St. Louis – The Missouri Valley Conference sponsors men’s swimming and diving for the first time since 2001-02. The Valley has five current member institutions that sponsor men’s swimming and diving in Evansville, UIC, Missouri State, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso. The league welcomes Ball State and Miami as affiliate members to bring the field to seven members in 2024-25. Miami has been tabbed as league favorites in the first MVC men’s swimming and diving coaches’ preseason poll with 47 points and six first-place votes. Missouri State received 42 points and one first-place vote to sit in second place behind the RedHawks. Southern Illinois earned 37 points to earn the final top-three spot. UIC (26 points), Ball State (21 points), Evansville (14 points) and Valparaiso (9 points) round out the men’s preseason poll.