Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is an NCAA conferences|intercollegiate athletic conference] that competes in the NCAA's Division III. In women's gymnastics, it competes alongside Division I and II members, as the NCAA sponsors NCAA Women's [Gymnastics Championships|a single championship event] open to members of all NCAA divisions. As the name implies, member teams are located in the state of Wisconsin, although there are three associate members from Minnesota and one from Illinois. All full members are part of the University of Wisconsin System.
History
In 1913, representatives from Wisconsin's eight normal schools—Superior Normal School, River Falls State Normal School, Stevens Point Normal School, La Crosse State Normal School, Oshkosh State Normal School, Whitewater Normal School, Milwaukee State Normal School and Platteville Normal School —met in Madison to organize the Inter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin. The Stout Institute joined in 1914, followed by Eau Claire State Normal School in 1917.The conference evolved with the growing educational mission of its member schools. It changed its name to the Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference in 1926, and the Wisconsin State College Conference in 1951. Finally, in 1964, it became the Wisconsin State University Conference.
In 1971, the member schools of the WSUC joined with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wisconsin–Parkside and Carthage College to form the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. By 1975, UW–Milwaukee, Carroll College, the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay and Marquette University had also joined. With the dissolution of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in 1982, the member schools joined their male counterparts in either the NCAA or NAIA. By 1993, the non-NCAA Division III members had all dropped out, resulting in the WWIAC having the same membership as the WSUC. Under the circumstances, a merger was inevitable. In 1996, Gary Karner was named commissioner of both the WSUC and the WWIAC. The two conferences formally merged in 1997 to form the current WIAC.
Effective with the 2001–02 academic year, Lawrence University joined the conference in the sport of wrestling. Three Minnesota schools, Gustavus Adolphus College, Hamline University and Winona State University, became members of the conference in the sport of women's gymnastics during the 2004–05 academic year. In 2009–10, the conference added men’s soccer as a sponsored sport with the announcement of Michigan school Finlandia University as an affiliate member. Lawrence discontinued its affiliation with the WIAC in wrestling.
The conference remained unusually stable over the years; the only changes in full membership being the departures of UW–Milwaukee in 1964 and UW–Superior in 2015.
Centennial celebration
The ninth-oldest conference in the nation, the WIAC celebrated its centennial year during the 2012–13 academic year. Additionally, the WIAC is the most successful NCAA Division III conference in history, boasting NCAA National Championships in 14 different sports. At the beginning of the 2011–12 academic year, the conference had claimed a nation-leading 92 NCAA National Championships.To celebrate its centennial, the conference named All-Time Teams in each sport that is currently or was previously recognized as a "championship" sport within the conference. Furthermore, the WIAC commissioned a commemorative work of art, created by Tim Cortes, and has also created a two-year calendar in celebration of its centennial.
The celebration was headlined by its Centennial Banquet held on August 4, 2012, at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Among the honorees at the event were the All-Time Team members and the inaugural class to the WIAC Hall of Fame.
Chronological timeline
- 1913 – The WIAC was founded as the Inter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin. Charter members included La Crosse State Normal School, Milwaukee State Normal School, Oshkosh State Normal School, Platteville Normal School, River Falls State Normal School, Stevens Point Normal School, Superior Normal School and Whitewater Normal School, beginning the 1913–14 academic year.
- 1914 – Stout Institute joined the INACW in the 1914–15 academic year.
- 1917 – Eau Claire State Normal School joined the INACW in the 1917–18 academic year.
- 1926 – The INACW was rebranded as the Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference, beginning the 1926–27 academic year.
- 1951 – The WSTCC was rebranded as the Wisconsin State College Conference, beginning the 1951–52 academic year.
- 1964:
- * Wisconsin–Milwaukee left the WSTCC to become an II independent schools|NCAA College Division Independent] after the 1963–64 academic year.
- * The WSCC was rebranded as the Wisconsin State University Conference, beginning the 1964–65 academic year.
- * The WSCC was also affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, beginning the 1964–65 academic year.
