Midwest Conference

The Midwest Conference (MWC) is a college 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.

Midwest Conference
Established1921
AssociationNCAA
DivisionDivision III
Members10
Sports fielded
  • 20
    • men's: 10
    • women's: 10
RegionUpper Midwest
Former namesMidwest Collegiate Athletic Conference and Midwest Athletic Conference for Women
HeadquartersGrinnell, Iowa
CommissionerHeather Benning (since 2014)
Websitemidwestconference.org
Locations

History

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 74, 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]

Member schools

Current members
Institution Location
(population)		 Nickname Founded Type
(all private)		 Enrollment Joined Colors
Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin
(36,966)		 Buccaneers 1846 Nonsectarian 1,358 1921 College Blue & Vegas Gold
Cornell College Mount Vernon, Iowa
(3,390)		 Rams 1853 United Methodist 1,176 1921
2012[lower-alpha 1]		 Purple & White
Grinnell College Grinnell, Iowa
(9,218)		 Pioneers 1846 Nonsectarian 1,638 1940 Scarlet & Black
Illinois College Jacksonville, Illinois
(19,446)		 Blueboys (men's)
Lady Blues (women's)		 1829 UCC & PCUSA 903 1982 Blue & White
Knox College Galesburg, Illinois
(32,195)		 Prairie Fire 1837 Nonsectarian 1,399 1921 Purple & Gold
Lake Forest College Lake Forest, Illinois
(21,300)		 Foresters 1857 Nonsectarian 1,395 1974 Red & Black
Lawrence University Appleton, Wisconsin
(78,086)		 Vikings 1847 Nonsectarian 1,489 1921 Blue & White
Monmouth College Monmouth, Illinois
(9,244)		 Fighting Scots 1853 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 1,300 1924 Red & White
Ripon College Ripon, Wisconsin
(6,828)		 Red Hawks 1851 Nonsectarian 967 1923 Red & White
St. Norbert College[lower-alpha 2] De Pere, Wisconsin
(20,559)		 Green Knights 1898 Catholic (Premonstratensians) 2,095 1982 Dartmouth Green & Old Gold
Notes
  1. Cornell left the Midwest Conference to compete in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC; now known as the American Rivers Conference) in the 1997–98 school year, and rejoined the MWC for the 2012–13 school year.
  2. St. Norbert will leave the MWC for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in 2020.

Affiliate members
Institution Location Nickname Founded Type Enrollment Joined MWC sport Primary conference
Macalester College Saint Paul, Minnesota Scots 1874 Private 2,221 2014 football MIAC
University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois Maroons 1890 Private 13,400 2017
(football)
2018
(baseball)		 football, baseball UAA
Notes
  • Chicago had been a full conference member from 1976–1987.
  • Macalester football will return to its full-time conference home of the MIAC in 2021.

Former members
Institution Location Nickname Founded Type Enrollment Joined Left Current conference
Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota Knights 1866 Private 2,105 1921 1983 MIAC
Carroll University Waukesha, Wisconsin Pioneers 1846 Private/Presbyterian (PCUSA) 2,789 1992 2016 CCIW
University of Chicago Chicago, Illinois Maroons 1890 Private 13,400 1976 1987 UAA
Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa Kohawks 1851 Private/Presbyterian (PCUSA) 1,355 1921 1997 ARC
Hamline University St. Paul, Minnesota Pipers 1854 Private/Methodist 1,944 1922 1930 MIAC
Millikin University Decatur, Illinois Big Blue 1901 Private/Presbyterian (PCUSA) 2,200 1922 1925 CCIW
St. Olaf College Northfield, Minnesota Oles 1874 Private/Lutheran (ELCA) 2,900 1952 1974 MIAC

Membership timeline
Macalester CollegeCarroll UniversityIllinois CollegeUniversity of ChicagoLake Forest CollegeSt. Olaf CollegeGrinnell CollegeMonmouth CollegeRipon College (Wisconsin)Millikin UniversityHamline UniversityLawrence UniversityKnox College (Illinois)Cornell CollegeCoe CollegeCarleton KnightsBeloit College

Sports

As of 2019, the MWC sponsors the following sports:

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

Conference facilities
School Football field Capacity Basketball arena Capacity Baseball field
Beloit Strong Stadium 3,000 Flood Arena 2,500 Ballpark at Strong Stadium
Chicago Stagg Field 1,650 Member only in football and baseball J. Kyle Anderson Field
Cornell Ash Park Stadium 2,500 Multi-Sport Center 2,000 Ash Park Field
Grinnell Rosenbloom Field 5,000 Darby Gym 1,250 Grinnell Baseball Diamond
Illinois College England Stadium 3,000 Sherman Gymnasium 1,600 Joe Brooks Field
Knox Knosher Bowl 4,000 Memorial Gym 3,000 Blodgett Field
Lake Forest Farwell Field 1,000 Lake Forest Sports Center 1,200 No Baseball Team
Lawrence Banta Bowl 5,255 Alexander Gym 1,280 Whiting Field
Macalester Macalester Stadium 4,000 Football-only member
Monmouth Bobby Woll Memorial Field 2,000 Glennie Gymnasium 1,600 Glasgow Field
Ripon Ingalls Field 3,500 Storzer Gymnasium 1,000 Francis Field
St. Norbert Schneider Stadium 2,454 Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center 2,500 Mel Nicks Sports Complex

See also

References
  1. http://www.jsonline.com/sports/statecolleges/carroll-university-leaving-midwest-conference-for-cciw-b99256013z1-256783281.html
  2. "Football Season Preview". Midwest Conference. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
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