As of midnight on Saturday morning, July 1, Valparaiso University is officially a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and will begin competing for conference titles in the 2017-2018 academic year. Stay tuned to ValpoAthletics.com and the athletic department’s social media accounts over the next few weeks, where we’ll take a look at each of The Valley’s 17 sports and offer exclusive giveaways as we ramp up the excitement to the start of the school year and the first season of #ValpoInTheValley!

#ValpoInTheValley

Founded in 1907, the Missouri Valley Conference is the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I athletics conference, second only to the Big Ten Conference. A conference renowned for its stability, Valparaiso University is just the second new full-fledged member to join the MVC in the last two decades.

Valparaiso University joins the following members of the Missouri Valley Conference: Bradley University, Drake University, the University of Evansville, Illinois State University, Indiana State University, Loyola University Chicago, Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University and the University of Northern Iowa.

Seventeen Valpo Athletics programs will begin competition in the Missouri Valley Conference for the 2017–2018 academic year: baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, women’s swimming, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field and volleyball.

Valpo brings a strong tradition across its athletic programs to the Missouri Valley Conference, most notably its success in men’s basketball. The Crusaders have captured 14 league regular season titles over the last 23 years and have made nine trips to the NCAA Tournament. Over the last three seasons, Valpo has won 82 games — a total that ranks among the top-15 nationally. The program has enjoyed the two winningest seasons in program history in the last three years and has appeared in the postseason all three years, including a run to the NIT championship game at Madison Square Garden in 2015–2016.

Valpo's recent athletic success goes well beyond the basketball court, however. Since the start of the 2011–2012 season, the Crusaders have made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances — three in softball; two each in baseball, men’s basketball, and men’s tennis; and one apiece in women’s soccer and men’s golf — and have claimed 11 regular season league championships — five in men’s basketball; two in men’s tennis; and one each in baseball, softball, men’s soccer, and women’s soccer.

Simultaneously with the athletic department’s move to the Missouri Valley Conference, the men’s tennis and men’s swimming programs join The Summit League as affiliate members. Valpo’s football program remains a member of the Pioneer Football League, while the bowling program is entering its third season as a member of the Southland Bowling League.

Inside The Valley

Starting on Monday, July 3 and running over the following few weeks, fans will get an introduction to the Missouri Valley Conference and each of its 17 sports on ValpoAthletics.com as we take a look at what to expect in the first season of MVC action. For each sport, we’ll run down last year’s MVC results and The Valley’s history of postseason success, take a look at Valpo’s history against each member of The Valley and catch up with Crusader coaches – learning about what they’re looking forward to in the first season of MVC competition and previewing the key pieces of their respective teams entering The Valley.

Giveaways

To kick off Valparaiso University’s inaugural season in the Missouri Valley Conference, the athletic department will be giving away prizes throughout July and August. Giveaways will include prizes such as Valpo men’s basketball season tickets, Chicago Cubs tickets, Valpo Athletics Nike fan packs, and much more, and entry into the contests will be as simple as retweeting Tweets from the @ValpoAthletics Twitter handle!