Every college basketball enthusiast knows that the Missouri Valley Conference is one of the best mid-major leagues year after year. Naturally, the Missouri State Bears have been a big part of that success. In past decades, the Bears played at the lower levels of college basketball, making cheap Missouri State basketball tickets easy to find. But since the Bears made the jump to Division I in 1982 and joined the MVC in 1990, last-minute Missouri basketball tickets have been in demand, with the Bears making their presence known in such a competitive league.

Championship Pedigree

Back when the school was known as Southwest Missouri State, the Bears were a powerhouse at the NAIA and Division II levels. The school won back-to-back NAIA national championships in 1952 and 1953 before moving to the Division II level. The Bears had instant success in Division II, reaching the National Championship Game in 1959, 1967, 1969, and 1974. Unfortunately, they fell short in the title game on all four occasions. However, that success made the Bears believe that they could achieve bigger and better things.

The Next Step

In 1982, Missouri State made the jump to the Division I level. Once again, it didn’t take the Bears long to find success. Under head coach Charlie Spoonhour, the program won four straight regular-season titles between 1987 and 1990, going to the NCAA Tournament in all four years. In fact, the Bears won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game, an upset of Clemson in 1987 as a no. 13 seed. Under coaches like Steve Alford, Cuonzo Martin, and Dana Ford, the Bears have continued to be one of the most consistent programs in the Missouri Valley. Missouri State’s run to the Sweet 16 in 1999 remains the high water mark for the program and further evidence that the Bears are a quality mid-major program with great potential.