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{{Short description|NCAA Division III athletic conference}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox athletic conference
{{Infobox sports league
|name = Midwest Conference
| name = Midwest Conference
| logo = Midwest Conference logo.svg
|short_name =
| logo_size = 200
|established = 1921
| founded = 1921
|logo = Midwest Conference logo.svg
| association = [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]
|logo_size = 200
| division = [[NCAA Division III|Division III]]
|association = [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]
| teams = 9
|division = [[NCAA Division III|Division III]]
| sports = 20
|subdivision =
|members = 9
| mens = 10
|sports = 20
| womens = 10
| region = [[Upper Midwest]]
|mens = 10
| formerly = Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference and Midwest Athletic Conference for Women
|womens = 10
|region = [[Upper Midwest]]
| headquarters = [[Grinnell, Iowa]]
| commissioner = Heather Benning
|former_names = Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference and Midwest Athletic Conference for Women
| since = 2014
|hq_city = Grinnell
| website = [http://www.midwestconference.org midwestconference.org]
|hq_state = Iowa
| map = Midwest-USA-states.png
|commissioner = Heather Benning
| map_size = 250
|since = 2014
| color = #000000
|website = [http://www.midwestconference.org midwestconference.org]
| font_color = #FFFFFF
|color =
|font_color =
|map = Midwest-USA-states.png
|map_size = 250
}}
}}

The '''Midwest Conference''' ('''MWC''') is a [[college athletic conference]] affiliated with the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]'s [[Division III (NCAA)|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.
The '''Midwest Conference''' ('''MWC''') is an [[List of NCAA conferences|intercollegiate athletic conference]] affiliated with the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]'s [[Division III (NCAA)|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.


==History==
==History==
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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.
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 (Wisconsin)|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).
[[Ripon College (Wisconsin)|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 University|Carroll]] after the 2015–16 school year,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/sports/statecolleges/carroll-university-leaving-midwest-conference-for-cciw-b99256013z1-256783281.html|title=Carroll University leaving Midwest Conference for CCIW|website=www.jsonline.com}}</ref> and resumed for football only with the addition of the [[University of Chicago]] as an affiliate member for the 2017–18 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://midwestconference.org/news/2017/8/29/football-season-preview.aspx|title=Football Season Preview|website=Midwest Conference|language=en|access-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> St. Norbert left in 2021 for the [[Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.naccsports.org/general/2018-19/releases/20190403150irt |title=NACC Welcomes St. Norbert College as Full Member in 2020-21 |publisher=Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference |date=April 3, 2019 |access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref>
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 University|Carroll]] after the 2015–16 school year,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jsonline.com/sports/statecolleges/carroll-university-leaving-midwest-conference-for-cciw-b99256013z1-256783281.html|title=Carroll University leaving Midwest Conference for CCIW|website=www.jsonline.com}}</ref> and resumed for football only with the addition of the [[University of Chicago]] as an affiliate member for the 2017–18 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://midwestconference.org/news/2017/8/29/football-season-preview.aspx|title=Football Season Preview|website=Midwest Conference|language=en|access-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> St. Norbert left in 2021 for the [[Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.naccsports.org/general/2018-19/releases/20190403150irt |title=NACC Welcomes St. Norbert College as Full Member in 2020-21 |publisher=Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference |date=April 3, 2019 |access-date=April 14, 2019}}</ref>

