NIU men’s soccer heading to the MVC as MAC to stop sponsoring men’s soccer

The Mid-American Conference announced on Friday afternoon the 2022 season for men’s soccer will be the last one sponsored by the conference, with NIU announcing it will join the Missouri Valley Conference next season.

NIU is one of the four full-time MAC members that has a men’s soccer team, having won the conference title last season. Currently standing at four full members sponsoring the sport plus one affiliate member, the MAC will suspend sponsorship of men’s soccer following the close of the 2022 NCAA Division I men’s soccer championship.

“When it became necessary for men’s soccer to find a new conference, I believe we found a great geographic and competitive fit in the Missouri Valley,” athletic director Sean Frazier said. “We look forward to a bright future for our men’s soccer team in The Valley.”

NIU, Bowling Green, and Western Michigan join current league members Belmont, Bradley, Drake, Evansville, UIC, Missouri State, and fellow affiliate member SIU Edwardsville as MVC programs who sponsor men’s soccer.  The regular-season scheduling model and tournament format for 2023 will be announced at a later date.

“The addition of these three institutions will not only enhance the student-athlete experience for all participating, but it will establish the MVC as one of the top conferences in the country for men’s soccer and strengthen its footprint in the Midwest,” said MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson.

The MVC has earned multiple bids to the NCAA Soccer Championship in men’s soccer 17 times, including a league-record three berths four times. Six MVC programs have reached the College Cup, and five different conference programs have reached the quarterfinals.

“I’m very happy that our team is joining the Missouri Valley,” said NIU head coach Ryan Swan. “It is a really good conference, one I’m very familiar with having lived in Springfield, Mo., so I’ve seen Missouri State play many times. Also having the likes of UIC, it is a great geographic fit for us and an exceptional level. The Missouri Valley has been growing in stature every year and we look forward to helping enhance the conference. We are very excited about it and looking forward to starting next fall.”

No. 12 Akron will host the final MAC Men’s Soccer Championship on Saturday when they take on Western Michigan.

“The Mid-American Conference has an enviable and proud men’s soccer tradition,” said Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher. “The membership has had exceptional success and has been a perennial Top 10 conference, regularly placing multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament with teams making deep runs and winning national championships. However, the challenges of maintaining sufficient membership, given the small number of full members sponsoring the sport, finally caught up to us. If in the future the Conference membership includes more institutions sponsoring men’s soccer, this decision will be reexamined.”