Loyola is moving to the Atlantic 10 Conference in July after nearly a decade in the Missouri Valley

Loyola’s time in the Missouri Valley Conference is coming to an end.

The Ramblers on Tuesday announced they are joining the Atlantic 10 effective July 1, 2022. Loyola will be the conference’s 15th member when it joins.

“The A-10 is widely regarded as one of the top leagues in the country for its success in competition and in the classroom,” Loyola President Dr. Jo Ann Rooney said in a statement. “This move will continue to grow our visibility at a national level while at the same time placing us in a league with three other Jesuit institutions (Fordham, Saint Joseph’s and Saint Louis).

“We are confident this is a move that positions Loyola for even greater success, both athletically and academically, in the future.”

Loyola joined the MVC in 2013 after 34 years in the Horizon League (previously the Midwestern City Conference and Midwestern Collegiate Conference).

The Ramblers men’s basketball team is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in last season’s NCAA Tournament after reaching the Final Four in 2018.

The Atlantic 10 has received at least two NCAA Tournament bids in men’s basketball every year since 2005, with a high of six in 2014. The conference had two teams in each of the last two NCAA Tournaments (2021 and 2019) and three each from 2016-18.

The MVC — which reportedly has been in discussions with Murray State, Texas-Arlington and Kansas City as potential replacements for Loyola — also got two teams in last year’s NCAA Tournament, but it received no at-large berths in eight of the last 13 tournaments and hasn’t put more than two teams in since 2006.

“In its 115-year history, the Missouri Valley Conference has undergone many changes in membership,” MVC Commissioner Jeff Jackson said in a statement. “The Valley will continue to remain proactive and progressive as we navigate the current collegiate environment. Loyola Chicago has been a valued member of the Missouri Valley Conference, and we wish Loyola all the best as it begins its next chapter.”

Loyola has had success in other sports, including men’s volleyball, which won back-to-back national championships in 2014 and 2015.

“(W)e look forward to working closely with an exceptional group of administrators, coaches and student-athletes,” Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a statement. “Loyola’s commitment to the high-level scholastic achievement of all of its students, coupled with its excellent athletic profile, from success in basketball, soccer and volleyball to outstanding facilities and resources, is a perfect fit for the A-10. The addition expands the A-10 footprint into the Chicago market, giving the conference a presence in three of the top four media markets in the United States.”

The other members of the Atlantic 10 are Davidson, Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Mason, George Washington, La Salle, Massachusetts, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph’s, Saint Louis, Rhode Island and Virginia Commonwealth.

Dayton, Duquesne, La Salle and Saint Louis are former conference rivals of Loyola in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.