===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 (Illinois)|Knox College]] and [[Lawrence University|Lawrence College]] (now Lawrence University), effective beginning the 1921–22 academic year.
* 1922: [[Hamline University]] and [[Millikin University|Millikin College]] (now Millikin University) joined the MCAC, effective in the 1922–23 academic year.
* 1923: [[Ripon College (Wisconsin)|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.<ref>{{cite news |last=McHugh |first=Roy |title=Carleton Still At Odds With Midwest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette/143326449/ |newspaper=[[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)|Cedar Rapids Gazette]] |location=[[Cedar Rapids, Iowa]] |date=July 24, 1941 |page=11 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}} }}</ref>
* 1946: Carleton rejoined the conference, effective for the spring 1946 track season.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Carleton Returns To Midwest Loop In All Athletics |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette/143327147/ |newspaper=[[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)|Cedar Rapids Gazette]] |location=[[Cedar Rapids, Iowa]] |date=March 16, 1946 |page=3 |access-date=March 13, 2024 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{Open access}} }}</ref>
* 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 University|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==
==Member schools==
Every member in the history of the MWC and its predecessor conferences, whether full, affiliate, current, or former, has been a [[Private university|private]] school.

===Current members===
===Current members===
The MWC currently has nine full members, all are [[Private university|private]] schools:
The MWC currently has nine full members.


{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Institution
! Location
! Location
Line 55: Line 105:
| [[Beloit Buccaneers|Buccaneers]]
| [[Beloit Buccaneers|Buccaneers]]
| 1921
| 1921
| {{color box|#00365c}} {{color box|#cd8829}}<br>College Blue & Vegas Gold
| {{color box|#00365c|border=silver}} {{color box|#cd8829|border=silver}}<br>College Blue & Vegas Gold
|-
|-
| '''[[Cornell College]]'''
| '''[[Cornell College]]'''
Line 64: Line 114:
| [[Cornell Rams|Rams]]
| [[Cornell Rams|Rams]]
| 1921,<br />2012{{efn|group=full|Cornell left the MWC to join the [[American Rivers Conference|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.}}
| 1921,<br />2012{{efn|group=full|Cornell left the MWC to join the [[American Rivers Conference|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.}}
| {{color box|#523178}} {{Color box|#white}}<br>Purple & White
| {{color box|#523178|border=silver}} {{Color box|white|border=silver}}<br>Purple & White
|-
|-
| '''[[Grinnell College]]'''
| '''[[Grinnell College]]'''
Line 73: Line 123:
| [[Grinnell Pioneers|Pioneers]]
| [[Grinnell Pioneers|Pioneers]]
| 1940
| 1940
| {{color box|#da291c}} {{Color box|#black}}<br>Scarlet & Black
| {{color box|#da291c|border=silver}} {{Color box|black|border=silver}}<br>Scarlet & Black
|-
|-
| '''[[Illinois College]]'''
| '''[[Illinois College]]'''
Line 79: Line 129:
| 1829
| 1829
| [[United Church of Christ|UCC]] & [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|PCUSA]]
| [[United Church of Christ|UCC]] & [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|PCUSA]]
| 1,105
| 1,029
| [[Illinois College Blueboys|Blueboys]] (men's)<br />[[Illinois College Lady Blues|Lady Blues]] (women's)
| [[Illinois College Blueboys|Blueboys]] &<br />[[Illinois College Lady Blues|Lady Blues]]
| 1982
| 1982
| {{color box|#003591}} {{color box|#818a90}} {{Color box|#white}}<br>Blue & Grey & White
| {{color box|#003591|border=silver}} {{color box|#818a90|border=silver}} {{Color box|white|border=silver}}<br>Blue & Grey & White
|-
|-
| '''[[Knox College (Illinois)|Knox College]]'''
| '''[[Knox College (Illinois)|Knox College]]'''
Line 88: Line 138:
| 1837
| 1837
| Nonsectarian
| Nonsectarian
| 1,399
| 1,058
| [[Knox Prairie Fire|Prairie Fire]]
| [[Knox Prairie Fire|Prairie Fire]]
| 1921
| 1921
| {{color box|#6c2dc7}} {{Color box|#fdd017}}<br>Purple & Gold
| {{color box|#6c2dc7|border=silver}} {{Color box|#fdd017|border=silver}}<br>Purple & Gold
|-
|-
| '''[[Lake Forest College]]'''
| '''[[Lake Forest College]]'''
Line 100: Line 150:
| [[Lake Forest Foresters|Foresters]]
| [[Lake Forest Foresters|Foresters]]
| 1974
| 1974
| {{color box|#ce1126}} {{Color box|#black}}<br>Red & Black
| {{color box|#ce1126|border=silver}} {{Color box|black|border=silver}}<br>Red & Black
|-
|-
| '''[[Lawrence University]]'''
| '''[[Lawrence University]]'''
Line 109: Line 159:
| [[Lawrence Vikings|Vikings]]
| [[Lawrence Vikings|Vikings]]
| 1921
| 1921
| {{color box|#003d6a}} {{color box|#97999c}} {{Color box|#white}}<br>Blue & Grey & White
| {{color box|#003d6a|border=silver}} {{color box|#97999c|border=silver}} {{Color box|white|border=silver}}<br>Blue & Grey & White
|-
|-
| '''[[Monmouth College]]'''
| '''[[Monmouth College]]'''
Line 115: Line 165:
| 1853
| 1853
| Presbyterian<br>{{small|([[Presbyterian Church (USA)|PCUSA]])}}
| Presbyterian<br>{{small|([[Presbyterian Church (USA)|PCUSA]])}}
| 1,300
| 767
| [[Monmouth Fighting Scots|Fighting Scots]]
| [[Monmouth Fighting Scots|Fighting Scots]]
| 1924
| 1924
| {{color box|#a40c34}} {{Color box|#white}}<br>Red & White
| {{color box|#a40c34|border=silver}} {{Color box|white|border=silver}}<br>Red & White
|-
|-
| '''[[Ripon College (Wisconsin)|Ripon College]]'''
| '''[[Ripon College (Wisconsin)|Ripon College]]'''
Line 124: Line 174:
| 1851
| 1851
| Nonsectarian
| Nonsectarian
| 967
| 766
| [[Ripon Red Hawks|Red Hawks]]
| [[Ripon Red Hawks|Red Hawks]]
| 1923
| 1923
| {{color box|#9d2235}} {{Color box|#black}}<br>Red & White
| {{color box|#9d2235|border=silver}} {{Color box|black|border=silver}}<br>Red & White
|}
|}


