University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Missouri Valley Conference unveils future Women's Basketball Championship sites
4/25/2024 12:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) announced future sites for its women's basketball championship on Thursday afternoon.
Over the next three years, the tournament will rotate between three venues: The Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana (2025), Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa (2026) and Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Illinois (2027). All 12 MVC women's basketball teams will compete in the four-day tournament, with four opening-round games on Thursday, four quarterfinal games on Friday, two semifinal games on Saturday, culminating in a Sunday championship game in each of the next three seasons. The league tournament champion earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Jeff Jackson, MVC Commissioner, expressed enthusiasm about forging new connections and advancing women's basketball in the region, stating, "The championship rotation model showcases three exceptional venues and communities committed to elevating women's basketball."
The 2025 MVC Women's Championship at Ford Center in Evansville will be the 18th-straight year the league will conduct a neutral-site championship for women's basketball. The MVC previously played its premier event for women's basketball at Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri (2008-15) and Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline (2016-24). The previous 22 MVC post-season championships were held at campus sites.
In 2024, the MVC was among only six conferences opting for a neutral site tournament independent of the men's event (ACC, A-10, Big East, Pac-12, and SEC).
Since joining the MVC, the UNI women's basketball team has appeared in six MVC Tournament championship games, most recently in 2022. The Panthers captured back-to-back tournament titles in 2010 and 2011.
Looking ahead, the Panthers gear up for another thrilling season under head coach Tanya Warren, marking her 18th season at the helm and the Panthers' 19th season within the McLeod Center.
ABOUT THE VENUES
Ford Center (6,300 lower bowl capacity) in Evansville opened in November 2011, is in the core of Evansville's downtown district. The 290,000-square foot facility serves as home to the University of Evansville men's basketball team and the Evansville Thunderbolts of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Ford Center also serves as host to numerous sporting events and concerts on an annual basis, including the Ohio Valley Conference men's and women's basketball championships and the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Elite Eight.
Xtream Arena (5,100 capacity) in Coralville, Iowa, is a multi-purpose venue that opened in September 2020. It is the home to the University of Iowa volleyball team and the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League). It already has proven to be a signature attractor of both amateur and professional sporting events on the national and international stage through its direct connectivity to the 53,000-square foot GreenState Family Fieldhouse.
Vibrant Arena at The MARK (12,000 capacity) served as the host site for the MVC Women's Basketball Tournament from 2016 through 2024. The league drew record crowds there, as the top-three championship game crowds (for a neutral-site MVC women's basketball event) have occurred at Vibrant Arena at The MARK. The venue has hosted hundreds of concerts each year, including acts such as Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, and Metallica. The building also serves as host to two of the Quad Cities storied professional sports teams – the Quad City Storm Professional Hockey Team and the Quad City Steamwheelers Arena Football Team.
