The Missouri Valley Conference has added Marshall University as an affiliate member in women's swimming & diving, effective for this season. Marshall will compete in the 2023 MVC Championship in Iowa City (February 15-18, hosted by UNI). The addition of Marshall lifts league membership to 10 in the sport.
“Looking forward to the Thundering Herd participating in our women’s swimming & diving championship,” said Commissioner Jeff Jackson, now in his second year at the MVC. “I attended my first last season and know first-hand their student-athletes will have a tremendous experience.”
The Thundering Herd join Evansville, UIC, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, UNI, Southern Illinois, Valparaiso, and fellow affiliate member Little Rock as MVC members in women's swimming & diving. Last year, Missouri State wrapped up its sixth-straight Missouri Valley Conference Championship. The title win marked the 18th in the past 20 years for Missouri State which leads all NCAA Division I women's swimming and diving programs.
“Our administration, staff and student-athletes are thrilled to be part of the Missouri Valley Conference,” said Ian Walsh, Marshall’s swimming and diving coach. “Our priority was to find a conference that provided our program with an elite conference championship environment. It is a competitive conference, sending multiple athletes to the NCAA Championship last season, puts together first class meet operations, and competes in some of the fastest venues in the country.
“This year will be in Iowa City, Iowa, who hosted the 2015 NCAA Championships and continues to be one of the premier aquatic facilities in the country. Our team is excited for this new challenge and will continue our pursuit for championships here at Marshall.”
Marshall returns 17 of 20 conference scorers this season and is coming off one of its best conference championship showings in 2022.
“We’re just thrilled to join the MVC for women’s swimming and diving,” said Christian Spears, Marshall’s Director of Athletics. “I know this conference and their leadership, and they will provide a stellar championship experience for our student-athletes.”
Marshall University is a public research university located along the banks of the Ohio River in Huntington, West Virginia. Founded in 1837, the university has an enrollment of nearly 13,000 students and employs more than 3,000 people. The Thundering Herd has 16 varsity sports.
About The Missouri Valley Conference -- The Missouri Valley Conference -- the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I conference -- continues to be a leader in college athletics and is one of the nation’s most progressive conferences, celebrating its 116th season in 2022-23. The Valley is very strong, both regionally and nationally, and the great athletic tradition of the Conference remains a compelling force in recruiting student-athletes and in marketing all the MVC programs. League members have worked together to focus on common goals and objectives, placing a high value on league harmony, while continuing to invest in athletic programs to compete at the highest level. The Conference will conduct its 29th women's swimming & diving championship next February.