Missouri Valley
Tracking the 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference non-conference schedules.
Conference Play Overview: The MVC plays a mostly double-round robin format to determine a regular-season champion. With the league expanding to 12 teams, each team will have two select opponents that they face just once. This will be the league's third straight season with a 20-game format.
An early window of conference play between December 3rd and 7th will challenge league members with a game a piece. Murray State’s participation in the Diamond Head Classic called for some creativity to move their game with Indiana State up to December 18th.
Non-Conference Push: The MVC instituted a league-wide policy to play at least four Q1/Q2 opponents in non-conference play this coming season. A list of forecasted eligible opponents was distributed early in the offseason to help each school ensure it could meet the new standard. The MVC has five new head coaches (Drake, Indiana State, Missouri State, Southern Illinois, and UIC) who received an exception to schedule only three such contests if they preferred not to play four. Overall, I am excited about the approach to learn how high it can help raise the league’s chances of obtaining two-bid status in coming seasons. The other good news is there are a lot of quality home-and-home series launching, as you’ll see in the breakdown.
The “March to the Arch” has become one of the great regular-season league races across College Basketball over the past few decades.
League Schedule
Non-Conference Schedules
Belmont
Home
Nov. 4 vs. Non-D1 (Maryville)
Nov. 8 vs. Furman
Nov. 19 vs. Oral Roberts
Nov. 29 vs. Gardner-Webb (Cancun Challenge)
Dec. 7 vs. Middle Tennessee
Dec. 19 vs. UC Irvine
Road
Nov. 12 at Lipscomb
Nov. 15 at Air Force
Dec. 14 at Richmond
Cancun Challenge Cancun, Mexico
Nov. 26 vs. Loyola Marymount
Nov. 27 vs. Wyoming or Tulane
Notes: Belmont will play at UC Irvine and host Richmond, Lipscomb, and Air Force during the 2025-26 campaign.
Bradley
Home
Nov. 4 vs. SEMO
Nov. 12 vs. UTSA
Nov. 16 vs. Northern Illinois
Nov. 29 vs. Non-D1 (Judson)
Dec. 18 vs. San Francisco
Dec. 21 vs. Canisius
Road
Nov. 8 at Washington State
Myrtle Beach Invitational Myrtle Beach, SC
Nov. 21 vs. Texas State
Nov. 22 vs. Princeton or Wright State
Nov. 24 vs. South Florida, Ohio U., Middle Tennessee, or Portland
Jack Jones Classic Henderson, NV
Dec. 14 vs. Santa Clara
Notes: Bradley will play at San Francisco and host Washington State during the 2025-26 season.
Drake
Home
Nov. 10 vs. Stephen F. Austin
Nov. 16 vs. Florida Gulf Coast
Nov. 30 vs. Georgia Southern
Dec. 21 vs. Green Bay
Road
Charleston Classic Charleston, SC
Nov. 21 vs. Miami
Nov. 22 vs. Florida Atlantic or Oklahoma State
Nov. 24 vs. Seton Hall, Vanderbilt, Nevada, or VCU
Wildcat Classic Kansas City, MO
Dec. 17 vs. Kansas State
Note: A game with UAB has been moved to the 2025-26 season.
Evansville
Home
Nov. 9 vs. Non-D1 (Brescia)
Nov. 16 vs. Radford
Nov. 22 vs. Green Bay (MTE)
Nov. 24 vs. Campbell (MTE)
Dec. 7 vs. Western Kentucky
Dec. 12 vs. Chattanooga
Road
Nov. 5 at North Texas
Nov. 13 at Middle Tennessee
Nov. 19 at Ohio State (MTE)
Dec. 18 at UT Arlington
Dec. 21 at Ball State
Notes: Evansville will host UT Arlington and Middle Tennessee during the 2025-26 season. The Purple Aces will play at Western Kentucky in 2025-26.
Illinois-Chicago
Home
Nov. 4 vs. Non-D1 (St. Francis)
Nov. 8 vs. Yale
Nov. 16 vs. Non-D1 (St. Mary’s)
Nov. 30 vs. Non-D1 (Aurora)
Dec. 8 vs. Dartmouth
Road
Nov. 12 at Northwestern
Dec. 15 at Little Rock
Dec. 20 at Seattle U.
Boardwalk Battle Daytona Beach, FL
Nov. 21 vs. James Madison
Nov. 22 vs. La Salle or UC San Diego
Nov. 23 vs. Stetson, Jacksonville State, Toledo, or East Carolina
Note: The Flames will play at Yale during the 2025-26 season.
Illinois State
Home
Nov. 4 vs. UT Martin
Nov. 12 vs. Ohio U.
