria, Illinois. USA. It has an arena, a theater, an exhibit hall, and meeting rooms...
(men)
Renaissance Coliseum (women) |
11,433
4,200 |
O'Brien Field O'Brien Field is a baseball field located in downtown Peoria, Illinois. It is the home of the Peoria Chiefs, the Class A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs; the Chiefs previously played at Meinen Field. The college baseball team of Bradley University also uses the field. The first game scheduled for...
|
7,500 |
| Creighton |
Non-Football School The first year of Creighton Bluejays football was in 1900. They fielded a football team every year from 1900-1942.-Conference championships:Creighton has won three conference titles...
|
N/A |
Qwest Center Omaha CenturyLink Center is an arena and convention center facility in the North Downtown neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. The 1.1 million ft² facility has an 18,300-seat arena, a 194,000-ft² exhibition hall and 62,000 ft² of meeting space....
(men)
D. J. Sokol ArenaD. J. Sokol Arena is a multi-purpose student recreational facility in Omaha, Nebraska. It was opened on August 28, 2009. It currently hosts the Creighton Bluejays women's basketball and volleyball teams. It has a seating capacity of 2,950 spectators....
(women) |
17,560
2,950 |
Creighton Sports Complex Creighton Sports Complex is a baseball and softball venue located on the campus of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It is home to the Creighton Bluejays baseball and softball teams, members of the Division I Missouri Valley Conference. The baseball team plays the majority of its...
TD Ameritrade Park |
2,000
24,505 |
| Drake |
Drake Stadium Drake Stadium is a stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is primarily used for the Drake Relays, and is the home field of the Drake University Bulldogs. It opened in 1925 and underwent a $15 million renovation in 2005. Widening the track reduced the stadium's seating capacity from 18,000...
|
14,557 |
Knapp CenterThe Knapp Center is a 7,000 seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. It was built in 1992, and is the home of the Drake Bulldogs. The first Drake Bulldogs basketball game was played on December 5, 1992....
|
7,002 |
Non-Baseball School |
N/A |
| Evansville |
Non-Football School; Formerly Arad McCutchan Stadium Arad McCutchan Stadium, located in Evansville, Indiana, is the home of the University of Evansville soccer team. It was originally built for the football team....
|
N/A |
Ford Center |
11,000 |
Charles H. Braun Stadium Charles H. Braun Stadium is a baseball venue in Evansville, Indiana, USA. It is home to the Evansville Aces college baseball team of the Division I Missouri Valley Conference. The stadium's capacity is 1,200 spectators, much of which consists of chair-backed seating.The venue is named for Charles...
|
1,200 |
| Illinois State |
Hancock StadiumHancock Stadium is a 9,500-seat multi-purpose stadium in Normal, Illinois. It opened in 1963. It is home to the Illinois State University Redbirds football team.- History :...
|
12,000 |
Redbird ArenaDoug Collins Court at Redbird Arena is a 10,200 seat multi-purpose arena in Normal, Illinois. Built in 1989, the building is notable for its use of a Teflon-coated roof that gives off a "glow" during night events...
|
10,200 |
Duffy Bass Field Duffy Bass Field is a baseball venue in Normal, Illinois, USA. It is home to the Illinois State Redbirds college baseball team of the Division I Missouri Valley Conference...
|
1,200 |
| Indiana State |
Memorial Stadium Memorial Stadium is the current home of Indiana State University football in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. Constructed in 1923-24 by the City of Terre Haute to seat approximately 16,000 people, the facility's initial primary use was as the home of the Terre Haute Baseball Club, aka the Terre Haute...
|
12,764 |
Hulman CenterHulman Center is a 10,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Terre Haute, Indiana, USA. Initially named the Hulman Civic-University Center, the facility opened on December 14, 1973. Funded by donations and bond issues after an initial $2.5 million challenge gift from philanthropist Tony Hulman and the...
|
10,200 |
Sycamore Stadium |
N/A |
| Missouri State |
Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex |
16,300 |
JQH Arena JQH Arena is a basketball and special events arena in Springfield, Missouri. Constructed at a cost of $67 million, the arena opened in 2008. Located on the campus of Missouri State University it is the home of the Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams and is referred to by MSU...
|
11,000 |
Hammons Field Hammons Field is a minor league ballpark in downtown Springfield, Missouri, with a capacity of 7,986 plus approximately 2,500 general admission seating. The facility, funded entirely by local businessman, hotel mogul and benefactor John Q. Hammons, is the centerpiece of the midtown development...
|
7,986 |
| Northern Iowa |
UNI-Dome UNI-Dome is a multi-purpose stadium, on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. It opened in 1976, as the home of the UNI Panthers basketball and football teams. The facility's capacity, for football, is 16,324...
|
17,000 |
McLeod Center McLeod Center is a 7,018-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, currently housing the school's teams in men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and wrestling. The arena opened November 18, 2006 with a volleyball game against Bradley...
|
7,018 |
Non-Baseball School |
N/A |
| Southern Illinois |
Saluki Stadium |
15,000 |
SIU Arena The SIU Arena is a 8,339 seat multi-purpose arena, on the campus of Southern Illinois University, in Carbondale, Illinois. Construction on the arena began in the spring of 1962 and took nearly two years to complete. It was completed in 1964 and is the home of the SIU Salukis basketball team.The...
|
9,628 |
Abe Martin Field Abe Martin Field is a baseball venue in Carbondale, Illinois, USA. It is home to the Southern Illinois Salukis college baseball team of the NCAA's Division I Missouri Valley Conference. The field, opened in 1964, holds 2,000 spectators. It is named for former Southern Illinois baseball coach Abe...
|
2,000 |
| Wichita State |
Non-Football School; Formerly Cessna Stadium Cessna Stadium, located in Wichita, Kansas, is the home of the Wichita State University Shocker track and field and soccer teams with a 30,000-seat capacity...
|
30,000 (still in use for track and field) |
Charles Koch Arena Charles Koch Arena , popularly known as The Roundhouse, is a 10,506-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. It is home to the Wichita State Shockers men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball teams....
|
10,506 |
Eck Stadium Eck Stadium is the home of the Wichita State Shockers baseball team in Wichita, Kansas. It has played host to the Shockers since its completion in 1984. Officially called Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field it is sometimes informally referred to as Eck.The stadium, which has gone through numerous...
|
7,851 |
| 2010–2011 Average Men's Basketball Conference Attendance |
| School |
Average Attendance |
CreightonThe Creighton Bluejays basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2007...
|
13,507 |
| Wichita State Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
|
10,428 |
| Bradley Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
|
8,447 |
| Missouri State The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State athletics date back to 1908. Missouri State is in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and most teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
|
7,595 |
Indiana StateIndiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
|
5,602 |
EvansvilleThe University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
|
4,910 |
| Northern Iowa The Northern Iowa Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Northern Iowa. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 15 varsity teams in 11 sports:...
|
4,767 |
| Illinois State The Illinois State Redbirds are the athletic teams that represent Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Teams play at the NCAA Division I level . The football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference while most other teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
|
4,636 |
DrakeThe Drake Bulldogs are the athletic teams of Drake University. Athletic scholarships are offered in basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field, tennis, and volleyball. However, all football players are walk-ons as Drake does not offer athletic scholarships in that sport...
|
4,230 |
| Southern Illinois Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
|
4,188 |
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, while another member (Creighton) continues to reset the state of
In 2010–11, 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.