University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI to Host Two MVC Championships in 2017-18
6/1/2017 3:12:00 PM | General
2017-18 MVC Championship Sites/Dates
Commissioner Doug Elgin has announced a list of dates and sites for the various Missouri Valley Conference sports championships for the 2017-18 athletic season.
The University of Northern Iowa will host the 2018 MVC Swimming & Diving Championship meet in Iowa City on Feb. 14-17. It marks the second straight year that UNI will serve as the tournament host for the swimming & diving championships. UNI matched its program-best finish by taking third place in the final team standings at the 2017 MVC Championship meet.
UNI will also serve as the host for the 2018 MVC Indoor Track & Field Championship set for Feb. 24-25 in the UNI-Dome. This will be the 11th consecutive year that UNI has served as the championship host for the conference meet. Overall, it will be the 20th indoor track and field conference championship to take place in the UNI-Dome.
Notably, that includes a recommendation to bring the 2017 MVC Women's Soccer Championship to Springfield, Mo. (Missouri State), the 2017 MVC Men's Soccer Championship to Peoria, Ill. (Bradley); the 2017 MVC Volleyball Championship to Normal, Ill. (Illinois State); the 2018 MVC Men's and Women's Tennis Team Championship to Springfield, Mo. (Missouri State); the 2018 MVC Softball Championship to Des Moines, Iowa (Drake); and the 2018 Baseball Championship to Dallas, Texas (Dallas Baptist University).
These site awards were approved by the league's Joint Committee (faculty athletics representatives, directors of athletics and senior woman administrators of each institution) and are subject to ratification at the MVC Presidents' Council meeting on June 13.
The State Farm MVC Men's Basketball Championship -- the 28th consecutive men's tournament in St. Louis -- will feature all 10 Missouri Valley Conference schools and will be played at Scottrade Center. For the 13th-straight year, the tournament will begin on Thursday and end on Sunday (March 1-4). All nine games will be televised with the semifinals airing on CBS Sports Network and the championship game on CBS Sports.
For the third-straight season, the MVC Women's Basketball Championship will be in the Quad Cities (Moline, Ill.). It will mark the 11th-straight neutral-site championship for women's basketball in the MVC. The championship features all 10 Missouri Valley Conference schools and will begin on Thursday and end on Sunday (March 8-11). All nine games will be on The Valley on ESPN3.
WOMEN'S SOCCER: The 2017 MVC Women's Soccer Championship will be at Springfield, Mo., and Missouri State will host at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium, on Nov. 3-5. The top six teams (of seven) advance to the championship, and the top two seeds receive a first-round bye. First-round games are on campus sites and will be played Sunday, Oct. 29. The semifinals are Friday, Nov. 3, and the championship is Sunday, Nov. 5. The semifinals and final will air on The Valley on ESPN3. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium is home to the Missouri State men's soccer, women's soccer and women's track & field teams. The facility also provides support to the recreational and educational needs of Missouri State. Opened in 2014, the stadium features a full size soccer field with a state-of-the-art double-sided video board and has permanent seating for 1,500.
* 2016 Champion: Illinois State | Last Time Hosted by Missouri State: 2011
MEN'S SOCCER: The 2017 MVC Men's Soccer Championship will be in Peoria, Ill., and will be played at Shea Stadium on Nov. 7-8-10-12. Bradley will host the seven-team tournament. Early-round matches will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, the semifinals will be played on Friday, and the championship match will occur Sunday, Nov. 12. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. All matches will be on The Valley on ESPN3. Located less than a mile from campus, Shea Stadium officially opened Aug. 29-30, 2003, when the Braves won the seventh annual Holiday Inn City Centre Classic. In 2005, Bradley invested nearly $500,000 in a new drainage system and playing surface, which remains one of the smoothest natural grass playing surfaces in the Midwest. Bradley has previously hosted six MVC Men's Soccer Championship tournaments at Shea Stadium, as well as a pair of Chicago Fire matches in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Shea Stadium seats 1,700.
* 2016 Champion: SIU Edwardsville | Last Time Hosted by Bradley: 2014
VOLLEYBALL: The 2017 MVC Volleyball Championship will be in Normal, Ill., at Redbird Arena. The tournament will be held on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 23-25, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The league's top six teams advance to the single-site championship tournament, and all five matches will be on The Valley on ESPN3. A cornerstone for the Illinois State Athletics program, Redbird Arena began operation in 1989. The home of Redbird basketball and volleyball, the facility also houses the Owen Strength and Conditioning Center and athletic administration offices. Redbird Arena has a capacity of 10,200.
