CORALVILLE, Iowa – The Missouri Valley Conference, including Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman and the Drake Bulldogs, were officially welcomed to Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, yesterday. Xtream Arena is set to host the 2026 MVC Women’s Basketball Championship.

“I’m a small-town Iowa girl and love nothing more than to be involved in this amazing sport in this state,” Pohlman said during Tuesday’s event. “It’s fantastic to be an Iowan and watch our sport continue to develop. People are constantly taking about women’s basketball, everyone is invigorated, and I really couldn’t be more excited to come back here in March.

Pohlman was joined by other league head coaches including Tanya Warren of Northern Iowa, Ashleen Bracey of UIC, Kristen Gillespie of Illinois State, and Courtney Boyd of Valparaiso.

The 5,100 seat Xtream Arena was announced as a future site for the league tournament in an official MVC release last April. A multi-purpose venue, Xtream Arena first opened its doors in September of 2020. It is home to the University of Iowa volleyball team and hosts home contests for the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL hockey association. The arena also hosts the Iowa High School Volleyball State Tournament.

Located in the Iowa River Landing area, Xtream Arena is nestled among hotels and restaurants that make it an ideal spot for the postseason hub of MVC women’s basketball. The venue has also proved to be a signature attractor of both amateur and professional sporting events on the national and international levels thanks to a direct link to the 53,000-square foot GreenState Family Fieldhouse.

All 11 MVC women’s basketball teams will compete in the four-day tournament, with three opening-round games on Thursday, four quarterfinal games on Friday, two semifinal games on Saturday, culminating in a Sunday championship game.  The league tournament champion earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The 2026 MVC Women’s Championship at Xtream Arena in Coralville will be the 19th-straight year the conference will conduct a neutral-site championship for women’s basketball.  The MVC has played its premier event for women’s basketball at Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo. (2008-2015), Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Ill. (2016-2024), and the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. (2024). The previous 22 MVC post-season championships were held at campus sites.

“What you’re going to see is gritty, competitive women who take the floor and are really, really proud to represent their institution,” Pohlman added. “Whether they’re from Des Moines, or Cedar Falls, or anywhere else in the league, the Missouri Valley Conference does run deep. You will be entertained.”

The 2026 MVC Women’s Championship will take place from March 12-15 of next year. Information on scheduling details and tickets will be released at an unspecified later date.