- 1993 – The WSUC left the NAIA and became affiliated as a member of the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, beginning the 1993–94 academic year.
- 1997 – The WSUC was merged with the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and was rebranded as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, beginning the 1997–98 academic year.
- 2001 – Lawrence University joined the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's wrestling in the 2001–02 academic year; although it began competition a season later.
- 2004 – Gustavus Adolphus College, Hamline University and Winona State University joined the WIAC as affiliate members for women's gymnastics in the 2004–05 academic year.
- 2009:
- * Lawrence left the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's wrestling after the 2008–09 academic year.
- * Finlandia University joined the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer in the 2009 fall season.
- 2015:
- * Finlandia left the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer after the 2014 fall season.
- * Wisconsin–Superior left the WIAC to join the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference after the 2014–15 academic year; while remaining in the conference as an affiliate member for men's & women's ice hockey, beginning the 2015–16 school year.
- 2017 – The Illinois Institute of Technology joined the WIAC as an affiliate member for baseball in the 2018 spring season.
- 2018:
- * Illinois Tech left the WIAC as an affiliate member for baseball after the 2018 spring season.
- * Finlandia rejoined the WIAC as an affiliate member in the 2019 spring season.
- 2019 – Northland College joined the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's ice hockey in the 2019–20 academic year.
- 2023:
- * Finlandia left the WIAC as an affiliate member for baseball after the 2023 spring season ; as the school ceased operations.
- * Three institutions joined the WIAC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2024 spring season :
- ** Colorado College and Southwestern University of Texas for women's lacrosse
- ** and Rutgers University–Camden, Ramapo College, the State [University of New York at Oneonta] and The College of New Jersey for men's tennis
- 2024:
- * Ramapo left the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's tennis after the 2024 spring season.
- * Augsburg University and Saint Benedict and Saint John's University|College of Saint Benedict] joined the WIAC affiliate members for women's lacrosse in the 2025 spring season.
- 2025:
- * Northland left the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's ice hockey after the 2024–25 academic year; as the school announced its closure.
- * Beloit College joined the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's ice hockey in the 2025–26 academic year.
- 2026:
- * SUNY Oneonta will leave the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's tennis to join the Empire 8 at the end of the 2026 spring season.
- * Greenville University will join the WIAC as an affiliate member for women's gymnastics, beginning the 2026–27 academic year.
Member schools
Current members
The WIAC currently has eight full members, all are public schools:| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Colors |
| University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Eau Claire | 1916 | Public | 10,043 | Blugolds | 1917 | |
| University of Wisconsin–La Crosse | La Crosse | 1909 | Public | 9,708 | Eagles | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Oshkosh | 1871 | Public | 15,111 | Titans | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Platteville | Platteville | 1866 | Public | 8,134 | Pioneers | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–River Falls | River Falls | 1874 | Public | 5,725 | Falcons | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point | Stevens Point | 1894 | Public | 8,792 | Pointers | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Stout | Menomonie | 1891 | Public | 7,555 | Blue Devils | 1914 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Whitewater | Whitewater | 1868 | Public | 11,722 | Warhawks | 1913 |
;Notes:
Affiliate members
The WIAC currently has thirteen affiliate members, all but five are private schools:;Notes:
Future affiliate members
The WIAC has one future affiliate member, which is a private school:| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Colors | WIAC sport | Primary conference |
| Greenville University | Greenville, Illinois | 1892 | Free Methodist | 1,088 | Panthers | 2026 | Gymnastics | St. Louis (SLIAC) |
;Notes:
Former members
The WIAC had two former full members, both were public schools:| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
| University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee | Milwaukee | 1885 | Public | 22,767 | Cardinals | 1913 | 1964 | Horizon |
| University of Wisconsin–Superior | Superior | 1893 | Public | 2,294 | Yellowjackets | 1913 | 2015 | Upper Midwest (UMAC) |
;Notes:
Former affiliate members
The WIAC had five former affiliate members, all but one were private schools:| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | WIAC sport | Current conference |
| Finlandia University | Hancock, Michigan | 1896 | Lutheran ELCA | 500 | Lions | 2009 | 2015 | Men's soccer | Closed in 2023 |
| Finlandia University | Hancock, Michigan | 1896 | Lutheran ELCA | 500 | Lions | 2018 | 2023 | Baseball | Closed in 2023 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, Illinois | 1890 | Nonsectarian | 2,977 | Scarlet Hawks | 2017 | 2018 | Baseball | Northern (NACC) |
