North Coast Athletic Conference

Last updated
North Coast Athletic Conference
North Coast Athletic Conference logo.png
Association NCAA
Founded1983
CommissionerKeri Alexander Luchowski
Sports fielded
  • 23
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 12
Division Division III
No. of teams9
Headquarters Cleveland, Ohio
Region Great Lakes
Official website northcoast.org
Locations
NCAC-USA-states.png
North Coast Athletic Conference
North Coast Athletic Conference
Transparent.svg
Transparent.svg
110km
68miles
Blue pog.svg
Wooster
Blue pog.svg
Wittenberg
Blue pog.svg
Wabash
Blue pog.svg
Ohio Wesleyan
Blue pog.svg
Oberlin
Blue pog.svg
Kenyon
Blue pog.svg
DePauw
Blue pog.svg
Denison
Blue pog.svg
John Carroll
Location of NCAC members: Blue pog.svg full members

The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III which is composed of colleges located in Ohio and Indiana. It sponsors 23 sports, 11 for men and 12 for women.

Contents

History

The formation of the NCAC was announced at joint news conferences in Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburgh in February 1983. Allegheny College, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, and The College of Wooster were charter members in 1984, the same year that NCAC athletic conference play began. The conference offered 10 women's sports, the most offered by a conference at that time.

In 1988, Earlham College and Wittenberg College accepted invitations to join the NCAC, pushing conference membership to nine schools in three states. The two schools would begin play in the fall of 1989. In 1998, Hiram College, and Wabash College accepted invitations to join the NCAC, pushing conference membership to 10 schools in three states, which both schools began play in the fall of 1999. Case Western Reserve, a charter member of the NCAC, announced that it would leave the NCAC following the 1998–99 academic year. The Spartans would compete on a full-time basis in the University Athletic Association (UAA) after more than a decade of joint conference membership affiliation.

Earlham announced it would depart the NCAC for the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), beginning with the 2010–11 season. DePauw University became the 10th member of the NCAC beginning in the 2011–12 season.

Allegheny left the NCAC after the 2021–22 school year to return to its former home of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). Allegheny and Earlham remain single-sport NCAC members in field hockey. [1] Later in 2022, Transylvania University and Washington & Jefferson College were announced as single-sport NCAC members for field hockey, beginning with the 2023 season.

The most recent changes to the NCAC membership were announced in 2024. First, on January 18, John Carroll University announced it was leaving the Ohio Athletic Conference to join the NCAC. [2] Then on April 23, Hiram announced it would leave the NCAC in 2025 to return to the PAC, which it had left in 1989. [3]

Chronological timeline

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives

In 2019, the NCAC was one of the first NCAA conferences to participate in the organization's LGBTQ OneTeam Program, which launched in fall 2019. Two facilitators from the NCAC – Seth Hayes of Denison University and Rhea Debussy of Kenyon College – were among the first 30 facilitators for this NCAA Division III program. [4] In 2021, the NCAA announced that two NCAC staff members – Kate Costanzo of Allegheny College and Rhea Debussy of Kenyon College – were finalists for the NCAA Division III LGBTQ Administrator/Coach/Staff of the Year Award. [5]

Member schools

Current members

The NCAC currently has nine full members, all private schools.

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollment2022 US News
ranking [6]
2021 Forbes
Top Colleges [7]
NicknameJoinedColors
Denison University Granville, Ohio 1831Nonsectarian2,10042288 Big Red 1984  
DePauw University Greencastle, Indiana 1837 Methodist 2,35046130 Tigers 2011  
John Carroll University University Heights, Ohio 1886 Catholic
(Jesuit)
2,615 Blue Streaks 2025  
Kenyon College Gambier, Ohio 1824 Episcopal/Anglican 1,64030287 Owls [8] 1984  
Oberlin College Oberlin, Ohio 1833Nonsectarian2,85037290 Yeomen (men's)
Yeowomen (women's)
1984  
Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, Ohio 1842Nonsectarian [a] 1,85098446 Battling Bishops 1984  
Wabash College [b] Crawfordsville, Indiana 1832Nonsectarian85057327 Little Giants 1999 
Wittenberg University Springfield, Ohio 1845 Lutheran ELCA 2,050155435 Tigers 1989  
The College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio 1866Nonsectarian1,82771428 Fighting Scots 1984  
Notes
  1. Formerly affiliated with the United Methodist Church until 2019.
  2. This institution is a men's college, therefore it does not compete in women's teams.

