Its men’s basketball tournament is so identified with Saint Louis, Missouri, that it’s become known as “Arch Madness.” But the Missouri Valley Conference women’s tournament has moved around — residing in Saint Charles, Missouri, from 2008 to 2015 and Moline, Illinois, from 2016 to 2024.
Now, Evansville is getting a turn. The Ford Center will host the event featuring all 12 MVC women’s basketball teams, including the University of Evansville, March 13-16, 2025.
The event shifts to Coralville, Iowa, in 2026, before returning to Moline in 2027.
UE’s women’s basketball team plays only one game per season at the Ford Center – the rest of the Aces’ home schedule is played at Meeks Family Fieldhouse on UE’s campus. So, even though the Downtown arena is in UE’s backyard, conference officials say the Ford Center is considered “a neutral site” for the tournament.
Evansville Regional Sports Commission executive director Brandon McClish noted the city has done well in landing MVC championship events lately – this year, it welcomed the conference’s swimming and diving championship, as well as its baseball tournament which UE won.
In addition to hosting the conference’s women’s basketball tournament for the first time, Evansville also has landed the MVC’s 2025 cross-country championship, followed by the conference softball tournament in 2026.
At all those events, “we look forward to delivering an exceptional experience for student-athletes and fans alike,” McClish says.
In addition to UE, the Missouri Valley Conference has other members with strong local identities, such as Indiana State University in Terre Haute; Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky; and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.
Explore Evansville projects the MVC women’s basketball tournament will bring the region about $964,000 in economic impact.
Mayor Stephanie Terry noted the tournament is expected to bolster local businesses and calls it “a huge win for the Evansville Regional Sports Commission and the City of Evansville.”
UE women’s basketball coach Robyn Scherr-Wells says it will be “special” for her squad to play in the conference tournament in its hometown.
“This is a sports town, and I just know the Evansville Regional Sports Commission and the city will put on an unbelievable tournament here,” she says.
The tournament’s arrival in Evansville comes as women’s basketball’s popularity is surging nationally, and MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson says rotating the conference tournament to different sites aligns with the goal of further promoting the sport.
“The championship rotation model includes three great venues and three great communities who share the conference’s goal of prioritizing women’s basketball,” Jackson says.
The tournament champion receives an automatic berth in the NCAA women’s tournament. Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, has captured the title each of the last two years. Missouri State University in Springfield has the most tournament championships, with 11.
UE’s women’s team twice has won the tournament, most recently in 2009.
