ST. LOUIS, Mo. – For the fifth time in the last six seasons, Illinois State has won the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championship as announced by the Conference office Thursday. The Redbirds have now recently won the league's All-Sports Championship in 2018-19, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2024-25 (the MVC did not award the trophy during the 2019-20 pandemic-shortened season). Notably, Illinois State has won 17 all-sports crowns and has finished first, second, or third in 31 of the past 34 years.
"We start every year with the goal of winning the MVC All-Sports Championship, and after coming up short last year I am proud that we have earned a spot at the top of the standings once again in 2024-25," Illinois State Director of Athletics Dr. Jeri Beggs said. "To win the MVC All-Sports trophy the fifth time in six years is a tremendous accomplishment by our student-athletes, coaches, and entire Athletics staff. We hope all of our alumni, supporters and fans are just as proud of this honor as we are."Â
Illinois State had an aggregate score of 8.956 this year to take the all-sports crown and earned MVC regular-season team titles this season in men's golf and women's golf. The men's and women's golf titles mark the first time since 2019 that both men's and women's teams from the same school have won the title, and the first time that ISU has done it since 2005. In total, the Redbirds recorded Top-5 finishes in 11 other MVC-sponsored sports, including runner-up finishes in men's cross country, men's outdoor track & field, men's indoor track & field, and men's outdoor track & field.
Prior to Drake's MVC All-Sports crown in 2024, Illinois State, Missouri State or Wichita State had earned the league's all-sports championship trophy every year since 1995. Illinois State won five of six all-sports championships from 1996-01, Missouri State has five titles since 1999-00, and Wichita State had a stretch where it won 11 of 14 all-sports trophies from 2003-04 through 2016-17.Â
Eleven different institutions claimed at least one regular-season or post-season league title this past season. UIC's women's team tennis tournament crown was its first as an MVC member. Â Missouri State and Murray State tied for the league best with five total titles, while Indiana State's four titles were next best in The Valley as the Sycamores claimed titles in men's and women's outdoor track & field, women's swimming & diving, and women's indoor track & field. Â Â
Points -- Team (Championships*)
8.956 - Illinois State (2)
8.721 - UNI (3)
8.404 - Drake (2)
7.800 - Missouri State (5)
7.705 - Belmont (1)
*combined regular-season and tournament championships
The MVC first offered an all-sports trophy following the 1949-50 athletics season and then-member Oklahoma State (Oklahoma A&M at the time) earned the league's first title. The All-Sports Trophy is based on a school's average finish in each of the sponsored championships by the Missouri Valley Conference. Teams are awarded 12 points for first, 11 for second, 10 for third, etc., and the total accumulated points are divided by the number of sports in which a particular school competes. For sports not sponsored by every MVC school, the points decrease by number of competing schools (i.e., in a sport where 10 teams compete, 12/10 = 1.20, so point totals decrease by 1.20; 1st = 12, 2nd = 10.8, 3rd = 9.6, etc.)
Finishes in baseball, basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball are based on regular-season competition. However, institutions receive three bonus points for each league post-season championship earned in those aforementioned sports. Â All other sports are determined by finish at the championship tournament or championship meet.Â
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