Missouri Valley Conference facts for kids
The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) is a group of colleges and universities in the United States that compete in many different sports. It's often called the "Valley." While they play lots of sports, they haven't had football teams in the conference since 1984.
The MVC has a long history, starting way back in 1907. It began as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA). This group was formed by several schools in the middle of the U.S. In 1928, the MVIAA split into two separate groups. The larger schools kept the MVIAA name, and this group later became the Big Eight Conference. The smaller schools formed the MVC. Both groups said they started in 1907 and shared the same history until the split in 1928. Later, in 1996, the Big Eight Conference joined with other schools to create today's Big 12 Conference. The Big 12 doesn't claim the old Big Eight's history. This means the MVC is the only conference that still connects to the original 1907 MVIAA history.
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Members
The MVC currently has 10 full member schools. These schools compete in most of the conference's sports.
A few schools, like Bradley and Drake, left the MVC for a short time in the early 1950s due to a difficult situation. Bradley returned in 1955, and Drake came back a year later.
| School | Location | Founded | Type | Nickname | Joined MVC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley University | Peoria, Illinois | 1897 | Private | Braves | 1948, 1955 |
| Drake University | Des Moines, Iowa | 1881 | Private | Bulldogs | 1907, 1956 |
| University of Evansville | Evansville, Indiana | 1854 | Private | Purple Aces | 1994 |
| Illinois State University | Normal, Illinois | 1857 | Public | Redbirds | 1981 |
| Indiana State University | Terre Haute, Indiana | 1865 | Public | Sycamores | 1977 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 1870 | Private | Ramblers | 2013 |
| Missouri State University | Springfield, Missouri | 1905 | Public | Bears | 1990 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, Iowa | 1890 | Public | Panthers | 1979 |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, Illinois | 1869 | Public | Salukis | 1975 |
| Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Indiana | 1859 | Private | Crusaders | 2017 |
Associate Members
The MVC also has four "associate members." These schools are full members of other conferences, but they play just one sport in the Missouri Valley Conference. For example, Stony Brook University first joined the MVC for men's tennis in 2014. Then, in 2016, they moved their women's tennis team to the MVC. They stopped playing men's tennis in 2017.
| School | Location | Founded | Type | Joined | Sport | Current main conference | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Central Arkansas | Conway, Arkansas | 1927 | Public | 2010 | Men's soccer | Southland | Bears |
| Dallas Baptist University | Dallas, Texas | 1898 | Private | 2013 | Baseball | Heartland (D-II) | Patriots |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Little Rock) | Little Rock, Arkansas | 1927 | Public | 2010 | Women's swimming and diving | Sun Belt | Trojans |
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York | 1957 | Public | 2016 | Women's tennis | America East | Seawolves |
Images for kids
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Former Missouri Valley Conference logo
See also
In Spanish: Missouri Valley Conference para niños
