Midwest Conference

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

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, and resumed for football only with the addition of the University of Chicago as an affiliate member for the 2017–18 season. St. Norbert left in 2021 for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.

On March 11, 2025, the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSoE) announced that it would join the MWC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming & diving, beginning the 2025–26 winter season.

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 and Lawrence College (now Lawrence University), beginning the 1921–22 academic year. 1922 – Hamline University and Millikin College (now Millikin University) joined the MCAC in the 1922–23 academic year. 1923 – Ripon College joined the MCAC in the 1923–24 academic year. 1924 – Monmouth College joined the MCAC in the 1924–25 academic year. 1925 – Millikin left the MCAC after the 1924–25 academic year. 1930 – Hamline left the MCAC to fully align with the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) after the 1929–30 academic year. 1940 – Grinnell College joined the MCAC in the 1940–41 academic year. 1941 – Carleton left the MCAC after the 1940–41 academic year; as the school withdrew from the conference in June 1941. 1945 – Carleton rejoined the MCAC during the 1946 spring season of the 1945–46 academic year; specifically for track and field. 1951 – Beloit College was expelled from the conference after from the faculty of the other members schools. The stated reason was that Beloit had athletic policies that ran "contrary to the spirit and principles of the conference" including the scheduling of large schools and participation in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). 1952 – St. Olaf College joined the MCAC in the 1952–53 academic year. 1958 – Beloit College applied to return to the league and was subsequently reinstated as a founding member. 1974: St. Olaf left the MCAC after the 1973–74 academic year. Lake Forest College joined the MCAC in the 1974–75 academic year. 1976 – The University of Chicago joined the MCAC in the 1976–77 academic year. 1982 – Illinois College and St. Norbert College joined the MCAC in the 1982–83 academic year. 1983 – Carleton left the MCAC to rejoin the MIAC after the 1982–83 academic year. 1987 – University of Chicago left the MCAC to join the University Athletic Association (UAA) after the 1986–87 academic year. 1992 – Carroll College (now Carroll University) joined the MCAC in the 1992–93 academic year. 1994 – The MCAC has 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 beginning the 1994–95 academic year. 1997 – Coe and Cornell College left the MWC to join the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (now the American Rivers Conference [ARC]) after the 1996–97 academic year. 2012 – Cornell College rejoined the MWC in the 2012–13 academic year. 2014 – Macalester College joined the MWC as an affiliate member for football in the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year). 2016 – Carroll left the MWC to join the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) after the 2015–16 academic year. 2017 – University of Chicago rejoined the MWC, but as an affiliate member for football in the 2017 season (2017–18 academic year). 2018 – University of Chicago added baseball into its MWC affiliate membership in the 2019 season (2018–19 academic year). 2021: St. Norbert left the MWC as a full member to join the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) after the 2020–21 academic year. St. Norbert would remain as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming & diving. Macalester left the MWC as an affiliate member for football after the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year). 2024 – University of Chicago left the MWC as an affiliate member for baseball after the 2024 season (2023–24 academic year). 2025 – The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) joined the MWC as an affiliate member for men's and women's swimming & diving in the 2025–26 academic year. 2026 – Luther College joined the MWC, beginning in the 2026–27 academic year.

Member schools 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

The MWC currently has ten 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 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 Luther College Decorah, Iowa 1861 Lutheran ELCA 1,384 Norse 2026 Blue & white Monmouth College Monmouth, Illinois 1853 Presbyterian 767 Fighting Scots 1924 Red & White Ripon College Ripon, Wisconsin 1851 Nonsectarian 766 Red Hawks 1923 Red & White

Notes

Affiliate members The MWC currently has three affiliate members.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined MWCsport(s) Primaryconference Chicago, Illinois 1890 Nonsectarian 13,400 Maroons 2017 Football University (UAA) Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1903 Nonsectarian 2,122 Raiders 2025 Men's swimming & diving Northern (NACC) 2025 Women's swimming & diving De Pere, Wisconsin 1898 Catholic 2,095 Green Knights 2021 Men's swimming & diving Northern (NACC) 2021 Women's swimming & diving

