| Valparaiso Beacons | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Valparaiso University |
| Conference | MVC (primary) Pioneer Football League (football) C-USA (women's bowling) |
| NCAA | Division I (FCS) |
| Athletic director | Laurel Hosmer |
| Location | Valparaiso, Indiana |
| Varsity teams | 19 |
| Football stadium | Brown Field |
| Basketball arena | Athletics–Recreation Center |
| Baseball stadium | Emory G. Bauer Field |
| Soccer stadium | Brown Field |
| Mascot | Beacon (Golden Retriever) & Blaze (Chocolate Labrador Retriever) |
| Nickname | Beacons |
| Colors | Brown and gold[1] |
| Website | www |
 | |
The Valparaiso Beacons is the name of the athletic teams from Valparaiso University – often referred to as Valpo – in Valparaiso, Indiana, United States. The Beacons compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level and are members of the Missouri Valley Conference in all sports except football, bowling, and men's swimming.
On May 8, 2017, the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) extended an invitation to Valparaiso to join the conference effective July 1, 2017.[2] Valparaiso accepted the invitation on May 25.[3][4] The men's teams in swimming and tennis moved to the Summit League when Valparaiso joined the MVC.[5] The Valparaiso football team remains in the Pioneer Football League,[6] and the bowling team remained in the Southland Bowling League (SBL) until that league agreed to merge into Conference USA (C-USA) after the 2022–23 bowling season.[7]
On November 20, 2019, Valpo announced that the men's soccer and tennis teams would be eliminated to allow greater attention to the school's other sports teams.[8] Men's swimming moved to the Mid-American Conference in 2021,[9] before coming under the MVC when the conference resumed sponsoring men's swimming prior to the 2024-25 season. Valparaiso became a C-USA bowling associate after that league absorbed the SBL.
Formerly named the Crusaders, the university dropped that name and associated mascot and logos in 2021, because of the "negative connotation and violence associated with the Crusader imagery", specifically its appropriation by hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.[10]
- ^ "Valpo University Color Palettes". July 25, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ "Missouri Valley extends invitation to Valparaiso as Wichita State replacement". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2017-05-09.
- ^ Wessler, Kirk. "Valparaiso accepts invite to join the Missouri Valley". Journal Star. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
- ^ Technologies, Streamline. "Valparaiso University to Join Missouri Valley Conference". ValpoAthletics.com. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
- ^ "Valparaiso University to Join Summit League in Men's Tennis, Men's Swimming" (Press release). Valparaiso Crusaders. June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ^ "Valpo will remain in Pioneer League despite Missouri Valley invite | FOX Sports". FOX Sports. 2017-05-09. Retrieved 2017-05-10.
- ^ "Conference USA to Add Bowling for 2023-24 Season" (Press release). Conference USA. May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "Valparaiso to drop men's soccer, men's tennis". The Times/ Lee Enterprises, Inc. November 20, 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Valparaiso To Join MAC As Affiliate Member In Men's Swimming & Diving" (Press release). Mid=American Conference. March 4, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ "VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY TO RETIRE CRUSADERS MASCOT". Valpo.edu (Press release). February 11, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.