The Eastern men’s soccer will rejoin the Summit League, formerly the Mid-Continent Conference, in the 2011 season after spending 15 years in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Eastern head coach Adam Howarth said he approached the ideas after current Summit League member, Centenary College, decided to move from Division I to Division III in July 2009.

“It just came up,” Howarth said. “The door was kind of open. It was just a good fit for student athletes. It’s a good move for us.”

The Panthers have spent 15 years as an affiliate member of the MVC beginning in 1996. The men’s program competed in the Mid-Continent Conference from 1983-95, winning at least a share of the league championship five times (1983, 1985, 1987-89). Eastern also won the West Division title in 1994.

“EIU men’s soccer is extremely excited to be part of The Summit League in 2011,” Howarth said in a press release. “Our relationship with the Missouri Valley has been a fantastic one and I personally am extremely grateful to all the people I have worked with during our time in the MVC. As a former student-athlete who competed in The Summit (Mid-Con), I know that the league will provide a stern task for our team in 2011. We look forward to a great final year in the Valley and starting a new chapter for EIU men’s soccer in The Summit League in 2011.”

Since the start of the 1996 season, the MVC has had at least two teams in the NCAA Tournament except in 2006. MVC member, Drake, lost in the quarterfinals in 2009. Creighton lost in the quarterfinals in 2008, and Bradley lost in the quarterfinals in 2007.

Eastern never reached the NCAA Tournament in the MVC era and will wrap up competition against MVC foes during the 2010 season.

Eastern is not the first team to leave the MVC. Western Kentucky dropped its men’s soccer program after the 2007 season. Vanderbilt also dropped its men’s soccer program after the 2005 season.

The 2004 league featured 10 members including Southern Methodist and Tulsa. Both of those teams left the conference after the 2004 season.

Other MVC members included Texas Christian, Belmont and Illinois State. The MVC started play in 1991. Of the 2009 MVC members, Eastern was the only team yet to play in the NCAA Tournament. Creighton, Drake, Bradley, Evansville and Missouri State have all made an appearance.

“We want to thank the Missouri Valley for allowing us to be partners; we are very appreciative of the time we have spent with them,” Eastern athletic director Barbara Burke said in a press release. “We are also equally excited to be accepted as an affiliate member of The Summit League. We look forward to a long-standing relationship and building rivalries within the league.”

Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis, Oakland, Oral Roberts, Missouri-Kansas City and Western Illinois compete in the Summit League.

“We look forward to having Eastern Illinois included in our league men’s soccer schedule,” Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple said in a press release. “The addition of Eastern Illinois is a good fit competitively and geographically and will be mutually beneficial for both EIU and our current men’s soccer programs.”

Western Illinois, the winner of the Summit League Tournament lost to Drake in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2009.

Oakland was the last Summit League team to win an NCAA Tournament game, which happened in 2007. The league’s previous NCAA Tournament wins came in 2001 and 2000.

“We’re looking for a championship,” Howarth said. “That’s always our goal. Whatever league it’s going to be, you’ve still got to win the game.”

Eastern sports a 25-71-10 record during the MVC era with a 2-7-2 record in the MVC Tournament.

The Panthers did not qualify for the MVC Tournament this season.The men’s program sports a 53-20-9 record against 2011 Summit League opponents.

Team’s record vs. future Summit League foes

IUPUI 2-3-2

IPFW 7-1-0

Oakland 2-0-1

Oral Roberts 3-2-1

UMKC 8-3-0

Western Illinois 31-11-5

Total 53-20-9

Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or kjmurphy@eiu.edu