Notes

Former members The MWC had eight former full members.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Currentconference Carleton College Northfield, Minnesota 1866 Nonsectarian 2,105 Knights 1921;1946 1941;1983 Minnesota (MIAC) Carroll University Waukesha, Wisconsin 1846 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 2,789 Pioneers 1992 2016 Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW) Chicago, Illinois 1890 Nonsectarian 7,559 Maroons 1976 1987 University (UAA) Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa 1851 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 1,355 Kohawks 1921 1997 American Rivers (ARC) Hamline University St. Paul, Minnesota 1854 United Methodist 1,944 Pipers 1922 1930 Minnesota (MIAC) Millikin University Decatur, Illinois 1901 Presbyterian (PCUSA) 2,200 Big Blue 1922 1925 Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW) De Pere, Wisconsin 1898 Catholic 2,095 Green Knights 1982 2021 Northern (NACC) Northfield, Minnesota 1874 Lutheran ELCA 2,900 Oles 1955 1974 Minnesota (MIAC)

Notes

Former affiliate members The MWC had two former affiliate members.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left MWCsport Primaryconference Chicago, Illinois 1890 Nonsectarian 13,400 Maroons 2018 2024 Baseball University (UAA) Macalester College Saint Paul, Minnesota 1874 Presybterian 2,221 Scots 2014 2021 Football Minnesota (MIAC)

Notes

Membership timeline

Sports + Conference sportsSportMen'sWomen'sBaseballBasketballCross CountryFootballGolfSoccerSoftball Swimming & Diving Tennis Track & Field (Indoor) Track & Field (Outdoor) Volleyball

Men's sports +SchoolBaseballBasketballCross CountryFootballGolfSoccerSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Indoor)Track & Field (Outdoor)Total MWC SportsBeloit8Cornell8Grinnell10Illinois College10Knox8Lake Forest9Lawrence9Luther10Monmouth10Ripon9Totals9101010+16108+28101091+3Affiliate MembersChicago1MSOE1St. Norbert1

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Midwest that are played by Midwest schools +SchoolBowlingFencingHandballIce HockeyLacrosseVolleyballWrestlingBeloitWIACNACCCornellNACCINDLake ForestNCHANACCNACCLawrenceINDNCHANACCLutherIND

Women's sports +SchoolBasketballCross CountryGolfSoccerSoftballSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Indoor)Track & Field (Outdoor)VolleyballTotal MWC SportsBeloit8Cornell8Grinnell10Illinois College10Knox8Lake Forest10Lawrence9Luther10Monmouth10Ripon9Totals1010610108+2810101092+2Affiliate MembersMSOE1St. Norbert1

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Midwest that are played by Midwest schools +SchoolBowlingFencingFlag FootballHandballIce HockeyLacrosseWrestlingBeloitWIACNACCCornellNACCINDIllinois CollegeKnoxLake ForestNCHANACCLawrenceIND2027-28NCHANACCLutherINDRipon

Conference facilities SchoolFootball fieldCapacityBasketball arenaCapacityBaseball fieldBeloitStrong Stadium3,000Flood Arena2,500Ballpark at Strong StadiumChicagoStagg Field1,650 Member only in football CornellAsh Park Stadium2,500Multi-Sport Center2,000Ash Park FieldGrinnellRosenbloom Field5,000Darby Gym1,250Grinnell Baseball DiamondIllinois CollegeEngland Stadium3,000Sherman Gymnasium1,600Joe Brooks FieldKnoxKnosher Bowl4,000Memorial Gym3,000Blodgett FieldLake ForestFarwell Field1,000Lake Forest Sports Center1,200No Baseball TeamLawrenceBanta Bowl5,255Alexander Gym1,280Whiting FieldLutherLegacy Field in Carlson Stadium5,000Birkestrand Family Court1,650Luther Baseball FieldMonmouthBobby Woll Memorial Field2,000Glennie Gymnasium1,600Glasgow FieldRiponHopp Stadium2,000Willmore Center1,200Francis Field

Midwest Conference

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