Line 134: Line 184:


===Affiliate members===
===Affiliate members===
The MWC currently has one affiliate member, which is also a [[Private university|private]] school:
The MWC currently has one affiliate member.


{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Institution
! Institution
! Location
! Location
Line 147: Line 197:
! Primary<br />conference
! Primary<br />conference
|-
|-
| {{sort|Chicago|'''[[University of Chicago]]'''}}{{efn|group=aff|Chicago had been a full member of the MWC from 1976–77 to 1986–87.}}
| rowspan=2 | {{sort|Chicago|'''[[University of Chicago]]'''}}{{efn|group=aff|Chicago had been a full member of the MWC from 1976–77 to 1986–87.}}
| [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]
| 1890
| rowspan=2 | 1890
| rowspan=2 | Nonsectarian
| Private
| 13,400
| rowspan=2 | 13,400
| [[Chicago Maroons|Maroons]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Chicago Maroons|Maroons]]
| 2017–18{{sup|fb.}};<br />2018–19{{sup|bsb.}}
| 2017–18
| [[Chicago Maroons football|football]];<br />baseball
| [[Chicago Maroons football|Football]]
| [[University Athletic Association|University (UAA)]]
| rowspan=2 | [[University Athletic Association|University (UAA)]]
|-
| 2018–19
| Baseball
|}
|}


Line 162: Line 215:


===Former members===
===Former members===
The MWC had eight former full members, all were [[Private university|private]] schools:
The MWC had eight former full members.


