Release courtesy of the Missouri Valley Conference

The 2017-18 season is a landmark one for the Conference and for women’s sports.  To help celebrate the 45th anniversary of Title IX and the 25th anniversary of women’s sports in the Missouri Valley Conference, league staff, in conjunction with SWAs, marketing directors and sports information directors at its 10 institutions, have developed a list of initiatives with the following goals in mind.

• To honor women student-athletes from the first 25 years of MVC competition
• To recognize outstanding achievements during the first 25 years of women in the MVC
• To bring attention to the current women student-athletes
• To honor the Conference history of women’s sports and its pioneers
• To enhance future progress of women student-athletes

    Today, the MVC unveiled a landing page on the league’s website to help celebrate the anniversary season as well as pioneers of women’s athletics (www.mvc-sports.com/women25).   Additionally, the hashtag #MVCWomen25 will be used throughout the season on all social media posts.

Other plans for the celebration include:

• Anniversary Logo – a logo celebrating 25 years of women’s athletics in the MVC has been developed and will appear on printed pieces at the Conference and institutional level.  (Women’s sports were incorporated into the MVC beginning with the 1992-93 season.)
• 25-Year Teams – During the season, the Conference office -- in conjunction with sports information directors at MVC schools – will identify 25-year teams for each of the league’s sponsored sports for women’s athletics (cross country, soccer, volleyball, swimming & diving, basketball, track & field, golf, tennis, and softball), identifying the most impactful student-athletes who participated in the MVC during those first 25 years (1992-2017).
• Promotional Spots / PSAs -- The Valley will promote the celebration of women’s athletics in the MVC throughout the year on the MVC Television Network.   Also, branded features celebrating the league’s success in women’s athletics will air in both league-produced and institutionally produced telecasts.
• In addition to promotion on the television network, the league has produced a series of pop-up banners promoting the anniversary. 
• Podcasts and a video interview series celebrating women’s athletics in the MVC will be featured on the Conference website.

    The Missouri Valley Conference was founded in 1907 and is the nation’s second oldest Division I athletics conference.   Women’s sports were incorporated into the MVC in 1992, having previously competed under the Gateway Conference banner from 1982-92.   This August, the Conference announced its 2018 Hall of Fame Class, which features three women (in the six-person class).  A total of 22 women’s athletes, coaches and pioneers have been honored by the MVC as part of the Hall.