| Lawrence University | Appleton, Wisconsin | 1847 | Nonsectarian | 1,555 | Vikings | 2002 | 2009 | Men's wrestling | Midwest (MWC) |
| Northland College | Ashland, Wisconsin | 1906 | United Church of Christ | 700 | LumberJacks and LumberJills|LumberJacks] & LumberJills | 2019 | 2025 | Men's ice hockey | Closed in 2025 |
| Northland College | Ashland, Wisconsin | 1906 | United Church of Christ | 700 | LumberJacks & LumberJills | 2019 | 2025 | Women's ice hockey | Closed in 2025 |
| Ramapo College | Mahwah, New Jersey | 1969 | Public | 5,145 | Roadrunners | 2023 | 2024 | Men's tennis | New Jersey (NJAC) |
;Notes:
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1913 till:2045
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5
Colors =
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference when the other color has already been used
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width:15 textcolor:black shift: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:Full from:1913 till:end text:Wisconsin–La Crosse
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:1 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:1 color:Full from:1946 till:end
bar:2 color:Full from:1913 till:1918 text:Wisconsin–Milwaukee
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:2 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:2 color:Full from:1946 till:1964
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1973 text:Ind.
bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:1973 till:1980 text:D-I
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:1985 text:D-III
bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:1985 till:1987 text:
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1990 text:
bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:1993 text:
bar:2 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:1994 text:Mid-Con
bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:1994 till:end text:MCC/Horizon
bar:3 color:Full from:1913 till:1918 text:Wisconsin–Oshkosh
bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:3 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:3 color:Full from:1946 till:end
bar:4 color:Full from:1913 till:1918 text:Wisconsin–Platteville
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:4 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:4 color:Full from:1946 till:end
bar:5 color:Full from:1913 till:1918 text:Wisconsin–River Falls
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:5 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:5 color:Full from:1946 till:end
bar:6 color:Full from:1913 till:1918 text:Wisconsin–Stevens Point
bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:6 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:6 color:Full from:1946 till:end
bar:7 color:Full from:1913 till:1918 text:Wisconsin–Superior
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:7 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:7 color:Full from:1946 till:1993
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1993 till:2015
bar:7 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:end text:UMAC
bar:8 color:Full from:1913 till:1918 text:Wisconsin–Whitewater
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:8 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:8 color:Full from:1946 till:end
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1914 till:1915 text:Wisconsin–Stout
bar:9 color:Full from:1915 till:1918
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:9 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:9 color:Full from:1946 till:end
bar:10 color:Full from:1917 till:end text:Wisconsin–Eau Claire
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1918 till:1919
bar:10 color:Full from:1919 till:1943
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1943 till:1946
bar:10 color:Full from:1946 till:end
bar:11 color:AssocOS from:2001 till:2009 text:Lawrence
bar:12 color:AssocOS from:2004 till:end text:Gustavus Adolphus
bar:13 color:AssocOS from:2004 till:end text:Hamline
bar:14 color:AssocOS from:2004 till:end text:Winona State
bar:15 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2015 text:Finlandia
bar:15 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:2023 text:
bar:16 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2018 text:Illinois Tech
bar:17 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2025 text:Northland
bar:18 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Colorado College
bar:19 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text:Ramapo
bar:20 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Rutgers–Camden
bar:21 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Southwestern (Tex.)
bar:22 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2026 text:SUNY Oneonta
bar:23 shift: color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:TCNJ
bar:24 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Augsburg
bar:25 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Saint Benedict
bar:26 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Simpson
bar:27 shift: color:AssocOS from:2025 till:end text:Beloit
bar:28 shift: color:AssocOS from:2025 till:end text:Greenville
bar:N color:red from:1913 till:1926 text:WSNC
bar:N color:blue from:1926 till:1951 text:WSTCC
bar:N color:red from:1951 till:1964 text:WSCC
bar:N color:blue from:1964 till:1997 text:WSUAC
bar:N color:red from:1997 till:end text:WIAC
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pos: tabs:
text:^"Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference membership history"
- > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space.