{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
!Institution
!Institution
!Location
!Location
Line 181: Line 234:
| 2,105
| 2,105
| [[Carleton Knights|Knights]]
| [[Carleton Knights|Knights]]
| 1921–22
| 1921–22<br>1946
| 1982–83
| 1941<br>1982–83
| [[Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|Minnesota (MIAC)]]
| [[Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|Minnesota (MIAC)]]
|-
|-
Line 195: Line 248:
| [[College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin|Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)]]
| [[College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin|Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)]]
|-
|-
| {{sort|Chicago|'''[[University of Chicago]]'''}}{{efn|group=former|Chicago has re-joined the MWC as an affiliate member for football and baseball.}}
| {{sort|Chicago|'''[[University of Chicago]]'''}}{{efn|group=former|Chicago has rejoined the MWC as an affiliate member for football and baseball.}}
| [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]
| [[Chicago|Chicago, Illinois]]
| 1890
| 1890
Line 260: Line 313:


===Former affiliate members===
===Former affiliate members===
The MWC had one former affiliate member.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

!Institution
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
!Location
! Institution
!Founded
! Location
!Joined
! Founded
!Left
! Affiliation
!Type
!Enrollment
! Enrollment
!Nickname
! Nickname
! Joined
!MWC<br />sport
! Left
!Primary<br />conference
! MWC<br />sport
! Primary<br />conference
|-
|-
| '''[[Macalester College]]'''
| '''[[Macalester College]]'''
| [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
| [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
| 1874
| 1874
| [[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian (USA)]]
| 2014–15
| 2020–21
| Private
| 2,221
| 2,221
| [[Macalester Scots|Scots]]
| [[Macalester Scots|Scots]]
| 2014–15
| 2020–21
| football
| football
| [[Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|MIAC]]
| [[Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|Minnesota (MIAC)]]
|}
|}


Line 306: Line 361:
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s


bar:1 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Beloit College|Beloit]] (1921&ndash;present)
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Beloit College|Beloit]] (1921–present)
bar:1 color:Full from:1922 till:1951
bar:1 color:Full from:1922 till:1951
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1951 till:1959
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1951 till:1959
bar:1 color:Full from:1959 till:end
bar:1 color:Full from:1959 till:end


bar:2 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Carleton Knights|Carleton]] (1921&ndash;1982)
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Carleton College|Carleton]] (1921–1983)
bar:2 color:Full from:1922 till:1983
bar:2 color:Full from:1922 till:1983


bar:3 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Coe College|Coe]] (1921&ndash;1997)
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Coe College|Coe]] (1921–1997)
bar:3 color:Full from:1922 till:1997
bar:3 color:Full from:1922 till:1997


bar:4 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Cornell College|Cornell (IA)]] (1921&ndash;1997)
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Cornell College|Cornell (Ia.)]] (1921–1997)
bar:4 color:Full from:1922 till:1997
bar:4 color:Full from:1922 till:1997
bar:4 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:(2012&ndash;present)
bar:4 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:(2012–present)


bar:5 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Knox College (Illinois)|Knox (IL)]] (1921&ndash;present)
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Knox College (Illinois)|Knox (Ill.)]] (1921–present)
bar:5 color:Full from:1922 till:end
bar:5 color:Full from:1922 till:end


bar:6 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Lawrence University|Lawrence]] (1921&ndash;present)
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1921 till:1922 text:[[Lawrence University|Lawrence]] (1921–present)
bar:6 color:Full from:1922 till:end
bar:6 color:Full from:1922 till:end


bar:7 color:Full from:1922 till:1930 text:[[Hamline University|Hamline]] (1922&ndash;1930)
bar:7 color:Full from:1922 till:1930 text:[[Hamline University|Hamline]] (1922–1930)


bar:8 color:Full from:1922 till:1925 text:[[Millikin University|Millikin]] (1922&ndash;1925)
bar:8 color:Full from:1922 till:1925 text:[[Millikin University|Millikin]] (1922–1925)


bar:9 color:Full from:1923 till:end text:[[Ripon College (Wisconsin)|Ripon (WI)]] (1923&ndash;present)
bar:9 color:Full from:1923 till:end text:[[Ripon College (Wisconsin)|Ripon (Wisc.)]] (1923–present)