Nov. 17 vs. Non-D1 (Trinity Christian)
Dec. 7 vs. Pacific
Dec. 15 vs. Saint Louis
Dec. 18 vs. Northern Illinois
Road
Nov. 7 at North Dakota State
Dec. 22 at Cornell
Paradise Jam U.S. Virgin Islands
Nov. 22 vs. McNeese
Nov. 24 vs. Longwood or UAB
Nov. 25 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, George Washington, Liberty, or Kansas State
Notes: The Redbirds will play at Ohio and host Cornell during the 2025-26 season.
Indiana State
Home
Nov. 7 vs. Non-D1 (Eureka)
Nov. 12 vs. SIU Edwardsville
Nov. 22 vs. Chicago State
Dec. 21 vs. Non-D1 (University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy)
Road
Nov. 16 at Ball State
Nov. 25 at Southern Indiana
Dec. 29 at Ohio State
Athletes in Action Season Tip-Off Xenia, OH
Nov. 4 vs. Florida Atlantic
Nassau Championship Nassau, Bahamas
Nov. 29 vs. Arkansas State
Nov. 30 vs. Iona
Dec. 1 vs. Tarleton
Note: The Sycamores and Southern Indiana will play during the 2025-26 season.
Missouri State
Home
Nov. 11 vs. Non-D1 (Missouri Southern)
Nov. 16 vs. Tulsa
Nov. 19 vs. UT Arlington
Dec. 18 vs. Non-D1 (Lincoln)
Dec. 22 vs. UC Santa Barbara
Road
Nov. 4 at Butler
Dec. 1 at Oral Roberts
Dec. 14 at Washington State
Cayman Islands Classic Grand Cayman
Nov. 24 vs. High Point
Nov. 25 vs. Old Dominion or High Point
Nov. 26 vs. Hampton, South Dakota State, Duquesne, or Boise State
Notes: The Bears will play at UT Arlington during the 2025-26 season and likely host Oral Roberts (long-running series).
Murray State
Home
Nov. 4 vs. Non-D1 (Bethel)
Nov. 20 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore
Nov. 22 vs. Utah Valley
Dec. 8 vs. SEMO
Road
Nov. 8 at Pittsburgh
Nov. 16 at Middle Tennessee
Dec. 14 at Western Kentucky
Neutral Site Event Jacksonville, FL
Nov. 26 vs. UT Arlington
Diamond Head Classic Honolulu, HI
Dec. 22 vs. Nebraska
Dec. 23 vs. Hawai’i or Charlotte
Dec. 25 vs. Oregon State, Oakland, Loyola-Chicago, or Charleston
Notes: The Racers will play at SMU and host Little Rock during the 2025-26 season.
Northern Iowa
Home
Nov. 4 vs. Non-D1 (Dubuque)
Nov. 7 vs. Milwaukee
Nov. 10 vs. UC Irvine
Nov. 19 vs. Western Illinois
Dec. 7 vs. Northern Illinois
Dec. 13 vs. Omaha
Dec. 16 vs. Montana
Road
Nov. 14 at Wichita State
NIT Season Tip-Off Orlando, FL
Nov. 27 vs. North Texas
Nov. 29 vs. Utah State or St. Bonaventure
Orleans Arena Game Las Vegas, NV
Dec. 21 vs. Washington State
Note: The Panthers will host Wichita State on December 6th, 2025, and play at UC Irvine during the 2025-26 season.
Southern Illinois
Home
Nov. 8 vs. Non-D1 (Missouri S&T)
Nov. 18 vs. North Dakota State
Dec. 7 vs. Southern Indiana
Dec. 21 vs. High Point
Road
Nov. 14 at Oklahoma State
Nov. 22 at Florida
Dec. 14 at Austin Peay
Field of 68 Showcase Sioux Falls, SD
Nov. 4 vs. Charleston
Gulf Coast Showcase Estero, FL
Also: Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Louisiana Tech, and Richmond.
Nov. 25 vs. TBA
Nov. 26 vs. TBA
Nov. 27 vs. TBA
Note: The Salukis will play at High Point in 2025-26 and host High Point again in 2026-27.
Valparaiso
Home
Nov. 8 vs. Non-D1 (Concordia)
Nov. 12 vs. Cleveland State
Nov. 21 vs. Lindenwood
Nov. 24 vs. Eastern Illinois (DePaul Classic)
Nov. 27 vs. Northern Illinois (DePaul Classic)
Dec. 14 vs. Central Michigan
Dec. 22 vs. Non-D1 (Calumet)
Road
Nov. 29 at DePaul (DePaul Classic)
Dec. 17 at Ohio State
Dec. 20 at Western Michigan
Athletes in Action Showcase Xenia, OH
Nov. 4 vs. Liberty
Note: Valpo will play at Cleveland State and host Western Michigan during the 2025-26 season.