* 2016 Champion: Wichita State | Last Time Hosted by Illinois State: 2006
TENNIS: The 2018 MVC Women's Tennis Team Championship will be in Springfield, Mo., and Missouri State will serve as host. The championship will be played April 27-29. The home for MSU tennis since 2014, Cooper Tennis Complex features 12 indoor courts, 16 lighted outdoor courts including the Mediacom Stadium court that seats 2,500. The complex has hosted Fed Cup play, ATP and WTA professional tournaments, NCAA Division II National Championships, National 12 and under championships, Missouri High School Championships and various USTA programs. Home of the Springfield Lasers Pro Tennis Team, Cooper also includes a full-service pro shop with racquet stringing and grip services, locker rooms with showers, a fitness room with exercise equipment and free weights, a conference room and a large meeting area.
* 2017 Champion: Wichita State | Last Time Hosted by Missouri State: 2003
SOFTBALL: The 2018 MVC Softball Championship will be played at Ron Buel Field in Des Moines, Iowa. Drake will host the tournament, which will be played May 10-12. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The MVC Softball Championship has featured eight teams in a single-elimination format. All games will air on The Valley on ESPN3. Ron Buel Field is the home of the Drake softball program. A new Daktronics scoreboard was installed in 2011, and Buel Field underwent another renovation in the fall of 2012 as permanent chair back seating was installed down the third-base line, as well as permanent bleachers behind home plate and down the first base side. The outfield has been treated with a state of the art drainage system, and the stadium seats 500.
* 2017 Champion: Southern Illinois | Last Time Hosted by Drake: 2010
BASEBALL: The 2018 MVC Baseball Championship will be played at Horner Ballpark in Dallas, Texas. Dallas Baptist University will host the tournament, which will be played May 23-26. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The championship features all eight teams, and all games will be aired on The Valley on ESPN3. Home to DBU Baseball, Horner Ballpark was ranked as the 20th best stadium in college baseball by D1Baseball.com in 2016. Horner Ballpark opened its gates on February 15, 2013, and has a capacity of 2,000. A new Astroturf playing surface was installed in 2016, and during that renovation, a pitching lab was constructed underneath Horner Ballpark that features three pitching mounds, video cameras to aid with instruction, and an area designated for weight training.
* 2017 Champion: DBU | Last Time Hosted by DBU: Has Not Hosted
Other hosts for league championships in 2017-18 include Illinois State (women's individual tennis); Indiana State (men's and women's outdoor track & field); Missouri State (women's golf; men's and women's cross country); Southern Illinois (men's golf); and UNI (men's and women's indoor track & field; and women's swimming & diving).
Commissioner Doug Elgin has announced a list of dates and sites for the various Missouri Valley Conference sports championships for the 2017-18 athletic season.
The University of Northern Iowa will host the 2018 MVC Swimming & Diving Championship meet in Iowa City on Feb. 14-17. It marks the second straight year that UNI will serve as the tournament host for the swimming & diving championships. UNI matched its program-best finish by taking third place in the final team standings at the 2017 MVC Championship meet.
UNI will also serve as the host for the 2018 MVC Indoor Track & Field Championship set for Feb. 24-25 in the UNI-Dome. This will be the 11th consecutive year that UNI has served as the championship host for the conference meet. Overall, it will be the 20th indoor track and field conference championship to take place in the UNI-Dome.
Notably, that includes a recommendation to bring the 2017 MVC Women's Soccer Championship to Springfield, Mo. (Missouri State), the 2017 MVC Men's Soccer Championship to Peoria, Ill. (Bradley); the 2017 MVC Volleyball Championship to Normal, Ill. (Illinois State); the 2018 MVC Men's and Women's Tennis Team Championship to Springfield, Mo. (Missouri State); the 2018 MVC Softball Championship to Des Moines, Iowa (Drake); and the 2018 Baseball Championship to Dallas, Texas (Dallas Baptist University).
These site awards were approved by the league's Joint Committee (faculty athletics representatives, directors of athletics and senior woman administrators of each institution) and are subject to ratification at the MVC Presidents' Council meeting on June 13.
The State Farm MVC Men's Basketball Championship -- the 28th consecutive men's tournament in St. Louis -- will feature all 10 Missouri Valley Conference schools and will be played at Scottrade Center. For the 13th-straight year, the tournament will begin on Thursday and end on Sunday (March 1-4). All nine games will be televised with the semifinals airing on CBS Sports Network and the championship game on CBS Sports.
For the third-straight season, the MVC Women's Basketball Championship will be in the Quad Cities (Moline, Ill.). It will mark the 11th-straight neutral-site championship for women's basketball in the MVC. The championship features all 10 Missouri Valley Conference schools and will begin on Thursday and end on Sunday (March 8-11). All nine games will be on The Valley on ESPN3.