bar:10 color:Full from:1924 till:1974 text:[[Monmouth College|Monmouth (IL)]] (1924&ndash;present)
bar:10 color:Full from:1924 till:1974 text:[[Monmouth College|Monmouth (Ill.)]] (1924–present)
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1974 till:1976
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1974 till:1976
bar:10 color:Full from:1976 till:end
bar:10 color:Full from:1976 till:end


bar:11 color:Full from:1940 till:end text:[[Grinnell College|Grinnell]] (1940&ndash;present)
bar:11 color:Full from:1940 till:end text:[[Grinnell College|Grinnell]] (1940–present)


bar:12 color:Full from:1952 till:1974 text:[[St. Olaf College|St. Olaf]] (1952&ndash;1974)
bar:12 color:Full from:1952 till:1974 text:[[St. Olaf College|St. Olaf]] (1952–1974)


bar:13 color:Full from:1974 till:end text:[[Lake Forest College|Lake Forest]] (1974&ndash;present)
bar:13 color:Full from:1974 till:end text:[[Lake Forest College|Lake Forest]] (1974–present)


bar:14 color:Full from:1976 till:1987 text:[[University of Chicago|Chicago]] (1976&ndash;1987)
bar:14 color:Full from:1976 till:1987 text:[[University of Chicago|Chicago]] (1976–1987)
bar:14 color:AssocF from:2017 till:2018 text:(2017&ndash;present)
bar:14 color:AssocF from:2017 till:2018 text:(2017–present)
bar:14 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:end
bar:14 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:end


bar:15 color:FullxF from:1982 till:1983 text:[[Illinois College]] (1982&ndash;present)
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1982 till:1983 text:[[Illinois College]] (1982–present)
bar:15 color:Full from:1983 till:end
bar:15 color:Full from:1983 till:end


bar:16 color:FullxF from:1982 till:1983 text:[[St. Nobert College|St. Nobert]] (1982&ndash;2021)
bar:16 color:FullxF from:1982 till:1983 text:[[St. Norbert College|St. Norbert]] (1982–2021)
bar:16 color:Full from:1983 till:1998
bar:16 color:Full from:1983 till:1998
bar:16 color:FullxF from:1998 till:1999
bar:16 color:FullxF from:1998 till:1999
bar:16 color:Full from:1999 till:2021
bar:16 color:Full from:1999 till:2021


bar:17 color:Full from:1992 till:2016 text:[[Carroll University|Carroll (WI)]] (1992&ndash;2016)
bar:17 color:Full from:1992 till:2016 text:[[Carroll University|Carroll (Wisc.)]] (1992–2016)


bar:18 color:AssocF from:2014 till:2021 text:[[Macalester College|Macalester]] (2014&ndash;2021)
bar:18 color:AssocF from:2014 till:2021 text:[[Macalester College|Macalester]] (2014–2021)


bar:N color:powderblue from:1921 till:1994 text:Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC)
bar:N color:powderblue from:1921 till:1994 text:Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC)
Line 386: Line 441:
|[[Track and field|Outdoor track]] ||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|[[Track and field|Outdoor track]] ||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|-
|[[College soccer|Soccer]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|[[College soccer in the United States|Soccer]]||{{center|{{Y}}}}||{{center|{{Y}}}}
|-
|-
|[[Softball]] || || {{center|{{Y}}}}
|[[Softball]] || || {{center|{{Y}}}}
Line 484: Line 539:
==See also==
==See also==


* [[Midwest Conference Men's Basketball Tournament]]
* [[Midwest Conference men's basketball tournament]]


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 03:26, 3 June 2024

Midwest Conference
FormerlyMidwest Collegiate Athletic Conference and Midwest Athletic Conference for Women
AssociationNCAA
Founded1921
CommissionerHeather Benning (since 2014)
Sports fielded
  • 20
    • men's: 10
    • women's: 10
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams9
HeadquartersGrinnell, Iowa
RegionUpper Midwest
Official websitemidwestconference.org
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

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.

