ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Indiana State finished third overall in the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championship standings as announced by the conference office last week.
 
The Sycamores led the way among conference institutions winning a league-high six MVC first-place finishes on their way to recording their best finish since the 2020-21 season. ISU took swept the men's indoor and outdoor track & field championships, the women's indoor and outdoor track & field championships, and claimed regular season titles in both men's basketball and baseball to highlight the year.
 
Drake earned regular-season team titles this year in men's cross country, women's basketball, women's soccer, and tournament titles in women's basketball and men's basketball.  Notably, Drake 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.
 
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. 
 
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