WOMEN'S SOCCER: The 2017 MVC Women's Soccer Championship will be at Springfield, Mo., and Missouri State will host at Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium, on Nov. 3-5. The top six teams (of seven) advance to the championship, and the top two seeds receive a first-round bye. First-round games are on campus sites and will be played Sunday, Oct. 29. The semifinals are Friday, Nov. 3, and the championship is Sunday, Nov. 5. The semifinals and final will air on The Valley on ESPN3. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. Betty and Bobby Allison South Stadium is home to the Missouri State men's soccer, women's soccer and women's track & field teams. The facility also provides support to the recreational and educational needs of Missouri State. Opened in 2014, the stadium features a full size soccer field with a state-of-the-art double-sided video board and has permanent seating for 1,500.
* 2016 Champion: Illinois State | Last Time Hosted by Missouri State: 2011
MEN'S SOCCER: The 2017 MVC Men's Soccer Championship will be in Peoria, Ill., and will be played at Shea Stadium on Nov. 7-8-10-12. Bradley will host the seven-team tournament. Early-round matches will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, the semifinals will be played on Friday, and the championship match will occur Sunday, Nov. 12. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. All matches will be on The Valley on ESPN3. Located less than a mile from campus, Shea Stadium officially opened Aug. 29-30, 2003, when the Braves won the seventh annual Holiday Inn City Centre Classic. In 2005, Bradley invested nearly $500,000 in a new drainage system and playing surface, which remains one of the smoothest natural grass playing surfaces in the Midwest. Bradley has previously hosted six MVC Men's Soccer Championship tournaments at Shea Stadium, as well as a pair of Chicago Fire matches in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Shea Stadium seats 1,700.
* 2016 Champion: SIU Edwardsville | Last Time Hosted by Bradley: 2014
VOLLEYBALL: The 2017 MVC Volleyball Championship will be in Normal, Ill., at Redbird Arena. The tournament will be held on Thanksgiving weekend, Nov. 23-25, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The league's top six teams advance to the single-site championship tournament, and all five matches will be on The Valley on ESPN3. A cornerstone for the Illinois State Athletics program, Redbird Arena began operation in 1989. The home of Redbird basketball and volleyball, the facility also houses the Owen Strength and Conditioning Center and athletic administration offices. Redbird Arena has a capacity of 10,200.
* 2016 Champion: Wichita State | Last Time Hosted by Illinois State: 2006
TENNIS: The 2018 MVC Women's Tennis Team Championship will be in Springfield, Mo., and Missouri State will serve as host. The championship will be played April 27-29. The home for MSU tennis since 2014, Cooper Tennis Complex features 12 indoor courts, 16 lighted outdoor courts including the Mediacom Stadium court that seats 2,500. The complex has hosted Fed Cup play, ATP and WTA professional tournaments, NCAA Division II National Championships, National 12 and under championships, Missouri High School Championships and various USTA programs. Home of the Springfield Lasers Pro Tennis Team, Cooper also includes a full-service pro shop with racquet stringing and grip services, locker rooms with showers, a fitness room with exercise equipment and free weights, a conference room and a large meeting area.
* 2017 Champion: Wichita State | Last Time Hosted by Missouri State: 2003
SOFTBALL: The 2018 MVC Softball Championship will be played at Ron Buel Field in Des Moines, Iowa. Drake will host the tournament, which will be played May 10-12. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The MVC Softball Championship has featured eight teams in a single-elimination format. All games will air on The Valley on ESPN3. Ron Buel Field is the home of the Drake softball program. A new Daktronics scoreboard was installed in 2011, and Buel Field underwent another renovation in the fall of 2012 as permanent chair back seating was installed down the third-base line, as well as permanent bleachers behind home plate and down the first base side. The outfield has been treated with a state of the art drainage system, and the stadium seats 500.
* 2017 Champion: Southern Illinois | Last Time Hosted by Drake: 2010
BASEBALL: The 2018 MVC Baseball Championship will be played at Horner Ballpark in Dallas, Texas. Dallas Baptist University will host the tournament, which will be played May 23-26. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The championship features all eight teams, and all games will be aired on The Valley on ESPN3. Home to DBU Baseball, Horner Ballpark was ranked as the 20th best stadium in college baseball by D1Baseball.com in 2016. Horner Ballpark opened its gates on February 15, 2013, and has a capacity of 2,000. A new Astroturf playing surface was installed in 2016, and during that renovation, a pitching lab was constructed underneath Horner Ballpark that features three pitching mounds, video cameras to aid with instruction, and an area designated for weight training.
* 2017 Champion: DBU | Last Time Hosted by DBU: Has Not Hosted
Other hosts for league championships in 2017-18 include Illinois State (women's individual tennis); Indiana State (men's and women's outdoor track & field); Missouri State (women's golf; men's and women's cross country); Southern Illinois (men's golf); and UNI (men's and women's indoor track & field; and women's swimming & diving).
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