Northern Iowa, UIC to Clash for MVC Tournament Title

The winner will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The Northern Iowa Panthers and UIC Flames will face off in the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Sunday. Northern Iowa, the No. 6 seed, pulled off two straight upsets to reach the final, while fifth-seeded UIC cruised past Drake in the semifinals. The teams split their regular season meetings, with each winning on the other's home court.

Why it matters

The winner of this game will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, making this a high-stakes matchup with major implications for both teams' postseason hopes.

The details

Northern Iowa reached the final by knocking off No. 2 seed Bradley 73-69 in the semifinals, led by 19 points from Leon Bond III. UIC, meanwhile, rolled past No. 9 seed Drake 72-51, with Rashund Washington Jr. scoring 23 points for the Flames. In the regular season, Northern Iowa won 60-54 at UIC on Dec. 17, while UIC returned the favor with a 69-61 victory in Cedar Falls on Jan. 13.

  • The championship game will be played on Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET.
  • Northern Iowa upset Bradley in the semifinals on Saturday.

The players

Leon Bond III

A key player for Northern Iowa, scoring 19 points in the semifinal win over Bradley.

Rashund Washington Jr.

Led UIC with 23 points in their semifinal victory over Drake.

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What’s next

The winner of this game will earn an automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This MVC Tournament championship game features two teams that have proven they can win tough games on the road, setting up an exciting matchup with a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line.