St. Joseph announced as new host site for GLVC basketball championships starting in 2027
Cameron Montemayor
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — St. Joseph’s sports landscape is set to welcome a premier Division II basketball tournament to the Civic Arena for the first time beginning in 2027.
League officials with the Great Lakes Valley Conference announced Wednesday it will be moving the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Tournaments to St. Joseph, Missouri, for a three-year period from 2027 to 2029.
The tournament has been held for the last three years at Lindenwood University’s Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Missouri. The 2026 contest will be held at University of St. Louis’ Mark Twain Building before relocating to St. Joseph.
“We are looking forward to showcasing the talents of the student-athletes from 16 teams to a new neutral site venue for the GLVC,” GLVC Commissioner Jim Naumovich said in a press release Wednesday. “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 announcement marks another significant agreement for the city, which has hosted multiple NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championships, including the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Elite Eight & National Championship in 2024.
Capable of accommodating 3,800 fans in the spectator seating area, St. Joseph’s Civic Arena has undergone a complete transformation in recent years with close to $12 million in renovations, from new seating, lighting and scoreboards to restrooms, locker rooms, HVAC and paint work.
All 14 GLVC tournament games will be streamed live on the GLVC Sports Network according to a press release from league officials. Games can be viewed on GLVCSN.com or GLVCSN apps available on Android and iOS mobile devices, as well as platforms on Roku, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV.
“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 Brett Esely, the Executive Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission. “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!”
The Great Lakes Valley Conference member institutions include:
Drury University Panthers – Springfield, Missouri
University of Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars – Springfield, Illinois
University of Indianapolis Greyhounds – Indianapolis, Indiana
Lewis University Flyers – Romeoville, Illinois
Lincoln University Blue Tigers – Jefferson City, Missouri
Maryville University Saints – Town and Country, Missouri
McKendree University Bearcats – Lebanon, Illinois
Missouri S & T Miners – Rolla, Missouri
University of Missouri-St. Louis Tritons – St. Louis, Missouri
Quincy University Hawks – Quincy, Illinois
Rockhurst University Hawks – Kansas City, Missouri
Southwest Baptist University Bearcats – Bolivar, Missouri
Truman State University Bulldogs – Kirksville, Missouri
Upper Iowa University Peacocks – Fayette, Iowa
William Jewell College Cardinals – Liberty, Missouri
Future championship dates include:
March 4 to March 7, 2027
March 2 to March 5, 2028
March 1 to March 4, 2029