Hoops in Heartland to rotate tournament site over 3 years

The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) has announced rotating sites for the next three years of the annual Hoops in the Heartland Women’s College Basketball Championship Tournament that had become a staple in the Quad Cities. 

After nine consecutive years of hosting the MVC event here, the women’s basketball tournament home will switch in 2025 to the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. Then it moves to the Xtream Arena in Iowa-City Coralville in 2026, before coming back to Moline for a stop at Vibrant Arena at the Mark in 2027. 

The rotation will allow the MVC to gain national brand visibility in new communities while allowing student-athletes to experience new venues, Visit Quad Cities said in a news release.

The event had been held at the Vibrant Arena at The Mark since 2016. It was the longest-standing hosting venue in the tournament’s history. The community’s latest three-year contract with the MVC expired with the 2024 tournament.

Sports landscape changing

“On behalf of our board of directors and professional team, we look forward to hosting the Missouri Valley Women’s Basketball Tournament in 2027,” Visit QC President and CEO Dave Herrell said in today’s news release. “We have always prided ourselves on serving and prioritizing student-athletes, which will continue to be our focus. Hoops in the Heartland continues to fulfill our mission and drive value for our region’s sports tourism goals.” 

In recognizing the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics, Mr. Herrell said he respected MVC’s decision to rotate the tournament during the next contract cycle. “We’re ready to offer our support and expertise to our colleagues in Evansville and Iowa City/Coralville,” he added.

In 2024, the MVC, along with the ACC, A-10, Big East, Pac-12, and SEC, was one of only six conferences where the women’s basketball championship was played at a neutral site, separate from the men’s championship and on a different weekend. 

Beyond the excitement of the competition, Visit Quad Cities said, the tournament brings substantial economic growth to the Quad Cities, with the 2023 event alone generating a local economic impact of $1.9 million, underscoring the importance of regional sports tourism.