THIS IS THE MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
The Missouri Valley Conference (The Valley) is the nation's second-oldest NCAA Division I athletic conference, having completed its 119th season in 2025-26. As one of the nation's most progressive conferences, The Valley brand remains strong both regionally and nationally, with a compelling athletic tradition that continues to attract student-athletes and enhance program marketing.

Despite challenges in the collegiate athletics landscape, the Conference maintains its core philosophy of providing robust opportunities for student-athletes while member institutions continue investing in athletic programs to compete at the highest level.

Illinois State won the 2025-26 Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championship, claiming six of the last seven league all-sports crowns and the 18th in program history. The Redbirds earned team titles in men's golf and men's outdoor track & field, and captured a tournament championship in women's tennis, while also posting top-five finishes in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's indoor track & field, women's soccer, softball, volleyball, and both women's indoor and outdoor track & field.

Nine different institutions claimed at least one regular-season or tournament title in 2025-26. Murray State turned in the best all-sports finish in program history with a runner-up showing, while Indiana State (third), UNI (fourth) and Drake (fifth) rounded out the top five. For the first time in program history, Illinois State earned the 2025-26 Missouri Valley Conference All-Academic Award, posting a 3.535 grade-point average among student-athletes to finish ahead of Drake and Indiana State. During the year, 87.5 percent of eligible Redbird student-athletes posted a 3.0 GPA or better, and 165 student-athletes earned perfect 4.0 GPAs in the fall or spring semester.

Illinois State also set a department record with a 996 single-year Academic Progress Rate and posted an all-time-high 92 percent Graduation Success Rate, marking the seventh-consecutive year the Redbirds have finished at 90 percent or higher.
Men's Basketball
Men's basketball continues as the engine driving Valley athletic programs. Five MVC teams competed in the 2026 postseason, including a record four bids to the National Invitation Tournament:

• Northern Iowa (23-13): Won the State Farm MVC Tournament championship — its seventh title — to earn the league's automatic bid, making its ninth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2016.
• Illinois State, Bradley, Murray State and UIC each earned NIT bids, giving the Valley a record four teams in the NIT field in the same season — topping the previous high of three (1990, 1991, 2008). Illinois State advanced to the semifinals before falling to Auburn. Bradley advanced to the NIT quarterfinals, pushing the program's all-time NIT win total to a league-best 28.

Conference Strength: The MVC was ranked 9th nationally as a league — its best showing since 2018 — with seven teams inside the Top 120 of the NCAA NET on Selection Sunday, the most since 2019-20.

 
Women's Basketball

• Murray State (31-3): Swept the MVC regular-season and tournament titles for the second-straight year and reached the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. The Racers became just the second program in MVC history to top 30 wins, matching Missouri State's league-record 31 from 1991-92, and entered the NCAA Tournament on a 15-game winning streak — the fifth-longest in the nation.
• Illinois State (20-13): Selected to the WNIT for the sixth-straight season, its 17th all-time appearance in the event.
• Bradley (20-12): Earned a WNIT bid for the first time in program history — just the second postseason trip in program history — after tying a program record with 13 Conference wins.

Volleyball
UNI captured its fourth-consecutive MVC Tournament title — the 21st in program history — sweeping Drake in the championship match to complete the third four-peat in league history. The Panthers made their 27th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance, rallying from down two sets to none to stun Utah in a five-set reverse sweep in the first round — the program's 18th NCAA Tournament victory — before falling to No. 3 seed Creighton in the second round.

Baseball
Seven Missouri Valley Conference baseball student-athletes were selected in the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft — the second-straight year the league has produced seven picks, part of a run of at least seven selections in each of the last five seasons. Indiana State's Carter Beck was taken 26th overall by the Atlanta Braves, the highest MVC pick since 2017 and the 32nd first-round selection in league history. Illinois State led the league with three players drafted.

Men's Soccer
Western Michigan became the first No. 6 seed to win the MVC Men's Soccer Championship, edging Evansville 1-0 in the title match to earn the league's automatic NCAA Tournament bid — the program's fourth-straight NCAA appearance. The Broncos advanced to the second round with a 1-0 win over Clemson before falling to No. 16 Furman.