Sports
Member institutions field men's and women's teams in cross country, basketball, ice hockey, track and field, and swimming and diving. Men's teams are fielded for baseball, football, and wrestling. Women's teams are fielded for golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Baseball | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Cross country | ||
| Football | ||
| Golf | ||
| Gymnastics | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| Lacrosse | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Softball | ||
| Swimming & diving | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Track and field | ||
| Track and field | ||
| Volleyball | ||
| Wrestling |
Men's sponsored sports by school
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the WIAC
Women's sponsored sports by school
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the WIAC
National championship teams
NCAA Division III national championships
Listed below are the NCAA Division III team national championships won by WIAC members.- Baseball
UW–Whitewater: 2005, 2014, 2025
- Men's basketball
UW–Platteville: 1991, 1995, 1998, 1999
UW–Stevens Point: 2004, 2005, 2010, 2015
UW–Oshkosh: 2019
- Women's Basketball
UW–Oshkosh: 1996
- Men's Cross Country
UW–La Crosse: 1996, 2001, 2005
UW–Eau Claire: 2015
- Women's Cross Country
UW–Oshkosh: 1987, 1988, 1991, 1996
UW–Eau Claire: 2009
- Football
UW–River Falls: 2025
UW–Whitewater: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
- Men's Golf
- Men's Ice Hockey
UW–Stevens Point: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2016, 2019
UW–Superior: 2002
UW–Eau Claire: 2013
- Softball
UW–Eau Claire: 2008
- Women's Ice Hockey
- Men's Indoor Track & Field
UW–Oshkosh: 2009
UW–Eau Claire: 2015, 2016, 2022
- Men's Outdoor Track & Field
UW–Oshkosh: 2009
UW–Eau Claire: 2019, 2022
- Women's Indoor Track & Field
UW–La Crosse: 2015, 2023
- Women's Outdoor Track & Field
UW–Oshkosh: 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011
UW–River Falls: 2008
- Women's Volleyball
UW–Eau Claire: 2021
UW-Oshkosh : 2025
Non-NCAA national championships
Many members of the WIAC have also won national championships from organizations other than the NCAA, including: NAIA, AIAW, NGCA, and National Collegiate Gymnastics Association.UW–Eau Claire
Women's Cross Country: 1984^Men's Ice Hockey: 1984^
Women's Swimming and Diving: 1983^, 1987^, 1988^
UW–La Crosse
Women's Basketball: 1981^^Men's Bowling: 1967^, 1968^, 1969^
Football: 1985^
Men's Gymnastics: 1975^, 1976^, 1977^
Women's Gymnastics: 1986*, 1988*, 1995*, 1997*, 1999*, 2001*, 2002*, 2003*, 2004*, 2005*, 2006*, 2008*, 2009*, 2010*, 2011*, 2015*, 2016*, 2025*
Women's Outdoor Track and Field: 1982^^
UW–Oshkosh
Men's Gymnastics: 1973^, 1974^, 1978^, 1979^, 1980^, 1981^, 1982^, 1983^Women's Gymnastics: 1980^^, 1986^, 1989*, 2007*, 2022*, 2023*
UW–River Falls
Men's Ice Hockey: 1983^UW–Stout
Men's Gymnastics: 1984^UW–Whitewater
Women's Golf: 1985%Women's Gymnastics: 2012*, 2013*, 2014*, 2017*, 2018*
UW–Superior (former member)
Men's Ice Hockey: 1976^Marquette University (former member)
Women's Cross Country: 1982^UW–Green Bay (former member)
Women's Swimming and Diving: 1984^UW–Parkside (former member)
Women's Cross Country: 1980^^ National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
^^ Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women
% National Golf Coaches Association