The Purple Aces will have the Hoops in the Heartland tournament in their backyard next year as the MVC has unveiled a three-year rotation for the tournament that includes the Ford Center (2025); Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa (2026); and a return to Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Ill. (2027). MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson says, “We’re excited about developing new relationships and growing the sport of women’s basketball in the region. The championship rotation model includes three great venues and three great communities who share the Conference’s goal of prioritizing women’s basketball.”
All 12 MVC women’s basketball teams will compete in the four-day tournament, with four opening-round games on Thursday, four quarterfinal games on Friday, two semifinal games on Saturday, culminating in a Sunday championship game in each of the next three seasons. The league tournament champion earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2025 MVC Women’s Championship at Ford Center will be the 18th-straight year the Conference will conduct a neutral-site championship for women’s basketball. The MVC has played its premier event for women’s basketball at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. (2008-2015) and Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Ill. (2016-2024). The previous 22 MVC post-season championships were held at campus sites. In 2024, the Missouri Valley Conference was one of only six conferences in which the women’s basketball championship was played at a neutral site, separate from the men’s championship and on a different weekend (ACC, A-10, Big East, Pac-12, and SEC were the others).
Three-Year Rotation Schedule
2025: Thursday-Sunday, March 13-16
2026: Thursday-Sunday, March 12-15
2027: Thursday-Sunday, March 11-14
