2008 Woodie Awards
Gateway renamed Missouri Valley Football Conference (6/18/08)
Joshua Jefferson
Issue date: 6/18/08 Section: Sports
The Gateway Football Conference, after 15 years, is being renamed the Missouri Valley Football Conference effective this fall, according to Western Illinois University Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine.
"This move was precipitated by the five schools that are in the Missouri Valley that also sponsor football within the Gateway Football Conference," Van Alstine said. "If you ask them they will tell you that this has been an agenda item for them for the last several years."
The decision was not uncontested, as Western and Youngstown State questioned the name change, while several of the schools that already are a part of the MVFC supported the rebranding.
"We felt that the Gateway Football Conference was a great name, it was a great identity," Van Alstine said. "We also recognize that a majority of the membership felt that a name change would be beneficial to the conference, and even though we voted against it, we will still support it."
According to Patty Viverto, Missouri Valley Football Conference commissioner, changing the name "is going to allow the Missouri Valley Football Conference members to take advantage of year-long positive exposure received by the Missouri Valley Conference."
Western will continue to compete in the Summit League in all other sports. The Leathernecks' move to the Missouri Valley Conference in football, however, will not mean a change in focus.
"We're not going to lose our championships we won conference championships under the Gateway name and those championship banners will always remain here at western Illinois university so they cant take that away from us," Van Alstine said. "But now our new charge is going to be to win conference championships under the name of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. "
"This move was precipitated by the five schools that are in the Missouri Valley that also sponsor football within the Gateway Football Conference," Van Alstine said. "If you ask them they will tell you that this has been an agenda item for them for the last several years."
The decision was not uncontested, as Western and Youngstown State questioned the name change, while several of the schools that already are a part of the MVFC supported the rebranding.
"We felt that the Gateway Football Conference was a great name, it was a great identity," Van Alstine said. "We also recognize that a majority of the membership felt that a name change would be beneficial to the conference, and even though we voted against it, we will still support it."
According to Patty Viverto, Missouri Valley Football Conference commissioner, changing the name "is going to allow the Missouri Valley Football Conference members to take advantage of year-long positive exposure received by the Missouri Valley Conference."
Western will continue to compete in the Summit League in all other sports. The Leathernecks' move to the Missouri Valley Conference in football, however, will not mean a change in focus.
"We're not going to lose our championships we won conference championships under the Gateway name and those championship banners will always remain here at western Illinois university so they cant take that away from us," Van Alstine said. "But now our new charge is going to be to win conference championships under the name of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. "
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