TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
QUAD CITIES – Visit Quad Cities announced today that tickets for the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Women’s Basketball Tournament at the TaxSlayer Center, 1201 River Drive in downtown Moline, Illinois, on March 12-15, 2020 will go on sale Saturday, December 14.
The MVC, in its 113th season, is the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I conference and is recognized as one of the most progressive athletic leagues in the country. This annual tournament features teams from each of the MVC member institutions. The tournament determines which MVC team receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Championship.
Tickets for the 2020 tournament go on sale December 14 at 10 AM (CT) and are available at the TaxSlayer Center box office or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are priced at $65 for reserved seat all-session tickets; $20 and $10 reserved seat tickets per session. Reserved seating all-session tickets are only $45 if purchased before January 20 through an institution box office. To reserve discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more, contact Lindsey Lobur, TaxSlayer Center Group Sales Manager, at 309-277-1356 or llobur@taxslayercenter.com to receive $4.00 off each ticket purchased for your group.
“The Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament and Hoops in the Heartland is a unique opportunity for the Quad Cities regional destination to shine,” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO, Visit Quad Cities. “This multi-day event continues to deliver results for our community’s brand, visitor economy and adds value to the TaxSlayer Center’s portfolio. And, serving as host to student-athletes, a passionate MVC fan base and their member institutions is a privilege. We encourage Quad Citizens and visitors to support the tournament through ticket sales and experience some of the best women’s basketball in the country.”
The 2020 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament includes a schedule that will provide plenty of opportunities to see these athletes in action.
Ten universities compete in the MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament and include: Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Loyola Chicago, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso.
For tournament information, go to www.mvcquadcities.com. For visitor information, go to www.visitquadcities.com.
The 2020 tournament will mark the 13th-consecutive season in its 38-year history that the event will take place at a neutral site. The Valley played its postseason championship in St. Charles, Missouri – at The Family Arena – for eight-straight seasons from 2008-15 and has held the event in the Quad Cities ever since. The Missouri Valley Conference is one of only seven conferences (of 32 nationally) where the women’s basketball tournament is played at a neutral site, separate from the men’s championship (AAC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, MVC, Pac-12 and SEC are the others).
About the Missouri Valley Conference
One of the premier women’s basketball leagues in the country, the MVC has seen an average of four league teams participate in postseason play in the last 20 seasons. The Valley has earned multiple NCAA Tournament bids in 12 different seasons, including a pair of bids in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and a Sweet Sixteen appearance by Missouri State. The league has also had two Final Four teams (Missouri State, in both 1992 and 2001), a WNIT champion (Missouri State, 2005) and three WNIT semifinal appearances (Illinois State, in 2011, 2010 and 2009).
The history of Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball is filled with notable alumni, including the former NCAA all-time leading scorer (Jackie Stiles, Missouri State, 1998-2001) and the NCAA’s all-time leader in career rebounding average (Wanda Ford, Drake, 1983-86), both members of the league’s Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition to Stiles and Ford, eight other women’s basketball figures have been inducted into the MVC’s Hall of Fame, including Melody Howard and Cheryl Burnett (Missouri State), Cathy Boswell, Kristi Cirone, Jill Hutchison and Charlotte Lewis (Illinois State) and Carole Baumgarten and Lorri Bauman (Drake).
The league consists of 10 diverse institutions across four states, whose members include Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Loyola, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso. Dallas Baptist is an affiliate member for baseball, Arkansas-Little Rock is an affiliate member in women’s swimming and diving, and Stony Brook is an affiliate member in women’s tennis. Conference members have worked together to focus on common goals and objectives, putting a high value on league harmony while continuing to invest in athletic programs to compete at the highest level. The Valley brand remains very strong, both regionally and nationally, and the great athletic tradition of The Valley remains a compelling force in recruiting student-athletes and in marketing all the MVC programs.
For more information, visit www.mvc-sports.com.
About Visit Quad Cities
Visit Quad Cities, a non-profit organization, is the region’s official destination management organization charged with making the Quad Cities a premier destination experience. Visit Quad Cities grows our economy by attracting visitors, meetings/conventions, sporting events, and group tours to the area; improves quality of life; and tells the unique story of the Quad Cities.
For more information, visit us online at www.visitquadcities.com and connect with us on social media.