Mountain West, Missouri Valley release pairings for 2017 men’s basketball challenge series

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.– The Mountain West and Missouri Valley Conferences have announced next season’s pairings for the Challenge Series between the two conferences. All 10 games will take place in the same six-day span in late November/early December. The agreement between the Mountain West and Missouri Valley conferences is in the third year of a four-year term.

This past year, the Mountain West and Missouri Valley split the 10-game series, 5-5. The MW has an all-time series edge of 3-1-2 in six previous Challenge seasons, including an overall advantage of 33-22 in games played in association with the series.

The Challenge Series features head-to-head competition between 10 Mountain West and 10 Missouri Valley teams annually, with each conference hosting five games apiece each season.

Annual matchups for teams in the Challenge Series will be based upon factors including the previous year’s achievements, records and RPI rankings, as well as projected rankings/strength of teams in the upcoming season, based on composite sources. Each season will be considered separately in terms of matchups, therefore, games from the previous year’s Challenge Series may not be returned.

Television rights for each Challenge Series contest will be controlled by the home team’s conference television agreement, which will dictate the distribution of the game and all related matters, including tip times.

<strong>About the Mountain West Conference:</strong>

From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the Mountain West continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level, while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship. Now in its 19th year, the MW has been assertive in its involvement with the NCAA governance structure and has taken a leadership role in the overall administration of intercollegiate athletics. The Mountain West membership is comprised of 11 all-sport members: the United States Air Force Academy, Boise State University, Colorado State University, Fresno State, University of Nevada, University of New Mexico, San Diego State University, San José State University, UNLV, Utah State University and University of Wyoming. In addition, the University of Hawai‘i and Colorado College participate in the Mountain West as single-sport members in football and women’s soccer, respectively.

<strong>About the Missouri Valley Conference:</strong>

The Missouri Valley Conference, the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I conference, continues to be a leader in college athletics and is one of the nation’s most progressive conferences, celebrating its 111th season in 2017-18. League members have worked together to focus on common goals and objectives, placing a high value on league harmony, while continuing to invest in athletic programs to compete at the highest level. League members for basketball include Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Loyola Chicago, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, and Valparaiso.

<strong>2017 MW-MVC Challenge Series:</strong>

Tuesday, November 28 Loyola (Chicago) at Boise State Boise, Idaho

Tuesday, November 28 Utah State at Valparaiso Valparaiso, Indiana

Tuesday, November 28 Colorado State at Missouri State Springfield, Missouri

Wednesday, November 29 UNLV at Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa

Wednesday, November 29 Air Force at Indiana State Terre Haute, Indiana

Wednesday, November 29 Illinois State at Nevada Reno, Nevada

Wednesday, November 29 Evansville at New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico

Saturday, December 2 San José State at Southern Illinois Carbondale, Illinois

Saturday, December 2 Drake at Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming

Sunday, December 3 Bradley at San Diego State San Diego, California

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