ST. LOUIS -- Commissioner Doug Elgin has announced the complete list of dates and sites for the various Missouri Valley Conference sports championships for the 2009-10 athletic season.  Notably, that includes a recommendation from the league’s Joint Committee (faculty athletics representatives, directors of athletics and senior woman administrators of each institution) to bring the 2009 State Farm MVC Women’s Soccer Championship to Omaha, Neb., the 2009 State Farm MVC Men’s Soccer Championship to Des Moines, Iowa; the 2010 State Farm MVC Men’s Golf Championship to Wichita State; the 2010 State Farm MVC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Team Championship to Wichita State; the 2010 State Farm MVC Softball Championship to Des Moines, Iowa; and the 2010 State Farm Baseball Championship to Wichita, Kan.

 The site awards are subject to ratification at the Missouri Valley Conference Presidents’ Council meeting, which takes place June 5.   Eight of the league’s 10 league schools are set to host one or more championships in 2009-10.

 WOMEN’S SOCCER:  The 2009 State Farm MVC Women’s Soccer Tournament will be at Omaha, Neb., and Creighton hosts the tournament at the Michael G. Morrison, S.J. Stadium, on Nov. 6-8.  It marks the second-straight year that Creighton has hosted the women’s championship.  The top six teams (of seven) advance to the championship, and the top two seeds receive a bye in the first round.   First-round games are on campus sites - either Sunday or Monday, Nov. 1-2.  The semifinals are Friday, Nov. 6, and the championship is Sunday, Nov. 8.  The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship.  Last year in Omaha, Neb., Evansville won the league tournament championship, defeating Indiana State, 2-0, in the title match.

 MEN’S SOCCER:  The 2009 State Farm MVC Men’s Soccer Tournament will be in Des Moines, Iowa, and will be played at the Cownie Soccer Complex on Nov. 13-15.  After four-straight years of a Wednesday-Friday-Sunday format involving all six tournament teams, only four teams (of six) will advance to the championship.  The semifinals will be played at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, and the championship is Sunday, Nov. 15.  Notably, should Drake not finish among the top four in the regular-season standings, the tournament site would be awarded to the highest seed of those teams that presented qualifying bids for the 2009 site (Bradley, Creighton, or Evansville).  The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the 2009 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.  In 2008, Creighton represented The Valley in the NCAA Tournament.  The Bluejays won the league’s automatic berth with a 1-0 victory over Missouri State.

 VOLLEYBALL:  The 2009 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference volleyball championship is in Omaha, Neb., at the newly constructed Ryan Center and D.J. Sokol Arena.  Creighton is the host.  The tournament, awarded to Creighton on a bid basis at last year’s spring meeting, will be held on Thanksgiving weekend, with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Last year, for the second-straight year, three or more Missouri Valley Conference volleyball teams were selected in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field (four were selected in 2007).  Missouri State won the league tournament title in 2008 and was joined by UNI and Wichita State in the NCAA Tournament.  The Ryan Center and D.J. Sokol Arena, a 46,000 square-foot-facility, will house a gymnasium seating just under 3,000 and will be the home for Creighton women’s basketball and volleyball.

 MEN’S GOLF:  The 2010 State Farm MVC Men’s Golf Championship is in Hutchinson, Kan., at Prairie Dunes Country Club, April 26-27.  Wichita State will host the 2010 State Farm MVC Men’s Golf Tournament and was awarded the bid at last year’s MVC spring meetings.  Prairie Dunes was the site of the 2006 State Farm MVC Championship, is a frequent host of the Big 12 Men’s Golf Championship, and most recently (2006) hosted the U.S. Senior Open.  The 2009 State Farm MVC Men’s Golf Tournament champion was Wichita State, and the Shockers represented the league in the NCAA South Central Regional.  In addition to the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, the men’s golf championship is the only tournament hosted on a neutral site. 

 SOFTBALL:  The 2010 State Farm MVC Softball Championship will be hosted by Drake.  The tournament will be played May 13-15.  Drake, as host institution, receives one of the tournament spots in the three-day, eight-team, single-elimination tournament.  The champion of the tournament, which was awarded on a bid basis, receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.  Drake has never hosted the championship.  This past year, in Peoria, Ill., Bradley beat Creighton in the title game of the State Farm MVC Tournament, and the Braves represented the MVC in the NCAA Tournament field.  Notably, only one team (Bradley in 2009) in the 27-year history of the softball tournament has won the title as the host. 

 BASEBALL:  The State Farm MVC Baseball Championship returns to Wichita, Kan., for 2010.  The tournament is at Eck Stadium / Tyler Field on May 26-29.  Since 1987, the tournament has been played at Wichita State every season except four [Springfield, Ill. (1995); Evansville, Ind. (1998); and Springfield, Mo. (2004 and 2007)].  In addition, Wichita State has administered seven NCAA baseball regionals in the past 13 years.  Wichita State, as host institution, receives one of the tournament spots in the four-day, six-team tournament.  The 2009 tournament marks the first year of a new three-team two-pod format, which guarantees each team three games.  The winner of each three-team pod plays one another in a single championship game.  The champion of the tournament, which was awarded on a bid basis, receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

 In addition to the recommendation of the championship sites up for bid, the Joint Committee reaffirmed the following pre-assigned sites for 2009-10:

 The State Farm MVC Men’s Basketball Championship -- the 20th consecutive men’s tournament in St. Louis -- will feature all 10 Missouri Valley Conference schools and will be played at Scottrade Center.  For the fifth-straight year, the tournament will begin on Thursday and end on Sunday (March 4-7) with the championship game on CBS Sports.  The quarterfinals and semifinals will also be televised, on Fox Sports Midwest.

 The State Farm MVC Women’s Basketball Championship -- the third consecutive women’s tournament in St. Charles -- will feature all 10 Missouri Valley Conference schools and will be played at The Family Arena.  The tournament will begin on Thursday and end on Sunday (March 11-14) with the semifinals and finals on Fox Sports Midwest.

 Other hosts for league championships in 2009-10 include Bradley (men’s and women’s cross country); Evansville (women’s individual tennis, and women’s golf); Drake (men’s individual tennis); Illinois State (men’s and women’s outdoor track & field); UNI (men’s and women’s indoor track & field); Southern Illinois (women’s swimming & diving); and Wichita State (men’s and women’s team tennis).