Missouri State is gone. 11 schools that could replace them in the Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri State announced Friday it will leave the Missouri Valley Conference after the 2024-25 season and head to Conference USA.
It's primarily a football move. In the basketball landscape, it's a step down the ladder from the MVC. But gone they are, and that leaves the Valley with 11 teams — and odd number and not what the league prefers.
So who will be the incoming 12th team in 2025-26? Will the league try to maintain a 6-6 public-private split in its membership? What schools are the best fit? Here are some potential candidates on which to speculate:
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Wright State
Horizon League team went 18-14 (13-7) last season under head coach Scott Nagy, now the new man at the helm for Southern Illinois. They play in the 12,000-seat Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio (Dayton market). Made the NCAA Tournament field in 2022.
Northern Kentucky
Horizon League team went 18-15 (12-8) last season under head coach Darrin Horn. They play in the 9,400-seat Truist Arena in Highland Heights, Ky. The Norse have won four Horizon championships and made the NCAA Tournament in 2017, 2019 and 2023. NKU lost to Bradley opponents Akron (77-76), Cleveland State (88-85 OT) and Illinois State (62-59).
Texas-Arlington
The Western Athletic Conference team went 20-14 (13-7) last season under head coach KT Turner. They played a schedule that included Texas and Arizona. They had a pair of two-point regular-season losses to Tarleton State (a team BU beat by 23 points), but ousted them from the conference tournament.
The Mavericks were on some Valley wish lists amid the transitions that brought UIC, Belmont and Murray State into the league two seasons ago. They play in the 7,000-seat College Park Center in Arlington, and are an enticing idea for the Valley, parked just 40 minutes outside mega-market Dallas.
Morehead State
Ohio Valley Conference team went 26-9 (14-4) last season under head coach Preston Spradlin. They play in 6,500-seat Ellis T. Johnson Arena on campus. Morehead won the OVC Tournament and headed to the NCAA Tournament, where Illinois KO'd them 85-69.
Oral Roberts
Summit League team went 12-19 (5-11) last season under head coach Russ Springmann. They play in the 10,575-seat Mabee Center in Tulsa, Okla. The Golden Eagles have been in the NCAA Tournament seven times, most recently in 2023, and in 2021 when they were a Sweet 16 team. The program has also been in the NIT eight times. Oral Roberts' schedule included losses to a ranked Texas A&M team and departing Valley team Missouri State (84-69).
Eastern Kentucky
ASUN team went 17-14 (12-4) last season under head coach A.W. Hamilton. They play at 6,500-seat Alumni Coliseum in Richmond, Ky. Their schedule included games against Purdue and Alabama.
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Nebraska-Omaha
Summit League Conference team went 15-18 (7-9) last season under head coach Chris Crutchfield. They play in 7,898-seat Baxter Arena on Omaha, Nebraska.
St. Thomas
Summit League Conference team went 20-13 (9-7) last season under head coach Johnny Tauer. They play in 2,000-seat Schoenecker Arena in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Austin Peay
ASUN team went 19-16 (10-6) under head coach Corey Gipson. They have eight regular-season conference championships, but none since 2008. Won the conference tournament in 2016 to earn their seventh trip to the NCAA Tournament. They play in 5,500-seat F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tenn.
University of Missouri-Kansas City
The Summit League team was 16-16 (10-6) under head coach Marvin Menzies. They played a schedule that included Baylor, Colorado State and Kansas. And they play on campus in Kansas City in 1,500-seat, circa 1941 UMKC Campus Recreation.
Bellarmine
ASUN team went 8-23 (4-12) in a tough year under longtime head coach Scott Davenport. His career record is 421-171. They play in 18,000-seat Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Missouri Valley Conference replacement candidates for Missouri State basketball
