Missouri Valley Basketball Monday: Road wins and midseason awards

CHARLESTON, SC - NOVEMBER 21: Gaige Prim #44 of the Missouri State Bears takes a shot during a first round Charleston Classic basketball game against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes at the TD Arena on November 21, 2019 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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UIC coach Luke Yaklich when he was an assistant coach at Texas. Bkc Purdue Vs Texas /

Illinois-Chicago set to join MVC

As early as this week, the Valley could name the twelfth team to be a part of the league next season. The University of Illinois-Chicago will be joining the Valley. There have been numerous reports about Flames’ athletics becoming a part of the Valley.

UIC, Kansas City, and UT Arlington have been the programs most rumored to join Belmont and Murray State as next season’s new Valley membership. UTA has since joined the Western Athletic Conference.

National writers Jon Rothstein, Matt Norlander, and others agree that UIC is joining the Valley. Sources have told me it could be announced as early as your reading of this article and there could be a press conference at UIC as early as Wednesday.

The early January campus visit by Valley officials seems to have cemented the deal. Keeping a foothold in the Chicago market was important. The television market matters, but equally important to the Valley Presidents’ Council was the tens of thousands of Chicago-based Valley alumni that live in Chicago and their ability to see their alma maters play in the Windy City.

UIC has outstanding facilities and is moving from the Horizon League. While the Flames won just nine games last season and seven so far this year, as recently as three years ago they won 20 games.

Current Valley members Loyola and Valparaiso also made the move from the Horizon to the Valley. They have had significantly different success levels, but both have become viable members of the league.