The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) is a college athletic conference whose member schools compete in men's volleyball. The conference footprint is centered in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Missouri in the west to Ohio in the east, and also extends into Kentucky and North Carolina. Many of the conference's schools also participate in the similarly named Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association in men's volleyball at the club level.
The MIVA Tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, which now consists of eight teams playing in a single-elimination format to determine the national champion. The two other pre-2017 major volleyball conferences, the EIVA (Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) and the MPSF (Mountain Pacific Sports Federation), also send their league tournament champions to the tournament, as do Conference Carolinas (since the 2014 season), the Big West Conference (since the 2018 season forward), and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (from the 2024 season).
History
On February 4, 1961 the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Conference, the nation's first men's college volleyball league, was started in Lansing, Michigan by representatives of Ball State University, Detroit Institute of Technology, Earlham College, George Williams College, Lansing College, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, and Wittenberg College. The league came about largely through the efforts of Jim Coleman of Wittenberg College and Don Shondell of Ball State University. The league name was later changed to the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). Over the years, more than 40 schools from Divisions I, II, and III, as well as a couple of junior colleges, have participated as members of the MIVA. The current membership is made up of six D-I (including two charter members) and three D-II institutions, with Lindenwood University and the newest member, 2023 arrival Queens University of Charlotte, having started transitions from D-II to D-I in July 2022.
After the 2025 season, Quincy left for the new men's volleyball league of its primary home of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). Lewis and McKendree, despite being full GLVC members, were not named as part of the inaugural GLVC men's volleyball lineup. The MIVA membership remained at 9 teams with the arrival of Northern Kentucky University, which starts varsity men's volleyball play in the 2026 season.
Three MIVA teams have won the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, although only two are officially recognized by the NCAA. Lewis' 2003 title was later vacated by the school due to player eligibility issues, and the NCAA no longer recognizes the title. Loyola won the national championship in both 2014 and 2015, and Ohio State won the title in 2011, 2016, and 2017.
Membership timeline
Members The MIVA comprises nine teams from the NCAA's Division I and Division II.
Current members The "Joined" column reflects the calendar year in which a school joined the MIVA. Since NCAA men's volleyball is currently a spring sport, the calendar year of entry precedes the first season of competition, except for schools that joined when the conference was formed in February 1961. InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedAffiliationEnrollmentTeam NicknamePrimary conferenceArenaCapacity Ball State University Muncie, Indiana 1918 1961 Public 21,401 Cardinals Mid-American John E. Worthen Arena 11,500 Lewis University Romeoville, Illinois 1932 1994 Private/Catholic 5,800 Flyers GLVC Neil Carey Arena 1,075 Lindenwood University 1827 2013 Private/Presbyterian 11,904 Lions OVC Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena 3,270 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, Illinois 1870 1996 Private/Catholic 15,951 Ramblers Atlantic 10 Joseph J. Gentile Arena 4,963 McKendree University Lebanon, Illinois 1828 2015 Private/Methodist 3.054 Bearcats GLVC Harry M. Statham Sports Center 1,500 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, Kentucky 1968 2025 Public 15,827 Norse Horizon League Regents Hall 1,346 Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio 1870 1961 Public 55,014 Buckeyes Big TenCovelli Center 3,700 Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, Indiana 1964 1981 Public 8,298 Mastodons Horizon League Hilliard Gates Sports Center 2,800 Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina 1857 2023 Private / Presbyterian 2,463 Royals ASUN Curry Arena 2,500
The most recent changes in MIVA membership were the arrival of Northern Kentucky and departure of Quincy in 2025. Before that, the most recent change was the addition of Queens in 2023.
One current MIVA member changed its institutional and athletic identity after the 2018 men's volleyball season. Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), a joint venture between the Indiana University and Purdue University systems, was dissolved at the end of the 2017–18 school year. IPFW's academic programs in health sciences now operate as Indiana University Fort Wayne, and all other academic programs transferred to Purdue as Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW). The athletic program was inherited solely by PFW. Shortly before the split took effect, PFW announced that the athletic program, previously known as the Fort Wayne Mastodons, would become the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons.
Former members Affiliations reflect those for men's volleyball, and are current for the ongoing 2025 NCAA men's volleyball season (2024–25 school year). Institutional names and nicknames reflect those in current (or, for defunct institutions, most recent) use, not necessarily those used while each school was an MIVA member.
