West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Last updated
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference logo.png
Association NCAA (1993–2013)
NAIA (until 1995)
Founded1924
Ceased2013
CommissionerBarry Blizzard (1987–2013)
Sports fielded
  • 16
    • men's: 8
    • women's: 8
Division Division II
No. of teams15
Headquarters Princeton, West Virginia
Region Appalachia
Locations
WVIACstates.png

The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) was a collegiate athletic conference which historically operated in the state of West Virginia (with one Kentucky member in its early years and two Pennsylvania schools during its final years).

Contents

At its inception, the conference was affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). In 1995 it moved up to the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

in June 2012 the football-playing members of the conference announced that they planned to withdraw to form a new conference at the end of the 2012–13 season. This led to all but one of the WVIAC's members leaving. The conference held its final athletic competitions in spring 2013 and was officially disbanded on September 1 of that year.

History

The conference was one of the oldest in intercollegiate athletics, dating back to its founding in 1924 by the West Virginia Department of Education.

Its post-season basketball tournament, which was first conducted in 1936, was at the time of the conference's demise one of the oldest college post-season tournaments in continuous existenceonly the Southern Conference men's basketball tournament, established in 1922, was older.

The WVIAC moved into the NCAA Division II in 1995 after its long affiliation with the NAIA.

In its final school year of 2012–13, the WVIAC offered championships in 16 sports and was headquartered in Princeton, West Virginia. Men's championships were offered in football, basketball, baseball, track, cross country, soccer, tennis, and golf. Women's titles were contested in volleyball, softball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track, tennis, and golf.

Chronological timeline

WVIAC breakup

On June 18, 2012, nine football-playing members of the WVIAC announced they would withdraw from the league to form a new regional all-sports conference. [1]

The WVIAC officially ceased to exist on September 1, 2013. [2] Eight of the nine football-playing members (Concord, Charleston, Fairmont State, Glenville State, Shepherd, West Liberty, West Virginia State, and West Virginia Wesleyan) and one non-football playing member (Wheeling Jesuit) of the conference joined a provisional D-II member from Virginia (UVA-Wise) and two associate Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference members from Ohio (Notre Dame and Urbana) to form a new all-sports conference, the Mountain East Conference. [3] Seton Hill and Pitt-Johnstown joined the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Three of the remaining non-football members (Alderson–Broaddus, Davis & Elkins, and Ohio Valley) accepted invitations to join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. [4] The final remaining member, Bluefield State, competed as a D-II independent for 9 years before being invited to rejoin its former conference in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2023. [5]

Member schools at breakup

Institution [a] LocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [b] Left [c] Subsequent
conference
Current
conference
Alderson Broaddus College [d] [e] Philippi, West Virginia 1871 ABCUSA 800 Battlers 19322013 Great Midwest (G-MAC) [f]
(2013–20)
Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2020–23)
Closed in 2023
Bluefield State College [d] [g] Bluefield, West Virginia 1895Public1,800 Big Blues &
Lady Blues
19552013 USCAA/D-II Independent
(2013–23)
Central (CIAA) [f]
(2023–present)
University of Charleston Charleston, West Virginia 1888Nonsectarian1,315 Golden Eagles 19242013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–present)
Concord University Athens, West Virginia 1872Public3,000 Mountain Lions &
Lady Lions
19242013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–present)
Davis & Elkins College [d] Elkins, West Virginia 1904 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
600 Senators
Lady Senators
19242013 Great Midwest (G-MAC) [f]
(2013–19)
Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2019–present)
Fairmont State University Fairmont, West Virginia 1865Public7,000 Fighting Falcons 19242013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–present)
Glenville State College [h] Glenville, West Virginia 1872Public1,600 Pioneers &
Lady Pioneers
19242013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–present)
Ohio Valley University [d] Vienna, West Virginia 1960 Churches
of Christ
512 Fighting Scots 19992013 Great Midwest (G-MAC) [f]
(2013–21)
Closed in 2021 [i]
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown [d] Johnstown, Pennsylvania 1927Public3,029 Mountain Cats 20062013 Pennsylvania (PSAC) [f]
(2013–present)
Seton Hill University Greensburg, Pennsylvania 1883 Catholic
(S.C.S.H.)
1,860 Griffins 20062013 Pennsylvania (PSAC) [f]
(2013–present)
Shepherd University Shepherdstown, West Virginia 1871Public3,900 Rams 19242013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–19)
Pennsylvania (PSAC) [f]
(2019–present)
West Liberty University West Liberty, West Virginia 1837Public2,400 Hilltoppers &
Lady Toppers
19242013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–present)
West Virginia State University Institute, West Virginia 1891Public5,000 Yellow Jackets 19552013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–present)
West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West Virginia 1890 United
Methodist
1,400 Bobcats &
Lady Bobcats
1924 [j] 2013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–present)
Wheeling Jesuit University [d] [k] [l] Wheeling, West Virginia 1954Nonsectarian1,232 Cardinals 19572013 Mountain East (MEC) [f]
(2013–present)
Notes
  1. All colleges are listed by their names as of 2020; most have had name changes over the years. See articles on individual schools for details.
  2. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  3. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Non-football member at time of breakup.
  5. Currently known as Alderson Broaddus University since 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  7. Currently known as Bluefield State University since 2022.
  8. Currently known as Glenville State University since 2022.
  9. Ohio Valley's final conference affiliation was the River States Conference (RSC) during the 2021–22 school year. However, the school would later announce that it had close at the end of the fall 2021 semester without completing the rest of said school year.
  10. West Virginia Wesleyan left the WVIAC after the 1985–86 school year; before rejoining in the 1988–89 school year.
  11. Wheeling added football in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 school year).
  12. Currently known as Wheeling University since 2019.

