History
The conference was founded as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA) at a meeting on January 12, 1907, by five charter members: the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri, the University of Nebraska, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Iowa. Iowa would only participate in the sports of football and outdoor men's track and field.
In 1908, Drake University and Iowa Agricultural College (now Iowa State University) joined the MVIAA, increasing the conference membership to seven. Iowa departed in 1911, but Kansas State University joined the conference in 1913. Nebraska left in 1918 to play two seasons as an independent before returning to the fold. In 1919, the University of Oklahoma and Saint Louis University applied for membership, but both schools were disapproved due to deficient management of their athletic programs. The conference added Grinnell College in 1919, with the University of Oklahoma following suit in 1920. Oklahoma A&M University joined in 1925, bringing conference membership to ten, an all-time high.
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