Great Lakes Valley Conference

The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Its fourteen member institutions are located in the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. There are also four associate members who participate in sports not sponsored by their home conferences.

Great Lakes Valley Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded1978
CommissionerJim Naumovich (since 2000)
Sports fielded
  • 24
    • men's: 12
    • women's: 12
DivisionDivision II
No. of teams14 (15 in 2024)
HeadquartersIndianapolis, Indiana
RegionCentral United States
Official websitewww.glvcsports.com
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

History

Formation

Old logo
Great Lakes Valley Conference
Location of GLVC full members: current future

The GLVC grew out of discussions that started in 1972 between the athletic directors of Kentucky Wesleyan College, Bellarmine College (today Bellarmine University), and Indiana State University at Evansville (renamed University of Southern Indiana in 1985), with the goal of forming a men's basketball conference. The discussions later grew to include Indiana Central University (renamed University of Indianapolis in 1986), Saint Joseph's College, and Ashland College (today Ashland University).[1] On July 7, 1978, at a meeting in Louisville hosted by Bellarmine, these schools formed the GLVC, with the intention of competing in the 1978–79 season. Ashland, though considered a charter member, did not begin conference play until the league's second season, in 1979–80.[2] From the time of its founding, the GLVC has been a member of NCAA Division II.

While the origins of the conference's name are lost to history, its initial footprint was bordered by the Great Lakes in the north and the Ohio Valley in the south. Following Southern Indiana's departure in July 2022, Indianapolis is the only remaining charter member.

The GLVC has been led by a full-time commissioner since 1996, first Carl McAloose (1996-2000), then Jim Naumovich (2000-present).[3] The conference office is located in Indianapolis. From 1978 to 1996, the Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs) of the member institutions were responsible for operating the conference. The FARs (rather than the athletic directors) still cast the institutional votes at meetings where the presidents and chancellors are not present. This feature gives the GLVC a governance structure that is unique among Division I and Division II conferences.[1]

Though conceived as a men's basketball league, the GLVC from the start planned to sponsor championships in golf, tennis, baseball, cross country, and track & field.[2] The conference crowned golf and tennis champions in 1978-79 and added cross country and baseball the following year. Soccer became the sixth sport rather than track & field, with the first conference tournament held in 1980.[4] In 1982, when the demise of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) brought women's college athletics under the NCAA, the GLVC added women's championships in basketball, tennis, cross country, volleyball, and softball.

Expansion of membership and sport sponsorship

The conference experienced steady growth through the first three decades of its existence, expanding from six members to sixteen. The first addition was Lewis University in 1980, followed in 1984 by Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW; the athletic program is now Purdue Fort Wayne), then Northern Kentucky University in 1985 and Kentucky State University in 1989. The conference lost its first members with the departure of Ashland and Kentucky State, effective summer 1995, but nonetheless increased in size when Quincy University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and the University of Wisconsin–Parkside began competition that fall, followed by the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) one year later. These changes initiated a westward shift in the GLVC's geographical footprint that has continued to the present.[1]

The 1990s also featured an expansion in sports sponsorship. In 1995-96 the GLVC crowned its first champions in women's soccer and in men's and women's track and field. Women's golf was added in 1998–99, followed by men's and women's indoor track and field in 1999–2000. These additions increased the total number of conference sports from eleven to seventeen.

After IPFW left in 2001 to move to Division I, the GLVC considered further expansion, but not before redefining conference membership in 2005 to require the athletic program of each member to include seven core sports (men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, softball, and baseball). The eleven members at the time all sponsored these sports, and subsequent new members would be required to sponsor them as well. Previously, the GLVC had no sports sponsorship requirement other than the NCAA Division II minimum (that every member must sponsor at least ten sports, including men's and women's basketball). The conference began awarding the Commissioner's Cup to the member institution with the greatest success across the seven core sports, while continuing to award its All-Sports Trophy to the most successful program overall.[5][6]

In the fall of 2005, the GLVC welcomed three more members—Drury University, Rockhurst University, and the University of Missouri-Rolla (known as Missouri University of Science and Technology, or Missouri S&T, since 2008). SIUE left for Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference in 2008, but the conference continued to grow with the additions of Maryville University and the University of Illinois Springfield, which began GLVC competition in the fall of 2009. The GLVC reached sixteen members with the admission of William Jewell College, which began competing in fall 2011.[1]

As the conference continued to grow, basketball remained its strongest sport, and the conference tournament, usually including both genders at the same neutral site, became its signature event. A GLVC team played in the championship game of the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament in eleven consecutive seasons (1993-94 through 2003–4). Kentucky Wesleyan, winner of four men's national championships prior to the creation of the GLVC, won four more as a conference member, while Southern Indiana, Bellarmine, and Drury won one apiece, and Northern Kentucky won two women's national championships. Meanwhile, the GLVC became the leading Division II conference in swimming and diving. During its first decade in the conference, Drury won ten men's national championships and four women's national championships in the sport. After men's and women's swimming and diving became conference sports in 2013–14, the annual GLVC swimming and diving meet grew to become the most financially lucrative of the conference's championship events, surpassing the basketball tournament.

