ST. LOUIS – The State Farm Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament will remain in St. Louis until at least 2020, MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin has announced. The existing deal with the building is until 2018 with a two-year option, which the league exercises today.

Notably, the MVC will be hosting their 30th consecutive men’s basketball tournament – known as Arch Madness – in St. Louis in 2020, after hosting the event at the Kiel Auditorium (1991), on the St. Louis Arena (1992-94) and at the Scottrade Center (1995-present).

“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to keep our basketball tournament here for so long,” said Commissioner Doug Elgin. “We owe a great debt to the owners of the St. Louis Blues by marking five consecutive dates in the heart of the NHL calendar each March. Our State Farm MVC tournament has established very deep roots in St. Louis, and it would never have been possible without the construction of the Scottrade Center. And it has paid big dividends for the regional economy – our tournament has been a catalyst in providing the opportunity for The Valley and its local partners to make St. Louis a regular stop on the NCAA tournament track. “

“The Scottrade Center has been hosting our men’s basketball tournament since 1995, and we look forward to an enhanced experience for our fans in the building in 2018,” said Jack R. Watkins, Associate Commissioner of MVC and Tournament Director of Arch Madness. . “A new state-of-the-art instrument panel, sound system and updated bowl lighting are just a few of the fundamental improvements.

“This 2020 vision – not only for the 30th Chapter of Arch Madness but our opportunity to host NCAA that same year – cannot be overstated enough. With the opening of new buildings in the Midwest and the return of the NCAA in other cities in the central corridor, we are grateful for the commitment shown in keeping St. Louis at the forefront as a site for post-season varsity basketball.

Only the Big East Conference hosted a longer, continuous men’s basketball event on the same neutral site as the Missouri Valley with its Arch Madness, which built a strong tradition with the men’s basketball championship in St. Louis. The Big East has played its tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year since 1981 (38th consecutive year in 2018).

Prior to moving to the new American Airlines Center in Dallas for the 2003 tournament, the Big 12 / Big 8 event had been held at Kemper Arena in Kansas City since 1977 before relocating to the Texas site (a chain of 26 straight to Kansas City). The Missouri Valley Conference celebrated its 27th year in St. Louis at the 2017 tournament, surpassing that streak.

A total of 1,354,898 fans attended the MVC tournament over its 27 year history in St. Louis. Participation in the 2017 State Farm MVC Tournament Championship of 11,744 was the eighth best of 27 years in St. Louis. The league holds the Scottrade Center record for a basketball game (22,612 for the semi-finals and the final in 2007). Notably, over the past 15 seasons (15 State Farm MVC tournaments since 2003), 11 teams, including five in the past four seasons, have competed in the Top 25-ranked State Farm MVC tournament.

In addition, the City of St. Louis has hosted five NCAA basketball events at the Scottrade Center, including the Women’s Final Fours (2001, 2009) and three men’s preliminary events (1998, 2014, 2016). The NCAA is back in 2020, as the MVC and City will be hosting a 1st / 2nd round in the building on March 19-21.