ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Drake University has earned its first Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championship in school history, becoming just the second private institution in MVC history to earn the honor, the league announced this morning.
Drake won regular-season team championships this year in men's cross country, women's basketball, women's soccer, and tournament titles in both men's and women's basketball. The Bulldogs also became the first institution in MVC history to win back-to-back tournament titles in both men's and women's basketball. In addition to the five team titles, Drake had top-five finishes in men's basketball (regular-season), men's golf, men's outdoor track & field, men's indoor track & field, women's cross country, women's golf, women's tennis, and volleyball. Drake had an aggregate score of 8.787 this year to take the title. The Bulldogs finished third in 2022-23, which was its highest finish since 1994-95.
"The Drake Bulldogs have made history," Director of Athletics Brian Hardin said. "This prestigious award is a monumental honor of achievement, a testament to the collective effort of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff, and the unwavering support of our [fans]. From a historical standpoint, this is an incredibly rare accomplishment. We will continue striving to make [all Bulldogs] proud to be associated with Drake Athletics."
Drake's success this year has not been limited to Valley contests. While not considered in All-Sports scoring, Drake also won the Pioneer Football League championship, marking its first-ever appearance in the FCS Playoffs, and earned regular season and tournament runner-up finishes in Summit League men's tennis. The Bulldogs also produced several impressive individual performances including Brooke Mullins' women's cross country crown and seven Missouri Valley Conference gold medals between the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.
The MVC first offered an All-Sports trophy following the 1949-50 athletics season and then-member Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) earned the league's first title. The University of Tulsa was the last private school to earn the All-Sports Championship, in 1960-61.
Illinois State had one team title (women's golf) and added top-four finishes in baseball, men's cross country, men's outdoor track & field, men's indoor track & field, women's cross country, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, women's outdoor track & field, and women's indoor track & field, to yield an aggregate score of 8.442 to finish second. Indiana State, meanwhile, recorded six MVC first-place finishes to take third in the standings at 8.148. Belmont finished fourth or better in eight sports and finished fourth in the standings (7.696). Missouri State (7.463) and Southern Illinois (7.411) rounded out the league's top-six finishers.
Ten different institutions claimed at least one regular-season league title this past season. Indiana State's six total titles led the league.
Points -- Team (Championships*)
8.787 -- Drake (5)
8.442 -- Illinois State (1)
8.148 -- Indiana State (6)
7.696 -- Belmont (1)
7.463 -- Missouri State (1)
7.411 -- Southern Illinois (3)
*combined regular-season and tournament championships
Illinois State, Missouri State or Wichita State, meanwhile, 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. Notably, Illinois State has 16 all-sports crowns and has finished first, second, or third in 30 of the past 33 years.
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. All other sports are determined by finish at the championship tournament or championship meet.
MVC All-Sports Trophy History
1949-50 Oklahoma State
1950-51 Oklahoma State
1951-52 Tulsa
1952-53 Houston
1953-54 Oklahoma State
1954-55 Oklahoma State
1955-56 Houston
1956-57 Oklahoma State
1957-58 Houston
1958-59 Houston
1959-60 Houston
1960-61 Tulsa
1961-62 Cincinnati
1962-63 Cincinnati
1963-64 Wichita State
1964-65 Wichita State
1965-66 Wichita State
1966-67 Cincinnati
1967-68 Cincinnati
1968-69 Not Available
1969-70 Not Available
1970-71 Memphis State
1971-72 Memphis State
1972-73 Memphis State
1973-74 North Texas State
1974-75 North Texas State
1975-76 Wichita State
1976-77 Southern Illinois
1977-78 Wichita State
1978-79 Wichita State
1979-80 Wichita State
1980-81 Wichita State
1981-82 Wichita State
1982-83 Wichita State
1983-84 Southern Illinois
1984-85 Illinois State
1985-86 Illinois State
1986-87 Wichita State
1987-88 Wichita State
1988-89 Illinois State
1989-90 Southern Illinois
1990-91 Southern Illinois
1991-92 Illinois State
1992-93 None Awarded
1993-94 Illinois State
1994-95 Southern Illinois
1995-96 Illinois State
1996-97 Illinois State
1997-98 Illinois State
1998-99 Illinois State
1999-00 Missouri State
2000-01 Illinois State
2001-02 Missouri State
2002-03 Missouri State
2003-04 Wichita State
2004-05 Wichita State
2005-06 Wichita State
2006-07 Wichita State
2007-08 Illinois State
2008-09 Wichita State
2009-10 Illinois State
2010-11 Wichita State
2011-12 Missouri State
2012-13 Wichita State
2013-14 Wichita State
2014-15 Wichita State
2015-16 Wichita State
2016-17 Wichita State
2017-18 Missouri State
2018-19 Illinois State
2019-20 None Selected (COVID-19)
2020-21 Illinois State
2021-22 Illinois State
2022-23 Illinois State
2023-24 Drake
