Formerly | Midwest Catholic Conference (1988–1989) Midwest Classic Conference (1989–2007) |
---|---|
Association | NAIA |
Founded | 1988 |
Ceased | 2015 |
Sports fielded |
|
No. of teams | 7 (final), 12 (total) |
Region | Midwestern United States Region VII |
Locations | |
The Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) was a college athletic conference, consisting of colleges and universities located in Iowa and Wisconsin. Founded in 1988, the conference's member schools competed on the NAIA level in 15 different sports.
When the Midwest Collegiate Conference was originally formed in 1988, it consisted of six Roman Catholic colleges and universities situated across the Midwestern United States. Dubbed the Midwest Catholic Conference, member schools originally competed in only men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's soccer.
The charter members of the conference were Clarke College, Edgewood College, Marycrest University, Mount Mercy College, Mount St. Clare College and Viterbo College. Edgewood left the conference before the start of the 1989–90 season. With the inclusion of Grand View College that year, the conference changed its name to the Midwest Classic Conference.
St. Ambrose University's basketball teams joined the conference for the 1990 season, and the school's other sports joined the MCC in 1991. Iowa Wesleyan College joined the conference for the 1995–96 season. The following year, Clarke University left the MCC to participate in NCAA Division III athletics. William Penn University became a member of the Conference in 2001. Marycrest International University ceased operations after the 2001–02 season. Waldorf College joined the conference for the 2003–04 season, completing the nine-school lineup. Clarke University returned to the conference in 2007, and the MCC officially took the name of the Midwest Collegiate Conference.
Members Ashford University and Waldorf College were voted out of the conference on May 17, 2011, with effect at the end of the 2011–12 season. [1] On October 14, 2011, Iowa Wesleyan College announced they would join National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. [2] On January 10, 2014, Grand View University and William Penn University announced they would join the Heart of America Athletic Conference after the 2014–15 season. [3] On February 5, 2015, AIB College of Business announced they would end their athletic programs as the school prepared to be coming a part of the University of Iowa. [4]
The MCC ended with seven full members, all were private schools:
The MCC had five former full members, all were private schools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Subsequent conference(s) | Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ashford University | Clinton, Iowa | 1918 | For-profit | N/A | Saints | 1988 | 2012 | NAIA Independent (2012–16) | N/A [lower-alpha 1] |
Edgewood College | Madison, Wisconsin | 1927 | Catholic (S.D.S.) | 1,570 | Eagles | 1988 | 1989 | Lake Michigan (LMC) [lower-alpha 2] (1989–2006) | Northern (NACC) [lower-alpha 3] (2006–present) |
Iowa Wesleyan College [lower-alpha 4] | Mount Pleasant, Iowa | 1842 | United Methodist | 570 | Tigers | 1995 | 2012 | NAIA Independent (2012–13) St. Louis (SLIAC) [lower-alpha 3] (2013–21) Continental (2021–23) | N/A [lower-alpha 5] |
Marycrest International University | Davenport, Iowa | 1939 | Catholic (C.H.M.) | N/A | Eagles | 1988 | 2002 | Closed in 2002 | |
Waldorf College [lower-alpha 6] | Forest City, Iowa | 1903 | For-profit | 580 | Warriors | 2003 | 2012 | Midlands (MCAC) (2012–15) North Star (NSAA) (2015–24) | Great Plains (GPAC) (2024–Present) |
Full member (non-football)
The Midwest Collegiate Conference oversaw the following sports:
Sport | Men's | Women's |
---|---|---|
Baseball | ||
Basketball | ||
Cross Country | ||
Golf | ||
Soccer | ||
Softball | ||
Track & Field Indoor | ||
Track & Field Outdoor | ||
Volleyball |
Member schools also participated in a number of sports not affiliated with the MCC, including competitive dance, tennis, men's volleyball, and wrestling. Several football teams from Midwest Collegiate Conference schools competed in the Mid-States Football Association.
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