The NCAA's top men's volleyball championship is open to schools in Divisions I and II, with scholarship limits identical for members of each division. Therefore, this table makes no distinction between NCAA Division I and Division II conferences. +InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedLeftTypeEnrollmentNicknameCurrent Conference Detroit Institute of Technology Detroit, Michigan 1891 1961 1962 Private/YMCA Closed No Program Earlham College Richmond, Indiana 1847 1961 1985 Private/Quakers 1,019 Quakers No Program George Williams College Downers Grove, Illinois 1890 1961 1985 Private/YMCA Closed No Program Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan 1855 19611967 19621970 Public 50,351 Spartans No Program Wittenberg University Springfield, Ohio 1845 1961 1962 Private/Lutheran (ELCA) 1,738 Tigers MCVL University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky 1865 1962 1968 Public 29,182 Wildcats No Program Lansing Community College Lansing, Michigan 1957 1962 1963 Community college 18,551 Stars No Program Calvin University Grand Rapids, Michigan 1876 19621970 19621970 Private/CRC 3,570 Knights MCVL Indiana Institute of Technology Fort Wayne, Indiana 1930 1962 1973 Private 9,652 Warriors WHAC University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky 1798 1965 1965 Public 21,430 Cardinals No Program Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana 1820 19651973 19691979 Public 43,710 Hoosiers No Program University of Toledo Toledo, Ohio 1872 19651981 19701982 Public 23,085 Rockets No Program Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois 1869 1966 1966 Public 11,695 Salukis No Program Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana 1859 1967 1968 Private/Lutheran (ELCA) 4,500 Beacons No Program University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, Illinois 1946 1967 1970 Public 33,390 Flames No Program Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana 1869 19691982 19751986 Public 43,411 Boilermakers No Program University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio 1819 19691980 19691982 Public 46,388 Bearcats No Program University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan 1817 197019751982 197019751986 Public 46,002 Wolverines No Program Anderson University Anderson, Indiana 1917 1970 1970 Private/Church of God (Anderson) 1,877 Ravens No Program Kellogg Community College Battle Creek, Michigan 1956 1970 1985 Community college 8,400 Bruins No Program Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, Ohio 1910 1971 1985 Public 20,395 Falcons No Program Wright State University Fairborn, Ohio 1967 1978 1979 Public 13,520 Raiders No Program University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, Wisconsin 1848 1979 1980 Public 44,413 Badgers No Program University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Indiana 1842 1983 1988 Private/Catholic 12,292 Fighting Irish No Program College of Wooster Wooster, Ohio 1866 1984 1984 Private/Presbyterian (PCUSA) 2,000 Fighting Scots No Program Hardin–Simmons University Abilene, Texas 1891 1986 1986 Private/Baptist 2,392 Cowboys No Program Graceland University Lamoni, Iowa 1895 1987 1990 Private/Community of Christ 2,222 Yellowjackets HAAC University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1956 1991 1997 Public 26,037 Panthers No Program Thomas More University Crestview Hills, Kentucky 1921 1995 1997 Private/Catholic 1,963 Saints GLVC Mercyhurst University Erie, Pennsylvania 1926 1997 2008 Private/Catholic 2,759 Lakers No Program Clarke University Dubuque, Iowa 1843 1998 2007 Private/Catholic 1,200 Pride HAAC University of Findlay Findlay, Ohio 1882 2001 2005 Private/Churches of God (Winebrenner) 3,700 Oilers No Program Carthage College Kenosha, Wisconsin 1847 2005 2007 Private/Lutheran (ELCA) 2,800 Firebirds CCIW Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1903 2005 2007 Private/Nonsectarian 2,820 Raiders NACC Central State University Wilberforce, Ohio 1887 2006 2007 Public/HBCU 2,119 Marauders SIAC Grand Canyon University Phoenix, Arizona 1949 2010 2017 For-profit/Nondenominational 20,500 Antelopes No program Quincy University Quincy, Illinois 1860 1994 2025 Private/Catholic 1,300 Hawks GLVC
Champions +1961–1989YearRegular seasonTournament1961George WilliamsNo Tournament1962George Williams1963George Williams1964Ball StateBall State1965Ball StateBall State1966Ball StateBall State1967Ball StateBall State1968Ball StateBall State1969Ohio StateOhio State1970Ball StateNo Tournament1971Ball State1972Ohio State1973Ball State1974Ball State / Ohio State1975Ball State / Ohio State1976Ball State1977Ohio State1978Ohio State1979Ball State1980Kellogg CCKellogg CC1981Ohio StateOhio State1982Ohio StateOhio State1983Ohio StateOhio State1984Ball StateBall State1985Ball StateBall State1986Ohio StateOhio State1987Ohio StateOhio State1988Ball StateBall State1989Ball StateBall State +1990–presentYearRegular seasonTournament1990Ball State / IPFWBall State1991IPFWIPFW1992IPFWIPFW1993IPFW / Ohio StateOhio State1994IPFWBall State1995Ball State / Ohio StateBall State1996Ball State / Lewis / Ohio StateLewis1997Ball StateBall State1998Ohio StateLewis1999IPFW / Ohio StateIPFW2000Ohio StateOhio State2001Lewis* Ohio State2002Ball State / Loyola ChicagoBall State2003Lewis* Lewis* 2004Ohio StateLewis2005Loyola ChicagoOhio State2006Loyola ChicagoIPFW2007Ohio StateIPFW2008Ohio StateOhio State2009Ohio StateOhio State2010Ohio StateOhio State2011Ohio StateOhio State2012Lewis / Ohio StateLewis2013Lewis / Loyola ChicagoLoyola Chicago2014Loyola ChicagoLoyola Chicago2015LewisLoyola Chicago2016Ohio StateOhio State2017Ohio StateOhio State2018Loyola Chicago / Ohio StateOhio State2019LewisLewis2021LewisLewis2022Ball StateBall State2023Ball State / Loyola Chicago / Ohio StateOhio State2024Ball StateOhio State2025Loyola Chicago / McKendree Loyola Chicago2026Ball StateBall State
Titles +TotalSchoolReg.TourneyLast47Ohio State2819202441Ball State2516202612Lewis66202112Loyola Chicago84202511Purdue Fort Wayne6520073George Williams3019632Kellogg CC1119801McKendree102025
MIVA in the NCAA tournament Until 2014, the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship was a Final Four only tournament with the champions of three conferences (EIVA, MIVA, and MPSF) receiving automatic bids and one team getting an at-large bid.
The tournament has since expanded five times: