Ball State men's swimming and diving will leave the Mid-American Conference (MAC) to compete in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) beginning the 2024-25 season, Ball State Athletics announced April 11.
The Cardinals have been a member of the MAC since 1953 — which was established in 1941 — and the announcement comes as the MVC will sponsor men's swimming and diving for the first time since 2002-03. While the conference has sponsored women's swimming every year since 1983, Ball State women's swimming and diving remain unaffected by the move and will still compete in the MAC.
"The Valley is excited welcomes the opportunity to provide this experience for our student athletes," said MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson. "We look forward to a great championship event and the continued growth and enhancement of our conference."
Miami University, the only other MAC member school in the existing men's swimming conference, will join current MVC member schools Evansville, UIC, Missouri State, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso to form the MCV men's swimming and diving conference. Evansville, Missouri State and Southern Illinois have competed in the MAC since 2010, while Valparaiso joined in the 2021-22 season and UIC joined for the 2022-23 season.
The MAC has yet to release a statement regarding the future of the men's swimming and diving conference, however, the move means that none of the schools that competed this season will return for next season.
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