By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Downtown St. Joseph’s Civic Arena will again be the home to championship basketball, starting in 2027.
The Great Lakes Valley Conference announced the new site for it’s men’s and women’s basketball championship tournaments from 2027 to 2029 with the event moving to St. Joseph after spending the past three years at former league member Lindenwood University. The 2026 tournament will be held at the University of St. Louis’s Mark Twain Building.
“We are looking forward to showcasing the talents of the student-athletes from 16 teams to a new neutral site venue for the GLVC,” said GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich in a news release. “The St. Joseph community and the Sports Commission have a long history of supporting post-season basketball events and we believe playing in Civic Arena with the local fan interest will be a significant championship enhancement for all the participating teams.”
The Great Lakes Valley Conference is made up of 15 member institutions which include Drury, the University of Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars, the University of Indianapolis, Lewis, Lincoln, Maryville, McKendree, Missouri S & T, the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Quincy, Rockhurst, Southwest Baptist, Truman State, Upper Iowa, and William Jewell.
“We are absolutely thrilled for the opportunity to partner with the GLVC and their confidence in us to help create a championship experience here in St. Joseph,” said Executive Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission Brett Esely. “We’ve had the good fortune of hosting many high magnitude events over the past few years and feel our expertise in this area will be a great fit as the new home of the GLVC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships moving forward!”
Future championships at Civic Arena will be held March 4-7, 2027, March 2-5, 2028, and March 1-4, 2029.
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