Midwest Conference

Last updated
Midwest Conference
Midwest Conference logo.svg
FormerlyMidwest Collegiate Athletic Conference and Midwest Athletic Conference for Women
Association NCAA
Founded1921
CommissionerHeather Benning (since 2014)
Sports fielded
  • 20
    • men's: 10
    • women's: 10
Division Division III
No. of teams9
Headquarters Grinnell, Iowa
Region Upper Midwest
Official website midwestconference.org
Locations
Midwest-USA-states.png

The Midwest Conference (MWC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in the Midwestern United States in the states of Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. The Midwest Conference was created in 1994 with the merger of the Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference, which had been sponsoring men's sports since 1921, and the Midwest Athletic Conference for Women, which was formed in 1977.

Contents

History

Midwest Conference
Midwest Conference
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100km
62miles
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Beloit
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Chicago
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Cornell College
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Illinois College
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Lake Forest
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Grinnell
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Monmouth
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Ripon
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Lawrence
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Knox
Location of Midwest members: Location dot black.svg current, Location dot orange.svg affiliate

The organization of the Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) was conceived at a meeting at Coe College on May 12, 1921. Charter members were Beloit College, Carleton College, Coe College, Cornell College, Knox College (Illinois) and Lawrence University. Hamline University and Millikin University joined the league in December 1921, but both of them later withdrew: Hamline after the 1929–30 academic year, and Millikin after the 1924–25 academic year.

Ripon College joined the conference in 1923, followed by Monmouth College in 1924, Grinnell College in 1940 and Lake Forest College in 1974. Illinois College and St. Norbert College joined in 1982 and Carroll University followed in 1992. Carleton withdrew following the 1982–83 academic year. St. Olaf College also competed in the conference from 1952 to 1974, as did the University of Chicago from 1976 to 1987. Coe and Cornell withdrew following the 1996–97 academic year with Cornell rejoining the league starting in the 2012–13 year. Macalester College joined as a football-only member starting in 2014. The University of Chicago returned as a football-only member in 2017, and added baseball to its conference membership in the 2019 season (2018–19 school year).

The MWC split into North and South divisions for football, men's and women's tennis, baseball, and softball from 2012 through 2016. Divisional play ended with the departure of Carroll after the 2015–16 school year, [1] and resumed for football only with the addition of the University of Chicago as an affiliate member for the 2017–18 season. [2] St. Norbert left in 2021 for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. [3]

Chronological timeline

  • 1921: The Midwest Conference (MWC) was founded as the Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC). Charter members included Beloit College, Carleton College, Coe College, Cornell College, Knox College and Lawrence College (now Lawrence University), effective beginning the 1921–22 academic year.
  • 1922: Hamline University and Millikin College (now Millikin University) joined the MCAC, effective in the 1922–23 academic year.
  • 1923: Ripon College joined the MCAC, effective in the 1923–24 academic year.
  • 1924: Monmouth College joined the MCAC, effective in the 1924–25 academic year.
  • 1925: Millikin left the MCAC, effective after the 1924–25 academic year.
  • 1930: Hamline left the MCAC, effective after the 1929–30 academic year.
  • 1940: Grinnell College joined the MCAC, effective in the 1940–41 academic year.
  • 1941: Carleton withdrew from the conference in June 1941. [4]
  • 1946: Carleton rejoined the conference, effective for the spring 1946 track season. [5]
  • 1952: St. Olaf College joined the MCAC, effective in the 1952–53 academic year.
  • 1974: St. Olaf left the MCAC, effective after the 1973–74 academic year.
  • 1974: Lake Forest College joined the MCAC, effective in the 1974–75 academic year.
  • 1976: The University of Chicago joined the MCAC, effective in the 1976–77 academic year.
  • 1982: Illinois College and St. Norbert College joined the MCAC, effective in the 1982–83 academic year.
  • 1983: Carleton left the MCAC, effective after the 1982–83 academic year.
  • 1987: U. of Chicago left the MCAC to join the University Athletic Association (UAA), effective after the 1986–87 academic year.
  • 1992: Carroll College joined the MCAC, effective in the 1992–93 academic year.
  • 1994: The MCAC has been rebranded when the conference merged with the women's-only Midwest Athletic Conference for Women (MACW; founded since the 1977–78 school year) to become the Midwest Conference (MWC), effective in the 1994–95 academic year.
  • 1997: Coe and Cornell left the MWC, effective after the 1996–97 academic year.
  • 2012: Cornell re-joined back to the MWC, effective in the 2012–13 academic year.
  • 2014: Macalester College joined the MWC as an affiliate member for football, effective in the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
  • 2016: Carroll left the MWC to join the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), effective after the 2015–16 academic year.
  • 2017: The University of Chicago re-joined back to the MWC, but as an affiliate member for football, effective in the 2017 fall season (2017–18 academic year).
  • 2018: The University of Chicago added baseball into its MWC affiliate membership, effective in the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
  • 2021: St. Norbert left the MWC to join the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), effective after the 2020–21 academic year.
  • 2021: Macalester left the MWC as an affiliate member for football, effective after the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year).

Member schools

Every member in the history of the MWC and its predecessor conferences, whether full, affiliate, current, or former, has been a private school.

Current members

The MWC currently has nine full members.