History[edit]

Midwest Conference
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
100km
62miles
Beloit
Chicago
Cornell College
Illinois College
Lake Forest
Grinnell
Monmouth
Ripon
Lawrence
.
Knox
Location of Midwest members: current, 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[edit]

  • 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[edit]

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[edit]

The MWC currently has nine full members.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors
Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin 1846 Nonsectarian 1,358 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 1846 Nonsectarian 1,638 Pioneers 1940    
Scarlet & Black
Illinois College Jacksonville, Illinois 1829 UCC & PCUSA 1,029 Blueboys &
Lady Blues 		1982      
Blue & Grey & White
Knox College Galesburg, Illinois 1837 Nonsectarian 1,058 Prairie Fire 1921    
Purple & Gold
Lake Forest College Lake Forest, Illinois 1857 Nonsectarian 1,395 Foresters 1974    
Red & Black
Lawrence University Appleton, Wisconsin 1847 Nonsectarian 1,489 Vikings 1921      
Blue & Grey & White
Monmouth College Monmouth, Illinois 1853 Presbyterian
(PCUSA) 		767 Fighting Scots 1924    
Red & White
Ripon College Ripon, Wisconsin 1851 Nonsectarian 766 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[edit]

The MWC currently has one affiliate member.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined MWC
sport(s) 		Primary
conference
University of Chicago[a] Chicago, Illinois 1890 Nonsectarian 13,400 Maroons 2017–18 Football University (UAA)
2018–19 Baseball
Notes
  1. ^ Chicago had been a full member of the MWC from 1976–77 to 1986–87.

Former members[edit]

The MWC had eight former full members.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Current
conference
Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota 1866 Nonsectarian 2,105 Knights 1921–22
1946 		1941
1982–83 		Minnesota (MIAC)
Carroll University Waukesha, Wisconsin 1846 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 2,789 Pioneers 1992–93 2015–16 Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)
University of Chicago[a] Chicago, Illinois 1890 Nonsectarian 13,400 Maroons 1976–77 1986–87 University (UAA)
Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1851 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 1,355 Kohawks 1921–22 1996–97 American Rivers (ARC)
Hamline University St. Paul, Minnesota 1854 United Methodist 1,944 Pipers 1922–23 1929–30 Minnesota (MIAC)
Millikin University Decatur, Illinois 1901 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 2,200 Big Blue 1922–23 1924–25 Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)
St. Norbert College De Pere, Wisconsin 1898 Catholic
(Premonstratensians) 		2,095 Green Knights 1982–83 2020–21 Northern (NACC)
St. Olaf College Northfield, Minnesota 1874 Lutheran ELCA 2,900 Oles 1952–53 1973–74 Minnesota (MIAC)
Notes
  1. ^ Chicago has rejoined the MWC as an affiliate member for football and baseball.

Former affiliate members[edit]

The MWC had one former affiliate member.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left MWC
sport 		Primary
conference
Macalester College Saint Paul, Minnesota 1874 Presbyterian (USA) 2,221 Scots 2014–15 2020–21 football Minnesota (MIAC)

Membership timeline[edit]

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 College

Sports[edit]

As of 2021, the MWC sponsors the following sports:

Conference sports
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball
Green tickY
Basketball
Green tickY
Green tickY
Cross country
Green tickY
Green tickY
Football
Green tickY
Golf
Green tickY
Green tickY
Indoor track
Green tickY
Green tickY
Outdoor track
Green tickY
Green tickY
Soccer
Green tickY
Green tickY
Softball
Green tickY
Swimming & Diving
Green tickY
Green tickY
Tennis
Green tickY
Green tickY
Volleyball
Green tickY

Conference facilities[edit]

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 Willmore Center 1,200 Francis Field

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  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 icon.
  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 icon.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Midwest_Conference&oldid=1227010461"