The admission of William Jewell, approved in October 2009, gave the conference six football-playing members and set in motion plans to crown a football champion, ultimately starting in fall 2012. The addition of football in the GLVC's 35th year of competition was a historic move, as no conference at any level of the NCAA (Division I, II, or III) founded without football had ever added it after existing for so long as a non-football conference.[7] William Jewell joined Indianapolis, Kentucky Wesleyan, St. Joseph's, Quincy, and Missouri S&T to give the GLVC six football-playing members, the minimum number needed to sponsor the sport. They were soon joined by new full member McKendree University and the GLVC's first associate members, Central State University and Urbana University, to give the conference nine teams for its initial football season.[8][9] Though they competed in the GLVC for just one year, Central State and Urbana eventually were followed by a dozen other schools admitted to the league as associates in one or more sports while maintaining full membership elsewhere.

Just as the GLVC was adding football, the conference lost two of its premier basketball programs. In the fall of 2012, Northern Kentucky moved to Division I and the ASUN Conference (then branded as the Atlantic Sun Conference), and one year later, Kentucky Wesleyan left to become a charter member of the newly formed Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).[10] Meanwhile, the GLVC welcomed Truman State University into the conference, to begin competition in 2013–14.[11] The additions of McKendree (coinciding with the departure of Northern Kentucky) and Truman State (coinciding with the departure of Kentucky Wesleyan) kept the GLVC at sixteen members.

In 2014, a unique interconference football partnership with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) allowed Lincoln University and Southwest Baptist University to join the GLVC in football while otherwise remaining MIAA members.[12] That autumn, the GLVC became the first NCAA Division II conference to create an inclusive league-wide digital streaming network – the GLVC Sports Network (GLVCSN), which subsequently broadcast football and all other conference sports.

Drury and Bellarmine started wrestling programs for the 2016–17 season, enabling the conference to add wrestling as its 21st championship sport.[13] The initial seven-team GLVC wrestling lineup also included Indianapolis, Maryville, McKendree, Truman State, and Wisconsin–Parkside, all former Division II wrestling independents.

In July 2017, the GLVC announced the addition of men's lacrosse as its 22nd championship sport, in partnership with the Gulf South Conference (GSC) and Peach Belt Conference (PBC). The initial six-team lineup for spring 2018 included Indianapolis, Maryville, and four southern associate members (Young Harris College, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the University of Montevallo, and Shorter University).[14] The partnership lasted for three seasons, after which the GLVC and GSC-PBC each had enough lacrosse-playing members to offer separate championships in the sport.

Recent history

Charter member St. Joseph's College closed in May 2017 because of financial troubles.[15] One year later, Wisconsin–Parkside left the GLVC to join the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).[16] Their departures reduced the conference to fourteen members.

In fall 2019 conference membership returned to sixteen with the addition of two schools from the MIAA, Southwest Baptist (elevated from football-only associate to full membership) and Lindenwood University.[17][18] Their admission voided the MIAA-GLVC football partnership of the previous five seasons (2014 through 2018), resulting in Lincoln rejoining MIAA football. After just one year the conference reverted to fifteen members, as charter member Bellarmine moved to Division I and the ASUN Conference, effective fall 2020.[19]

In 2019 the GLVC and G-MAC established the annual America's Crossroads Bowl in Hobart, Indiana, featuring their highest-ranking football teams not qualifying for the NCAA Division II playoffs. In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, members of the two conferences also played a two-game crossover in the third and fourth Saturdays of the football season.

The GLVC added two women's sports for 2019–20, bowling and lacrosse, bringing the total number of conference sports to 24. In women's bowling, the initial lineup included 2017 national champion McKendree, fellow full members Drury, Lewis, and Maryville, plus associate members Lincoln, the University of Central Missouri, and Upper Iowa University.[20] In women's lacrosse, the initial lineup in spring 2020 consisted of seven full members—regional powers Lindenwood and Indianapolis, along with Lewis, Maryville, McKendree, Quincy, and Rockhurst.[21] The two sports were an immediate success, with Lindenwood (2021) and Indianapolis (2022) winning national championships in women's lacrosse and McKendree (2022) winning its second national title in women's bowling.

In March 2020, GLVC winter and spring sport competitions ended when the NCAA suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2020–21 academic year, the GLVC held its fall 2020 conference sport competitions in spring 2021. Of the sixteen Division II conferences sponsoring football at the time, the GLVC was one of just four (with the G-MAC, Mountain East Conference, and South Atlantic Conference) to crown a football champion in spring 2021.

