Women’s Tournament Moves to St. Louis
(St. Louis, MO) – Arch Madness is radically changing. The iconic Missouri Valley Conference’s basketball tournament is no longer just a ‘men’s tournament’. Women’s teams from the Valley will be joining their male counter parts in St. Louis for a combined Arch Madness experience.
The tournament will become a five-day event and will no longer invite every conference team to the post season tournament.
It is widely believed that the league lost large amounts of money on the women’s annual tournament. The MVC Board of Directors have considered this change for well over a year.
The new Arch Madness schedule will include opening rounds of four women’s on Wednesday and then four men’s games on Thursday. Both Friday’s quarterfinal rounds and Saturday’s semifinals will include two games for the women and two for the men.
The Arch Madness championship games will each be played on Sunday, with the men’s title tilt being played first.
Despite a break with tradition of every Valley team being included in the conference tournament, Drake President Marty Martin says this move builds on its traditions.
“This decision reflects the Board’s commitment to strengthening the long-term future of Missouri Valley Conference basketball while building upon one of our Conference’s most valuable traditions.”
Contained in the new format is a double-bye into the tournament semifinal for the league’s top two teams. Last season, neither of the men’s top two teams reached the tournament semifinals. One of the women’s top two teams, eventual champion Murray State played in the championship game.
Northern Iowa’s men’s team became the first sixth seeded team to claim an Arch Madness title. While the top seeded team has won just eleven of the 36 men’s tournaments hosted in St. Louis, the second place team has won twelve.
Press Conference Today!
Valley Hoops Insider will be a part of a Zoom press conference with MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson later today. The full MVC press release is available at MVC-sports.com.
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We’ve learned that a major Missouri Valley Conference @MVCsports announcement is coming Monday. Rampant rumors abound related to #ArchMadness. What’s next? Stay tuned. #FatherHarry
Early next week, expect an official announcement on whether #ArchMadness is undergoing some significant changes. #FatherHarry
Honest question: Are the traveling rules the same in college and in the NBA?
Every time I turn on an NBA game, I remember why I haven’t watched previously. They clutch, grab, shove and the offensive sets are seemingly nothing but one-on-one duals. Very little imagination.
