Murray State is Joining the Missouri Valley Conference

Racers Becoming Eleventh Valley Squad

(St. Louis, MO) – Murray State is joining the Missouri Valley Conference. Strong indications surrounding this move have now been confirmed to Valley Hoops Insider. Murray State is joining. The much rumored move from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Valley will be made official at a university Board of Regents meeting on Friday.

Our friend Jeff Bidwell broke that piece of the puzzle on Wednesday.

 

http:/

Murray State to the <redacted> Conference??

Business has just picked up. pic.twitter.com/akEq83ue0I

— Jeff Bidwell (@AKAJeffBidwell) January 5, 2022

 

The momentum had been building. When we heard on Mike Reis’ Saluki radio interview with Commissioner Jeff Jackson that the league would be ‘deeper and stronger’ next season, we could only assume at least one more quality program would be following Belmont into the league.

Commissioner Jackson has been aggressive and progressive.

When CBS’s Matt Norlander released his tweet stating the Valley Presidents’ Council had approved the move, this snowball was rolling down-hill and getting bigger.

 

http:/

Breaking: The Missouri Valley’s presidents have approved Murray State to become the conference’s next member, sources told CBS Sports. Murray State joins Belmont in leaving the OVC. A 12th school is expected eventually, sources said. More details: https://t.co/XaBViQtFyG

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) January 5, 2022

 

We have heard from Extra Points and others that presentations were made to the league in mid-December, but could not verify. I can personally tell you there were no meetings at Valley HQ here in St. Louis on December 18, because I went and checked. Many Valley staff members were actually out of town that weekend. That doesn’t mean the meetings didn’t happen.

Now we know Murray State is joining the Missouri Valley Conference.

Why Murray State?

While the Belmont addition was a slam-dunk, this addition can be viewed no less positively. The Racers have a great tradition of basketball success, a wonderful rivalry with Belmont and are geographically close to Southern Illinois and Evansville. Murray is less than two hours from Carbondale and less than three hours from Evansville. We know the Racer fans know the way to Ford Center.

Everything about Murray State fits the Missouri Valley Conference. It is a basketball centric school with outstanding academics. Geography is perfect and the fan base will immediately become one of the most rabid in the MVC.

 

 

 

Five MVC teams draw more and five draw less fans to their games than the Racers. Murray averages 2,973 fans per game, which is almost 700 more than Belmont.

Prior to this season the Racers had played SIU 38 times and Evansville 39.

If the league maintains a home-and-home schedule for every conference team, the league schedule would grow to 20 games. If, as rumored another team is still on the way (UIC?), then what? Would the conference go to a north and south division split?

What about the league tournament? With eleven or 12 teams, how does the Valley continue its Thursday to Sunday Arch Madness schedule at St. Louis’ Enterprise Center? The OVC had its double-bye system in place, but still allowed only eight teams to participate. Certainly the Valley would not do that.

Murray State is joining the Missouri Valley Conference. There are other questions to answer, but we know Belmont and the Racers will be a part of the 116^th season of MVC basketball.

Do Good