History of the Beacons
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. Valparaiso accepted the invitation on May 25. The men's teams in swimming and tennis moved to the Summit League when Valparaiso joined the MVC. The Valparaiso football team remains in the Pioneer Football League, and the bowling team remains in the Southland Bowling League.
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" and its use by certain hate groups.
College Sports Established
1859
Location
Valparaiso, Indiana
College Name
Valparaiso University
Collegiate History
1993 - Present / NCAA Division 1
Conference History
2017 - Present / Missouri Valley Conference
2007 - 2017 / Horizon League
1993 - 2007 / Independent
Nickname
Beacons - On August 10, 2021, the university announced that it will now go by the Valparaiso Beacons. “Our new nickname directly connects to the University’s motto, ‘In Thy Light We See Light,’ and represents the Valparaiso University community in many ways,” said José D. Padilla, J.D., University president. “We are beacons of light and hope in our communities. We are beacons of change on campus, in our region and in our country. We are beacons of knowledge for our students’ academic, social and spiritual growth. Above all, we are beacons of God's light around the world. We light the way for our students, so that once they graduate, they shine their light for others. We are all Beacons at Valparaiso University.” Beacons was chosen after a months-long process that included nearly 1,000 suggestions and input from dozens of students, student-athletes, faculty, staff and alumni of the University. During this process, two themes emerged that were most important to Valpo constituents: Honoring the University’s history and character and emphasizing the light Valpo graduates shine wherever they land after graduation. “Beacon” has a strong historical tie to Valpo. It has been the title of the university's yearbook for the last 80 years, and it is also the name of its newest residence hall. Beacons is a nickname that honors our past, present and future. The initial logo includes a nod to the architecture of the campus chapel at the top of the beacon.
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.