CHICAGO -- On July 1, 2022, UIC Athletics will officially join the Missouri Valley Conference. Being welcomed alongside fellow new members Belmont University and Murray State University, the Flames will be part of the 12-member conference for the 2022-23 academic year and beyond.

UICFlames.com and the @UICFlames social media accounts will be counting down the days leading up this new era by highlighting departmental achievements and university information, by getting feedback from UIC head coaches and administrators on what the move to The Valley means, and by learning more about new conference foes and the cities in which they're based.

UIC Men's Basketball Head Coach Luke Yaklich	A freshman at the time, current UIC head coach Lynn Curylo was a member of the 1994 UIC softball team won 56 games and advanced all the way to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.	Missouri Valley Conference - St. Louis, Missouri
UIC Softball Head Coach Lynn Curylo	Two UIC women's golfers have earned individual medalist honors at the conference championship since the program's inception in 2011.  Phon Angwarawong claimed victory in 2016 before Kelly Sterling won it in a playoff in 2018.	Valparaiso University - Valparaiso, Indiana
UIC Women's Volleyball Head Coach Justin Ingram	The men's basketball team has gone dancing in March Madness three times in program history. UIC first qualified as an at-large team under the late Jimmy Collins in 1998 before returning as conference champions in 2002 and 2004.	University of Northern Iowa - Cedar Falls, Iowa
UIC Women's Basketball Head Coach Ashleen Bracey	In 2021, Lena Kurz of the women's soccer team became the first student-athlete in department history to win the Senior CLASS Award for her achievement in the areas of classroom, community, competition and character.	Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, Illinois
UIC Baseball Head Coach Sean McDermott	Our UIC student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom. The Flames have collectively posted a grade-point average above 3.0 in 15 consecutive semesters, a department record.	Murray State University - Murray, Kentucky
UIC Swimming & Diving Head Coach Ashley Dell	Cydney Liebenberg is the undisputed greatest on the boards for UIC's swimming and diving program. She won 7 conference championships, set program records on the 1 and 3-meter boards, AND hauled in multiple national gold medals in her home country of South Africa.	Missouri State University - Springfield, Missouri
UIC Men's Soccer Head Coach Sean Phillips	Our campus is continually growing with enrollment records for 7 straight years! UIC features 16 academic colleges, 86 bachelor's, 111 master's and 66 doctoral degree programs. That means plenty of opportunities to explore your interests.	Indiana State University - Terre Haute, Indiana
UIC Track & Field/Cross Country Head Coach Ashley Lucas	The 2007 men's soccer squad went on a magical run! These Flames finished 10th in the NSCAA rankings following a 13-win campaign that culminated with the program's first-ever appearance in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Soccer Championship.	Illinois State University - Normal, Illinois
UIC Women's Soccer Head Coach David Nikolic	Two of the greatest to don a women's basketball uniform have their numbers hanging in the rafters at the Flames Athletic Center and Credit Union 1 Arena.  No. 21 was retired in 2001 in honor of JoJo McCarthy, while Tonya Matz McGowan's No. 55 was honored in 2020.	University of Evansville - Evansville, Indiana
UIC Women's Golf Head Coach Mat Blair	Not one, not two, but three individual cross country conference champions from the cross country programs after Carlos Cabrera blew past the field in 2021. Alumnae Tess Ehrhardt won the conference race in both 2013 and 2014.	Drake University - Des Moines, Iowa
UIC Women's Tennis Head Coach Shannon Tully	All UIC Women's Tennis does is win! Since 1996, this elite program has racked up 19 conference championships and made 17 NCAA Tennis Tournament appearances. From 1997-2013, the Flames won the title EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR!	Bradley University - Peoria, Illinois
	Notable UIC Alum and UIC Baseball standout Curtis Granderson spent 16 seasons in Major League Baseball and won the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award four times. His Grand Kids Foundation promotes positive youth development via education, fitness and nutrition.	Belmont University - Nashville, Tennessee
	Did you know that UIC is rated as a top-25 public university and a top-10 best value in college education by Wall Street Journal & Times Higher Education.
	The UIC volleyball squad made history in 2021 by going on a memorable run at the conference tournament, winning three five-set matches in as many days, to secure the first NCAA Championship berth.

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