Many people were shocked when Loyola got the nod to join the Missouri Valley Conference. After all, the Ramblers have had only one 20-win season in their flagship sport over the past 27 seasons.
But the invitation to join one of the most venerable and respected conferences in college sports came after several years of groundwork and investment, which just happened to be timed correctly to enable Loyola to take a significant step up in competition.
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On April 19, 2013 the Missouri Valley Conference announced that Loyola University Chicago would be added to the conference. Loyola will become a member on July 1, 2013, filling a gap left by Creighton University, who will depart the conference for the new Big East on the same day.
Established in 1907, the Missouri Valley Conference is the second oldest conference in college sports after the Big 10. Its 10 members will include Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois; Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa; the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana; Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois; Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana; Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois; Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri; the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa; Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois; and Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas.
The Missouri Valley Conference has consistently been one of the top “mid major” conferences in the country (often defined as the top non-BCS football conferences), routinely placing multiple teams in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and earning notoriety in many non-revenue sports.
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Read, “The 50th Anniversary of Loyola University’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship” by John C. Thomas on e-five.hubpages.com.
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