MVC Basketball: Longterm impact of losing Loyola and gaining Belmont

Mar 21, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; The Loyola Ramblers wave to Sister Jean after their win over the Illinois Fighting Illini in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Loyola Ramblers won 71-58. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

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MVC Basketball (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

The comings and goings of MVC Basketball teams are causing a great stir in the heartland of college basketball fandom. This league is seeing change after change in its membership. Over the past eight years, three teams have left and three teams have joined this 115-year-old conference.

When Southern Illinois and Missouri State lost pre-Christmas games to West Coast Conference teams, I finally realized why basketball-centric athletic programs change conference affiliation.

In my puritanical view of conference membership, Creighton and Wichita State would still be in the Missouri Valley Conference. In my perfect world, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Austin Peay and Belmont would still be in the Ohio Valley Conference.

However, NCAA Tournament money is significant, and being a part of a league that routinely receives two or more Big Dance invitations makes a big difference to athletic department bottom lines and potentially opens the door to growing the overall student population of the university.

Successful programs like Loyola Chicago and Belmont are changing leagues for very practical reasons. NCAA Tournament money really matters. The Ramblers are leaving the Valley for the GREENER pastures of the Atlantic Ten and Bruin athletics is joining the league for the same reason.

Wichita State and Creighton were able to cash in on Valley success and move into more prosperous conferences. LUC and Belmont are hoping to do the same.