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedColors
Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin 1846Nonsectarian1,358 Buccaneers 1921  
College Blue & Vegas Gold
Cornell College Mount Vernon, Iowa 1853 United Methodist 1,176 Rams 1921,
2012 [a]
  
Purple & White
Grinnell College Grinnell, Iowa 1846Nonsectarian1,638 Pioneers 1940  
Scarlet & Black
Illinois College Jacksonville, Illinois 1829 UCC & PCUSA 1,029 Blueboys &
Lady Blues
1982   
Blue & Grey & White
Knox College Galesburg, Illinois 1837Nonsectarian1,058 Prairie Fire 1921  
Purple & Gold
Lake Forest College Lake Forest, Illinois 1857Nonsectarian1,395 Foresters 1974  
Red & Black
Lawrence University Appleton, Wisconsin 1847Nonsectarian1,489 Vikings 1921   
Blue & Grey & White
Monmouth College Monmouth, Illinois 1853Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
767 Fighting Scots 1924  
Red & White
Ripon College Ripon, Wisconsin 1851Nonsectarian766 Red Hawks 1923  
Red & White
Notes
  1. Cornell left the MWC to join the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC; now known as the American Rivers Conference) after the 1996–97 school year; before re-joining back, effective in the 2012–13 school year.

Affiliate members

The MWC currently has one affiliate member.

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedMWC
sport(s)
Primary
conference
University of Chicago [a] Chicago, Illinois 1890Nonsectarian13,400 Maroons 2017–18 Football University (UAA)
2018–19Baseball
Notes
  1. Chicago had been a full member of the MWC from 1976–77 to 1986–87.

Former members

The MWC had eight former full members.

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftCurrent
conference
Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota 1866Nonsectarian2,105 Knights 1921–22
1946
1941
1982–83
Minnesota (MIAC)
Carroll University Waukesha, Wisconsin 1846 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 2,789 Pioneers 1992–932015–16 Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)
University of Chicago [a] Chicago, Illinois 1890Nonsectarian7,559 Maroons 1976–771986–87 University (UAA)
Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1851Presbyterian (PCUSA)1,355 Kohawks 1921–221996–97 American Rivers (ARC)
Hamline University St. Paul, Minnesota 1854 United Methodist 1,944 Pipers 1922–231929–30 Minnesota (MIAC)
Millikin University Decatur, Illinois 1901Presbyterian (PCUSA)2,200 Big Blue 1922–231924–25 Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)
St. Norbert College De Pere, Wisconsin 1898 Catholic
(Premonstratensians)
2,095 Green Knights 1982–832020–21 Northern (NACC)
St. Olaf College Northfield, Minnesota 1874 Lutheran ELCA 2,900 Oles 1952–531973–74 Minnesota (MIAC)
Notes
  1. Chicago has rejoined the MWC as an affiliate member for football and baseball.

Former affiliate members

The MWC had one former affiliate member.

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftMWC
sport
Primary
conference
Macalester College Saint Paul, Minnesota 1874 Presbyterian (USA) 2,221 Scots 2014–152020–21football Minnesota (MIAC)

Membership timeline

Macalester CollegeCarroll UniversitySt. Norbert CollegeIllinois CollegeUniversity of ChicagoLake Forest CollegeSt. Olaf CollegeGrinnell CollegeMonmouth CollegeRipon College (Wisconsin)Millikin UniversityHamline UniversityLawrence UniversityKnox College (Illinois)Cornell CollegeCoe CollegeCarleton CollegeBeloit CollegeMidwest Conference

Sports

As of 2021, the MWC sponsors the following sports:

Conference sports
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Green check.svgY
Basketball
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Cross country
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Football
Green check.svgY
Golf
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Indoor track
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Outdoor track
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Soccer
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Softball
Green check.svgY
Swimming & Diving
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Tennis
Green check.svgY
Green check.svgY
Volleyball
Green check.svgY

Conference facilities

SchoolFootball fieldCapacityBasketball arenaCapacityBaseball field
BeloitStrong Stadium3,000Flood Arena2,500Ballpark at Strong Stadium
Chicago Stagg Field 1,650Member only in football and baseballJ. Kyle Anderson Field
CornellAsh Park Stadium2,500Multi-Sport Center2,000Ash Park Field
GrinnellRosenbloom Field5,000Darby Gym1,250Grinnell Baseball Diamond
Illinois CollegeEngland Stadium3,000Sherman Gymnasium1,600Joe Brooks Field
KnoxKnosher Bowl4,000Memorial Gym3,000Blodgett Field
Lake ForestFarwell Field1,000Lake Forest Sports Center1,200No Baseball Team
LawrenceBanta Bowl5,255Alexander Gym1,280Whiting Field
MonmouthBobby Woll Memorial Field2,000Glennie Gymnasium1,600Glasgow Field
RiponHopp Stadium2,000Willmore Center1,200Francis Field

See also

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References

  1. "Carroll University leaving Midwest Conference for CCIW". www.jsonline.com.
  2. "Football Season Preview". Midwest Conference. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
  3. "NACC Welcomes St. Norbert College as Full Member in 2020-21" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  4. McHugh, Roy (July 24, 1941). "Carleton Still At Odds With Midwest". Cedar Rapids Gazette . Cedar Rapids, Iowa. p. 11. Retrieved March 13, 2024 via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  5. "Carleton Returns To Midwest Loop In All Athletics". Cedar Rapids Gazette . Cedar Rapids, Iowa. March 16, 1946. p. 3. Retrieved March 13, 2024 via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .