The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) will no longer participate in the annual MVC/Mountain West Conference Challenge after the 2018-19 season, MVC commissioner Doug Elgin confirmed during a conference call with MVC coaches and officials and media members. This means a high-profile game will be off the schedule.
The series allows all 10 MVC teams, including Loyola, to play against all 10 Mountain West teams — among them, University of Nevada, Loyola’s Sweet Sixteen opponent in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Since the MVC is considered a “mid-major” conference — meaning it doesn’t spend as much money on athletics as “high-major” conferences such as the Big 10 and the Southeastern Conference — the challenge gives teams a chance to play higher-caliber opponents, which gives MVC teams more exposure.