When I sat with Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner Jeff Jackson in November 2025, his staff was busy preparing for a series of team and individual championship weekends and the men’s and women’s basketball seasons.
The annual “Arch Madness” men’s basketball tournament was among our topics, and Jackson made sure to mention the enthusiasm and support that the women’s tournament celebrates each year.
The women’s tournament, its 40th edition, was held March 12-15, at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. Coralville is north of Iowa City, Iowa, and it’s 75 miles west of the Mississippi River.
I had to look that up because I had never heard of the town or the venue.
That is changing for the better in 2027 for the MVC and the St. Louis region.
On Monday, the MVC announced that its women’s basketball tournament is moving to St. Louis and will be held in conjunction with the men’s Arch Madness during the same week, March 3-7, at Enterprise Center.
In addition, the MVC announced that it will feature a new 10-team tournament format for both men’s and women’s basketball.
“Arch Madness is one of the great brands in college basketball,” Jackson said in a release announcing the move. The tournament draws rave reviews from national media members and reaches a significant national television audience.
“We are proud to expand that experience by welcoming our women’s basketball championship to St. Louis and bringing all Valley basketball together under the Arch Madness banner.”
Women’s opening round games will be held Wednesday, March 3, 2027, and the men’s tournament opens Thursday, March 4. Both days will include four games.
On Friday, March 5, two women’s and two men’s games will be played. The Saturday lineup will include the women’s and men’s semifinals.
The championship games of both tournaments will be played Sunday, March 7.
The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will advance directly to the semifinal round, “providing meaningful reward for regular-season achievement while preserving the excitement and intensity that have long defined MVC championship basketball,” according to Jackson.
The MVC is creating a new, wider opportunity to shine a brighter light on its women’s tournament and St. Louis will reap the reward.
“It is about creating a larger stage for our student-athletes, delivering greater value for our fans and partners, and continuing to invest in the future of Missouri Valley Conference basketball,” said Jackson.
“We believe this decision creates a unique opportunity to celebrate both championships together while preserving everything that has made Arch Madness special for more than 35 years.”
While fewer teams will earn spots in the Arch Madness Tournament because of the new format, the addition of the women’s tournament will bring excited new fan bases to St. Louis for almost a full week of basketball.
Downtown St. Louis, which bustles each year during the men’s tournament, is among the biggest winners of the MVC’s decision.
The St. Louis Sports Commission deserves praise for landing economy-bolstering events, including the 2028 Summer Olympic men’s and women’s marathon trials and Olympic group-stage soccer matches.
These events and the annual MVC men’s basketball tournament demonstrate to the nation — and, importantly, to us — that the city can truly shine.
The Reid Roundup
You could say that Alex Freeman had the game-winning goal in the USA’s 2-0 World Cup win over Australia on June 19 in Seattle. His header was the second goal, but the first came when an Australian defender scored on his own team. Freeman is a son of former Green Bay Packers standout receiver Antonio Freeman…Popularity is winning out over production in 2026 MLB All-Star balloting. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker is sixth in outfield voting. Only Michael Harris (fourth) of the Atlanta Braves is statistically better. Andy Pages of the L.A. Dodgers is first, followed by Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves (injured), Brandon Marsh of the Philadelphia Phillies, Harris and Teoscar Hernández of the Dodgers (injured).