Midwest Collegiate Conference


The Midwest Collegiate Conference was a college athletic conference, consisting of colleges and universities located in Iowa and Wisconsin. Founded in 1988, the conference's member schools competed on the NAIA level in 15 different sports.

History

When the Midwest Collegiate Conference was originally formed in 1988, it consisted of six Roman Catholic colleges and universities situated across the Midwestern United States. Dubbed the Midwest Catholic Conference, member schools originally competed in only men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's soccer.
The charter members of the conference were Clarke University, Edgewood College, Marycrest University, Mount Mercy University, Mount St. Clare College, and Viterbo College. Edgewood College left the conference before the start of the 1989-90 season. With the inclusion of Grand View College that year, the conference changed its name to the Midwest Classic Conference.
St. Ambrose University's basketball teams joined the conference for the 1990 season, and the school's other sports joined the MCC in 1991. Iowa Wesleyan College joined the conference for the 1995–96 season. The following year, Clarke University left the MCC to participate in NCAA Division III athletics. William Penn University became a member of the Conference in 2001. Marycrest International University ceased operations after the 2001-02 season. Waldorf College joined the conference for the 2003–04 season, completing the current nine school lineup. Clarke University returned to the conference in 2007, and the conference has officially taken the name of the Midwest Collegiate Conference.
Members Ashford University and Waldorf College were voted out of the conference on May 17, 2011, effective at the end of the 2011–12 season. On October 14, 2011, Iowa Wesleyan College announced they would join National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. On January 10, 2014, Grand View University and William Penn University announced they would join the Heart of America Athletic Conference after the 2014–15 season. On February 5, 2015, AIB College of Business announced they would end their athletic programs as the school prepared to be coming a part of the University of Iowa.

Member schools

Final members

The following schools were the final members of the Midwest Collegiate Conference.
InstitutionLocationFoundedEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftCurrent Conference
AIB College of BusinessDes Moines, Iowa19211,014Eagles20102015Dropped athletics in 2015; closed in 2016
Clarke UniversityDubuque, Iowa18431,230Crusaders1988;
2007		1996;
2015		Heart of America
Grand View UniversityDes Moines, Iowa18962,000Vikings19892015Heart of America
Mount Mercy UniversityCedar Rapids, Iowa19281,490Mustangs19882015Heart of America
Davenport, Iowa18823,607Fighting Bees
&
Queen Bees		19902015Chicagoland Collegiate
Viterbo UniversityLa Crosse, Wisconsin19232,991V-Hawks19882015North Star
William Penn UniversityOskaloosa, Iowa18731,550Statesmen
&
Lady Statesmen		20012015Heart of America

;Notes

Membership timeline


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bar:3 color:FullxF from:1988 till:1989 text:Edgewood College
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1988 till:2002 text:Marycrest International
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1988 till:end text:Mount Mercy
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1988 till:2015 text:Viterbo
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1989 till:2015 text:Grand View
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1990 till:2015 text:St. Ambrose
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2012 text:Iowa Wesleyan College
bar:10 color:FullxF from:2001 till:2015 text:William Penn
bar:11 color:FullxF from:2003 till:2012 text:Waldorf College
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Sports

The Midwest Collegiate Conference oversaw the following sports:
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Golf
Soccer
Softball
Track & Field Indoor
Track & Field Outdoor
Volleyball

Member schools also participated in a number of sports not affiliated with the MCC, including competitive dance, tennis, men's volleyball, and wrestling. Several football teams from Midwest Collegiate Conference schools competed in the Mid-States Football Association.