There's still six months to go until the Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament, but organizers are already becoming familiar with the tournament's new home. Yesterday, MVC officials stopped in the Quad Cities, to promote the tournament next March.
MVC spokeswoman, Patty Viverito, says the Quad Cities is the perfect neutral site for the women's tournament. And the slogan "Hoops in the Heartland" reflects that.
"We think that Hoops in the Heartland is a slogan that speaks to who we are, as well as where this tournament is being played. We think it speaks to mid-west values that is represented by women's basketball in the Quad Cities."
In a preview of the tournament, conference teams will play two games in the Quad Cities in December: Northern Iowa will take on Akron, and Illinois State will play Northern Illinois.
The Deputy Athletic Director for Northern Iowa, Jean Berger, expects thousands will attend the tournament next March.
"A lot of Valley alums in this area. We have a lot of teachers, we have a lot of coaches, we have a lot of players. Our Valley schools recruit high school in Illinois and Iowa all around here. So there's so many great opportunities and so many reasons that this will be a wonderful place for our conference championship."
For the past eight years, the annual tournament was played in St. Charles, Missouri. TheMVC women's tournament will be held at the iWireless Center in Moline, March 10 to 13.