Softball
Belmont's Maya Johnson turned in one of the most decorated seasons in college softball history, leading the nation in ERA (0.78), strikeouts (397), shutouts (15) and WHIP (0.68) en route to National Pitcher of the Year honors from both the NFCA and Softball America, First Team All-America recognition, and MVC Pitcher of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP honors after leading Belmont to the Conference tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth. Johnson closed her career with 1,186 strikeouts — the most in NCAA Division I history — and was selected No. 3 overall by the Oklahoma City Spark in the 2026 Athletes Unlimited Softball League College Draft, the highest professional draft selection in Belmont University history in any sport. In 2023, the Conference brought its marketing and media-rights operation in-house after 13 years with Learfield Sports. The MVC Television Network has become a significant revenue generator and marketing tool. Key partnerships include:

• ESPN: Extended agreement through 2028-29, continuing a relationship that began in 1986
• CBS Sports: Multi-year deal through 2026-27 for basketball games on CBS Television Network and CBS Sports Network
• State Farm: Basketball tournament title sponsor since 2000 and corporate partner since 1984

The MVC was founded on January 12, 1907, when administrators from five institutions met at the Midland Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. The founding schools were:

• Washington University of St. Louis
• University of Iowa
• University of Kansas
• University of Missouri
• University of Nebraska

Drake University and Iowa State College joined two months later. Basketball became the first competitive sport in fall 1907. The Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference, which began in 1982, merged with the Missouri Valley Conference on July 1, 1992, bringing women's sports under the MVC banner. The Conference celebrated the 25th anniversary of women's competition during 2017-18 and honored the 50th anniversary of Title IX during 2022-23. Baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country and track & field (indoor and outdoor), men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's tennis, and women's volleyball. Full Members: Belmont, Bradley, Drake, Evansville, UIC, Illinois State, Indiana State, Murray State, UNI, Southern Illinois, and Valparaiso
Affiliate Members:

• Women's Swimming & Diving: Missouri State
• Men's Soccer: Bowling Green, Western Michigan
• Men's Swimming & Diving: Ball State, Miami (Ohio), Missouri State, UMass

While the MVC no longer sponsors football (1907-85), five basketball-playing members compete at the FCS level in the Missouri Valley Football Conference: Illinois State, Indiana State, Murray State, UNI, Southern Illinois; with  North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Youngstown State comprising the nine-team league. Drake and Valparaiso compete in the Pioneer Football League.
  Team Championships

• Four NCAA national basketball championships
• 18 NCAA Final Four appearances
• 1989 national baseball championship
• 20 Men's College World Series qualifiers
• 33 total post-season national team championships

Individual Honors

• 275+ players drafted to the NBA, including 2023 first-round pick Ben Sheppard (Belmont)
• Nearly 800 MLB Draft picks since 1965, with 32 first-round selections
• 70+ NCAA individual champions in Conference history
• 50+ National Players or Coaches of the Year

The MVC Athletics Hall of Fame, established in 1997, includes more than 150 former players, coaches, and alumni. Inaugural inductees included Hersey Hawkins (Bradley), Larry Bird (Indiana State), Wes Unseld (Louisville), Coach Henry Iba (Oklahoma State), Dave Stallworth (Wichita State), Ed Macauley (Saint Louis), and Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati).

Basketball Legends

• Larry Bird (Indiana State) - NBA Hall of Famer
• Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati) - NBA Hall of Famer
• Hersey Hawkins (Bradley) - MVC All-Time Leading Scorer
• Jackie Stiles (Missouri State) - 2001 Honda-Broderick Cup winner, Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Track & Field Champions
Multiple NCAA champions including Holli Hyche (Indiana State), Darrin Plab (Southern Illinois), Brittany Riley (SIU), Kylie Hutson (Indiana State), Jeneva McCall (Southern Illinois), Tim Glover (Illinois State), and DeAnna Price (Southern Illinois).

The Missouri Valley Conference continues to build on its rich tradition while adapting to the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics, maintaining its commitment to excellence in competition, academics, and student-athlete development.