Member schools leaving before 2013

Institution [a] LocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [b] Left [c] Current
conference
Alderson College Alderson, West Virginia 1901 ABCUSA  ? ?19241932Defunct [d]
Broaddus College Philippi, West Virginia 1871ABCUSA ? ?19241932
West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia 1867Public29,707 Mountaineers 19241927 Big 12 [e]
Morehead State University Morehead, Kentucky 1887Public11,172 Eagles 19291933 Ohio Valley (OVC) [e]
Mountain State University Beckley, West Virginia 1933Nonsectarian8,200 Cougars 19461977Closed in 2012 [f]
Marshall University [g] Huntington, West Virginia 1837Public13,450 Thundering Herd 19241948 Sun Belt (SBC) [e]
Bethany College Bethany, West Virginia 1840 Disciples
of Christ
1,030 Bison 19241962 Presidents' (PAC) [h]
Potomac State College of West Virginia University Keyser, West Virginia 1901Public ? Catamounts 19241963 Pennsylvania (PCAA) [i]
West Virginia University Institute of Technology [j] Montgomery, West Virginia [k] 1895Public1,106 Golden Bears 19242006 River States (RSC) [l]
Salem University [m] Salem, West Virginia 1888 For-profit 835 Tigers 19242010 D-II Independent
Notes
  1. All colleges are listed by their most recent names—the final names of defunct institutions, and names in use by existing institutions as of 2020. Most have had name changes over the years; see articles on individual schools for details.
  2. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  3. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  4. Both Alderson College and Broaddus College merged to form the school that later became known as Alderson Broaddus University.
  5. 1 2 3 Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
  6. Mountain State's main campus in Beckley became the University of Charleston–Beckley on January 1, 2013. UC later established a new Beckley campus in 2015, leaving the former Mountain State campus, which was sold to West Virginia University and to where West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) moved in 2017.
  7. Marshall stopped competition in the conference when it joined the Buckeye Conference from 1932–33 to 1938–39, but was required by state regulations to remain a member on a technical basis until 1949. Marshall was a non-competing member of the WVIAC from 1939–40 to 1947–48, when the Herd joined the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 1948–49 to 1951–52, but Marshall had players picked for All-WVIAC during the decade as a non-competing member.
  8. Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  9. Currently an NJCAA athletic conference.
  10. Formerly known as West Virginia Institute of Technology before 1996.
  11. WVU Tech is now located in Beckley, but its campus was in Montgomery throughout the existence of the WVIAC.
  12. Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
  13. Formerly known as Salem International University before September 2017.

Membership timeline

Seton Hill UniversityUniversity of Pittsburgh at JohnstownOhio Valley UniversityWheeling UniversityWest Virginia State UniversityBluefield State CollegeMountain State UniversityAlderson Broaddus UniversityMorehead State UniversityWest Virginia Wesleyan CollegeWest Virginia University Institute of TechnologyWest Virginia UniversityWest Liberty UniversityShepherd UniversitySalem UniversityPotomac State College of West Virginia UniversityMarshall UniversityGlenville State CollegeFairmont State UniversityDavis & Elkins CollegeConcord UniversityUniversity of CharlestonAlderson Broaddus UniversityBethany College (West Virginia)Alderson Broaddus UniversityWest Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

References

  1. "A Break Up For WVIAC". WV Metro News. June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  2. "NCAA ADDS MOUNTAIN EAST CONFERENCE AS NEWEST DIVISION II LEAGUE" (Press release). Mountain East Conference. February 15, 2013. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013.
  3. "A New conference Called Mountain East". August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  4. "G-MAC News: Conference Adds Three New Members" (Press release). Great Midwest Athletic Conference. August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  5. CIAA expected to add Bluefield State, cut ties with Chowan