Midwest Lacrosse Conference

Last updated
Midwest Lacrosse Conference
Association NCAA
Founded2010
CommissionerG. Steven Larson
Sports fielded
  • 1 (men's lacrosse)
Division Division III
No. of teams5 (2024)
Headquarters Minneapolis, Minnesota
Region Midwestern United States
Official website mlc-mwlc.org

The Midwest Lacrosse Conference (MLC) was a men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III lacrosse-only college athletic conference composed of schools located in the Midwestern United States. All schools were members of conferences that do not sponsor lacrosse.

Contents

History

Founding members Adrian College, Albion College, Carthage College, Fontbonne University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, College of Mount St. Joseph and Trine University ratified bylaws on June 2, 2009. [1] The NCAA recognition of the new conference went into effect September 1, 2009 and conference play began on February 13, 2010. Many of the MLC members also field women's lacrosse as part of the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference, which began in 2011. [2]

Because the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association added lacrosse beginning with the 2013 season, their members played their last season in the MLC during 2012. Likewise, the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin added lacrosse beginning with the 2015 season, so their teams played their last season in the MLC during 2014. [3] The three schools in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference starting playing in the new lacrosse-only Ohio River Lacrosse Conference in 2015 as well. [4]

Beloit College and Cornell College joined the MLC in the spring of 2015. Concordia University Chicago joined in 2016 and Monmouth College joined in 2017. [4] Marian University continued to expand the conference in 2018.

In 2019, the conference added North Central University and University of Northwestern – St. Paul. Both universities are members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference for other sports and had been independent programs for men's lacrosse. [5] Further change came before the 2020 season when the conference added Illinois Tech and Fontbonne announced that the men's lacrosse program would be suspended indefinitely due to low participation numbers for the program. [6] [7] In 2021, the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference brought its lacrosse-sponsoring institutions - Aurora, Benedictine, Concordia Chicago, Concordia Wisconsin, Illinois Tech, Marian, Milwaukee School of Engineering and affiliate member Beloit - directly under the NACC umbrella. [8] This continues the pattern of the Midwest Lacrosse Conference providing league opportunities for schools until such time that their conference sponsors the sport.

Following the conclusion of the 2023 season, Monmouth announced the discontinuation of its men's and women's lacrosse program, dropping the conference to five members.

In 2024, the conference jointly announced the conclusion of Midwest Lacrosse Conference and the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference [9] .

Member schools

Final Members

Former Members

InstitutionNicknameLocationFoundedTypeJoinedLeftCurrent Conference
Adrian College Bulldogs Adrian, Michigan 1859 Private (United Methodist)20102013 MIAA
Albion College Britons Albion, Michigan 1835Private (United Methodist)20102013 MIAA
Augustana College Vikings Rock Island, Illinois 1860Private (Lutheran ELCA)20132015 CCIW
Aurora University Spartans Aurora, Illinois 1893 Private (Nonsectarian)3,0002011 Northern
Beloit College Buccaneers Beloit, Wisconsin 1846Private (Nonsectarian)1,3002015 Midwest
Benedictine University Eagles Lisle, Illinois 1887Private (Catholic)3,8002013 Northern
Carthage College Red Men Kenosha, Wisconsin 1847Private (Lutheran ELCA)20102015 CCIW
Concordia University Chicago Cougars River Forest. Illinois 1864Private (Lutheran LCMS)1,6002016 Northern
Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons Mequon. Wisconsin 1881Private (Lutheran LCMS)4,4002011 Northern
Defiance College Yellow Jackets Defiance, Ohio 1850Private (United Church of Christ)20132015 Ohio River
Fontbonne University Griffins St. Louis, Missouri 1923Private (Catholic)20102019Program disbanded
Elmhurst College Bluejays Elmhurst, Illinois 1871Private (United Church of Christ)20132015 CCIW
Hanover College Panthers Hanover, Indiana 1827Private (Presbyterian)20122015 Ohio River
Illinois Institute of Technology Scarlet Hawks Chicago, Illinois 1890Private (Nonsectarian)2,9772020 Northern
Marian University Sabres Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 1936Private (Catholic)1,4972018 Northern
Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1903Private (Nonsectarian)2,5002010 Northern
Monmouth College Fighting Scots Monmouth, Illinois 1853Private (Presbyterian)1,3002023Program disbanded
Mount St. Joseph University Lions Delhi Township, Ohio 1920Private (Catholic)20122015 Ohio River
North Central University Rams Minneapolis, Minnesota 1930Private (Assemblies of God)1,2002019 Upper Midwest
Trine University Thunder Angola, Indiana 1884Private (Nonsectarian)20102013 MIAA

References

  1. ↑ LaxPower staff (2010-01-07). "Midwest Lacrosse Conference Ready for Inaugural Season". LaxPower.com. Retrieved April 15, 2011.
  2. ↑ "About the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference" . Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  3. ↑ College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (2013-10-25). "CCIW to add men's and women's lacrosse beginning in 2014-15". cciw.org. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  4. 1 2 "About the Midwest Lacrosse Conference" . Retrieved December 5, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Rams Accept Conference Invitation to Join Midwest Lacrosse Conference". North Central Athletics. December 5, 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "PREVIEW: Men's Lacrosse Ready to Begin Inaugural Season". Illinois Tech Athletics. February 25, 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Fontbonne Suspends Men's Lacrosse Program Indefinitely". MLC. February 21, 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  8. ↑ "NACC Announces Addition of Men's and Women's Lacrosse in 2021". NACC. August 8, 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "Midwest Lacrosse Conference/Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference to sunset". 2024-10-15.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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