The updated Missouri Valley Conference schedule for the Drake University women's basketball team was announced Friday, Dec. 4 by the MVC office.
 
A few highlights of the updated schedule, include Drake scheduled to start league play at the Knapp Center against Bradley on Jan. 1 and 2. The Bulldogs close the regular season at home against Valparaiso on March 5 and 6.
 
The new format significantly reduces travel and places an emphasis on the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff. The MVC will continue to play an 18-game format in which MVC teams will face one another in a two-game series on back-to-back days at the same site. Each institution will play four road series and four home series and will also face their designated 'travel partner' in a single-game, home-and-home series. All Conference play begins after Christmas.
 
On Nov. 20, the MVC Presidents Council reaffirmed its priorities for decision-making regarding COVID-19 matters, which include: health and safety, ethical responsibility in decision-making, student-athlete experience, quality of competition and opportunities for national competitiveness. Consistent with those principles, the Conference has adopted a new scheduling format for men's and women's basketball Conference games.
 
 The Presidents Council also acknowledged that athletically-related activities will take place only to the extent permitted by local environments and applicable national, state, local and institutional guidelines in order to safeguard the health and safety of participants, staff and fans.
 
Results of Conference play will determine seeding for the MVC Women's Basketball Championship (March 11-14, 2021) at TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill. All 10 teams qualify for the tournament.
 
Check www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com for additional details regarding the conference slate, including game times and broadcast information.
 
2020-21 Drake Women's Basketball Conference Schedule (Times TBA)
Jan. 1 – Bradley – Knapp Center
Jan. 2 – Bradley – Knapp Center
Jan. 7 – at Evansville – Evansville, Ind.
Jan. 8 – at Evansville – Evansville, Ind.
Jan. 15 – Indiana State – Knapp Center
Jan. 16 – Indiana State – Knapp Center
Jan. 22 – at Missouri State – Springfield, Mo.
Jan. 23 – at Missouri State – Springfield, Mo.
Jan. 27 – UNI – Knapp Center
Feb. 5 – at Loyola – Chicago, Ill.
Feb. 6 – at Loyola – Chicago, Ill.
Feb. 11 – SIU – Knapp Center
Feb. 12 – SIU – Knapp Center
Feb. 19 – at Illinois State – Normal, Ill.
Feb. 20 – at Illinois State – Normal, Ill.
Feb. 24 – at UNI – Cedar Falls, Iowa
March 5 – Valparaiso – Knapp Center
March 6 – Valparaiso – Knapp Center
March 11-14 – MVC Tournament – Moline, Ill.