Affiliate members

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedNCAC
sport(s)
Primary
conference
Allegheny College Meadville, Pennsylvania 1815 United Methodist 1,442 Gators 2022field hockey Presidents' (PAC)
Earlham College Richmond, Indiana 1847 Quaker 900 Quakers 2021 Heartland (HCAC)
Transylvania University Lexington, Kentucky 1780 Disciples of Christ 963 Pioneers 2023 Heartland (HCAC)
Washington & Jefferson College Washington, Pennsylvania 1781Nonsectarian1,168 Presidents 2023 [9] Presidents' (PAC)

Future affiliate members

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoiningNCAC
sport(s)
Primary
conference
Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri 1853Nonsectarian14,117 Bears 2026Football [10] University (UAA)

Former members

The NCAC has three former full members, all private schools. Allegheny and Earlham remain in the NCAC as affiliate members in field hockey.

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftCurrent
conference
Allegheny College Meadville, Pennsylvania 1815 United Methodist 2,100 Gators 19842022 Presidents' (PAC)
Case Western Reserve University [a] Cleveland, Ohio 1826Nonsectarian11,824 Spartans 19841999 University (UAA)
Earlham College Richmond, Indiana 1847 Quakers 1,181 Quakers 19892010 Heartland (HCAC)
Hiram College Hiram, Ohio 1850 Disciples of Christ 1,395 Terriers 19992025 Presidents' (PAC)
Notes
  1. Case Western Reserve had dual athletic conference membership with the University Athletic Association from 1986–87 to 1998–99, then the Spartans left the NCAC in order to fully align with the UAA.

Membership timeline

John Carroll UniversityWashington and Jefferson CollegeTransylvania UniversityDePauw UniversityWabash CollegePresidents' Athletic ConferenceHiram CollegeWittenberg CollegeHeartland Collegiate Athletic ConferenceHeartland Collegiate Athletic ConferenceEarlham CollegeCollege of WoosterOhio Wesleyan UniversityOberlin CollegeKenyon CollegeDenison UniversityUniversity Athletic AssociationCase Western Reserve UniversityPresidents' Athletic ConferenceAllegheny CollegeNorth Coast Athletic Conference

Sports

Conference Sports

SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball Green check.svg
Basketball Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Cross Country Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Field Hockey Green check.svg
Football Green check.svg
Golf Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Lacrosse Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Soccer Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Softball Green check.svg
Swimming & Diving Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Tennis Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Track & Field (Indoor)Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Track & Field (Outdoor)Green check.svgGreen check.svg
Volleyball Green check.svg

Men's Sports

SchoolBaseballBasketballCross CountryFootballGolfLacrosseSoccerSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Indoor)Track & Field (Outdoor)Total NCAC Sports
DenisonGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
DePauwGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
John CarrollGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
KenyonGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
OberlinGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg10
Ohio WesleyanGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
WabashGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
WittenbergGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
WoosterGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
Totals9999899999998

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the NCAC

SchoolSquashVolleyballWrestling
Denison LL
John Carroll IND
Ohio Wesleyan IND
Wabash MCVL IND
Wittenberg MCVL

Women's Sports

SchoolBasketballCross CountryField HockeyGolfLacrosseSoccerSoftballSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Indoor)Track & Field (Outdoor)VolleyballTotal NCAC Sports
DenisonGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg12
DePauwGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg12
John CarrollGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg12
KenyonGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg12
OberlinGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgRed x.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg11
Ohio WesleyanGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg12
WittenbergGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg12
WoosterGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svgGreen check.svg12
Totals888+478888888895+4
Affiliate Members
AlleghenyGreen check.svg1
EarlhamGreen check.svg1
TransylvaniaGreen check.svg1
Washington & JeffersonGreen check.svg1

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the NCAC

SchoolBowlingFencingSquashWrestling
Denison CCFC LL
John Carroll AMCC
Wittenberg OBC

See also

References

  1. "Allegheny College Announces Return to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Beginning July 1, 2022" (Press release). Allegheny Gators. August 23, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  2. "John Carroll University Joins North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)" (Press release). January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  3. "Hiram College to Return to PAC" (Press release). Presidents' Athletic Conference. April 23, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  4. Smola, Jennifer (2019-11-19). "Denison, Kenyon training other colleges to better support LGBTQ athletes as part of NCAA program". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
  5. @NCAC (January 14, 2021). "NCAA LGBTQ Award 2021" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  6. "National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings". U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  7. "Forbes America's Top Colleges List 2021". Forbes . Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  8. "Introducing the Kenyon Owls".
  9. "W&J Field Hockey joins North Coast as affiliate member, set to begin NCAC play in 2023". Washington & Jefferson College Athletics. 2022-11-15. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  10. Eisner, Matt (October 18, 2024). "Football to join North Coast Athletic Conference for 2026 season". Student Life . Retrieved October 18, 2024.