The Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness fans on Thursday at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis
Each March, downtown St. Louis comes alive with the buzz of basketball.
The Missouri Valley Conference has hosted its men’s basketball championship in the city for more than three decades. Founded in 1907, the MVC is the second longest-running conference, after the Big Ten.
While the conference’s current membership looks a bit different than the founding group — Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Washington University — one thing is certain: The basketball faithful who attend the tournament say the opportunity to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament makes the trek worth it year after year.
St. Louis Public Radio’s Eric Lee and Brian Munoz asked them what makes the annual March basketball craze and their teams so special.
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
Jim Meis, 48, of Dunlap, Ill., on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. "A good friend of mine has been coming for 23 years in a row now ... and I've been coming ever since," he said. "We go to every session. We go to every game, and it's beer, basketball, sleep, repeat."
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
From left: Martha Jackson, 66, along with her grandchildren Mason, 7, and Kline, 3, all of Olympia Fields, Ill.; Judith Menuey, 65, of Pottersville, S.C., and Jennifer Corneilson, 56, of Murray, Ky., on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. "We're a small community, but we have a big basketball team," said Corneilson. "We love following the team, and they kind of become our family."
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
Terra Herron, 48, of Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. "It's just so fun to interact with all the different fans from all across all the Valley schools," she said, adding that one of her favorite parts of the Drake fanbase is the bulldog mascot, Griff.
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
Emily Walter, of Erie, Pa., and Alexis Ignatin, of Nolensville, Tenn., on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
Dylan Chambers, 21, of Metropolis, Ill., and Fred Baker, of Streator, Ill., on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. "The people you meet at the hotel, and the fans, all the fans are all friendly people," Baker said of the tournament he's attended on and off for the past three decades. "It's just a good atmosphere."
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
From left: Lynn Adams, of Terre Haute, Ind., holds her granddaughter, Penny, 2; Brian Pauly, 43, of Mason City, Iowa; and Josh Lee holds his son Easton, 4, both of Carterville, Ill., on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. "I've got a passion for basketball anyway and for, you know, ISU, but I love the Missouri Valley. I liked the underdogs," said Adams. "I like that we are not ever considered, you know, as good as the other ones. But, then when we go to the dance, our teams always advance most of the time. It's just exciting."
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
Dylan Symons, 24, of Tower Grove South, and Alison Staples, 37, of St. Louis, on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. "I love college basketball to start with. My husband and I have been going here since we were in college," Staples said of attending the conference tournament for almost 20 years. "It's always a great environment, always a great level of competition."
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
From left: Jim French, 78, of Kokomo, Ind.; Court French, 50, of Westfield, Ind.; Wes Cutler, 23, of Austin, Texas; and Mike and Theresa Sciarroni, of Blacklick, Ohio, on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. "This Missouri Valley Conference tournament named 'Arch Madness' just makes this all even more special," Mark Sciarroni said. "It just really comes down to ... all the crazy things that just started happening... all the underdogs that started upsetting the favorites. Just [shows] how the kids achieved way over their ability and just magical things happen this time of year."
Eric Lee
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St. Louis Public Radio
Cheyenne Boze, 23, of Austin, Texas, and Vance Sawyer, 35, Metropolis, Ill., on Thursday during the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness tournament at the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. "You've got to bring it night in and night out. I wouldn't be surprised if a team playing on Thursday night could play on Sunday, as well," Sawyer said. "The league is so good, top to bottom — it's not just your blue bloods. Everyone comes into St. Louis thinking they have a chance to go home with the trophy in a bid to March Madness."
