In an effort to beef up nonconference men’s basketball schedules, the Mountain West and Missouri Valley conferences have resurrected their former challenge series that has been dormant for two years, the leagues announced Thursday.
Previously, the MW vs. MVC Challenge Series ran from the 2009-10 through 2012-13 seasons. The series will start up again for the upcoming season.
For 2015-16 games in the challenge series involving Front Range teams, Air Force will play Nov. 13 at Southern Illinois, Colorado State will play Nov. 14 at Northern Iowa (UNI) and Wyoming will play Nov. 16 at Indiana State.
Coincidentally, UNI ousted Wyoming of the Mountain West in their first game of the NCAA Tournament last month in Seattle.
“Bringing back the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge is mutually beneficial for both leagues,” MW commissioner Craig Thompson said in a news release distributed jointly by the two conferences. “Improving overall nonconference schedules and providing quality opponents is important to the Mountain West.”
The Mountain West has placed among the top 10 conferences in RPI power ranking for nine of the past 10 seasons. The Missouri Valley has finished in the top 10 eight times in the past 10 years and sent Wichita State to the 2013 Final Four.
Tom Kensler: tkensler@denverpost.com or
