While some Missouri State fans might feel conflicted cheering for a conference rival, Loyola-Chicago’s unlikely run to the Final Four will mean a big payday for the Bears.
Mike Kern, associate commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference, explained that some of the roughly $1 billion generated by the NCAA Tournament is distributed back to the conferences that participate.
The more teams involved, or the further a team advances, the more money a conference receives.
Doing some quick math, Kern estimated that each of the Missouri Valley Conference schools — including Missouri State — will receive about $800,000 thanks to Loyola’s deep run.