# 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.

### 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), 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.
* 1946: Carleton rejoined the conference, effective for the spring 1946 track season.
* 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 as a full member to join the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), effective after the 2020–21 academic year. St. Norbert would remain as an affiliate member for swimming & diving.
* 2021: Macalester left the MWC as an affiliate member for football, effective after the 2020 fall season (2020–21 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 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 | 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

* ↑ 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

The MWC currently has two affiliate members.
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | MWC sport(s) | Primary conference |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 1890 | Nonsectarian | 13,400 | Maroons | 2017–18 | Football | University (UAA) |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | 1890 | Nonsectarian | 13,400 | Maroons | 2018–19 | Baseball | University (UAA) |
| St. Norbert College | De Pere, Wisconsin | 1898 | Catholic (Premonstratensians) | 2,095 | Green Knights | 2020-21 | Swimming & Diving | Northern (NACC) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Chicago had been a full member of the MWC from 1976–77 to 1986–87.
* ↑ St. Norbert had been a full member of the MWC from 1982-83 to 2020-21.

### Former members

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 | Chicago, Illinois | 1890 | Nonsectarian | 7,559 | 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

* ↑ Chicago has rejoined the MWC as an affiliate member for football and baseball.
* ↑ St. Norbert has remained in the MWC as an affiliate member for swimming & diving.

### Former affiliate members

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
## Sports

As of 2021, the MWC sponsors the following sports:
Conference sports :
| Sport | Men's | Women'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 | 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 |
| Monmouth | Bobby Woll Memorial Field | 2,000 | Glennie Gymnasium | 1,600 | Glasgow Field |
| Ripon | Hopp Stadium | 2,000 | Willmore Center | 1,200 | Francis Field |