By Howard Packowitz
ST. LOUIS (25 News) – Starting next year, St. Louis will host the Missouri Valley Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, and the league that includes Bradley and Illinois State is revising the tournament’s format to reward the best teams in the regular season.
The men’s tournament has been held in St. Louis since 1991. The women’s tournament was played this year in Coralville, Iowa, Evansville, Indiana in 2025, and the Quad Cities from 2016 to 2024.
MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson said bringing all Valley basketball under the Arch Madness banner creates a larger stage for the student-athletes.
The change won approval of MVC’s Board of Directors. The board’s chair is Drake University President Marty Martin.
“By bringing our women’s basketball championship to St. Louis, we have an opportunity to expand that tradition, elevate the visibility of women’s basketball, and create a championship experience that showcases the very best of the Missouri Valley Conference,” said Martin. “The Board believes this decision positions the Conference for continued growth while creating new opportunities for our campuses and supporters.”
The MVC also announced a new 10-team tournament structure in which the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will advance directly into the semifinals, a move the league said is a “meaningful reward for regular season achievement.”
Last season, the Belmont men’s basketball team won the regular season title but lost in the MVC quarterfinals. Belmont then chose not to participate in the National Invitation Tournament.
The 2027 MVC men’s and women tournaments will be held over five days, from Wednesday, March 3 to Sunday, March 7. Both championship games will be held that Sunday, with winners advancing to the NCAA tournament.
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