The most recent departures from the GLVC came at the end of the 2021–22 academic year, when charter member Southern Indiana joined Lindenwood in moving to Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference,[22][23] temporarily reducing the league to thirteen schools. They were replaced by associate member Upper Iowa, admitted to the GLVC as a full member effective fall 2023, and former football associate Lincoln, admitted effective fall 2024.[24][25]

With the addition of new members, the GLVC amended the core sports requirement that had been in place since 2005. Starting in 2023–24, all full members must sponsor men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, four additional men's sports, and four additional women's sports.

Divisional play

The GLVC first adopted divisional play in 1996, for volleyball only. That sport competed in Blue and Green divisions until 2004, when it returned to a single table. All other sports competed in a single table until the conference expanded to fourteen members in 2005, when two seven-team divisions were adopted for basketball and most other core sports.

The organizational structure of the conference has varied dramatically since then, reflecting changes in membership and in the overall number of league members. As an added variable, the same structure has never been applied across all sports in any given year. For example, men's and women's basketball played in two divisions from 2005–06 through 2008–09 and again from 2011–12 through 2016–17; three divisions in 2009–10, 2010–11, 2017–18, 2020–21, and 2021–22; and in a single table in 2018–19, 2019–20, and 2022–23. Meanwhile, during the same years, men's and women's soccer always played a single table. Two-division structures have been labeled East-West or Blue-Green, while three-division structures have been labeled East-West-North or East-West-Central.

As of 2023–24, the GLVC has divisional play in men's and women's tennis, and plays a single table in all other sports with regular season competition.

Chronological timeline

  • 1978: The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) was founded. Charter members included Ashland College (now Ashland University), Bellarmine College (now Bellarmine University), Indiana Central University (now the University of Indianapolis), Indiana State University at Evansville (now the University of Southern Indiana), Kentucky Wesleyan College, and Saint Joseph's College. Competition began in fall 1978.
  • 1980: Lewis University began GLVC competition in fall 1980.
  • 1982: The GLVC began to sponsor championships in women's sports.
  • 1984: Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) began GLVC competition in fall 1984.
  • 1985: Northern Kentucky University began GLVC competition in fall 1985.
  • 1989: Kentucky State University began GLVC competition in fall 1989.
  • 1995:
  • 1996: The University of Missouri–St. Louis began GLVC competition in fall 1996.
  • 1998: The GLVC held its first conference tournaments in men's and women's basketball, at the conclusion of the 1997-98 regular season.
  • 2000: A record crowd of 9,402 attended the men's final at the GLVC basketball tournament, held at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Indiana. Kentucky Wesleyan defeated Southern Indiana 90–88.
  • 2001: IPFW left the GLVC at the end of the 2000–01 academic year to become an NCAA D-I Independent.
  • 2005:
  • 2008: Southern Illinois Edwardsville (SIUE) left the GLVC at the end of the 2007–08 academic year, and joined NCAA Division I as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in fall 2008.
  • 2009: The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and Maryville University began GLVC competition in fall 2009.
  • 2011: William Jewell College began GLVC competition in fall 2011.
  • 2012:
  • 2013:
    • Kentucky Wesleyan left the GLVC at the end of the 2012–13 academic year, and began competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) in fall 2013. Kentucky Wesleyan remained in the GLVC as an associate member in football for fall 2013.
    • Football associates Central State and Urbana left the GLVC after just one season of competition. Urbana joined the Mountain East Conference as an all-sports member in fall 2013. Central State joined the SIAC as a football associate in fall 2013, then as an all-sports member in fall 2015.
    • Truman State University began GLVC competition in fall 2013.
  • 2014:
  • 2017: Saint Joseph's College closed at the end of the 2016–17 academic year.
  • 2018:
  • 2019:
    • Shorter University ended its associate membership in men's lacrosse at the end of the 2018–19 academic year.
    • Southwest Baptist began GLVC competition as a full member in fall 2019, after five seasons as an associate member in football (2014 through 2018).
    • Lindenwood University began GLVC competition in fall 2019.
    • Lincoln ended its associate membership in football after five seasons of competition (2014 through 2018) but re-joined as an associate member in women's bowling for 2019–20.
    • America's Crossroads Bowl established.
    • The University of Central Missouri and Upper Iowa University joined the GLVC as associate members in women's bowling for 2019–20.
  • 2020:
    • Lander University joined the GLVC as an associate member in men's lacrosse for spring 2020.
    • In March, the COVID-19 pandemic forced suspension of competition for the remainder of the 2019–20 academic year. For the 2020–21 academic year, the GLVC held its fall 2020 conference sport competitions in spring 2021.
    • Bellarmine left the GLVC at the end of the 2019–20 academic year, and joined NCAA Division I as a member of the ASUN Conference in fall 2020.
    • Five associate members left the GLVC: Alabama–Huntsville, Montevallo, Lander and Young Harris in men's lacrosse, and Lincoln in women's bowling, all at the end of the 2019–20 academic year.
    • Davenport University joined the GLVC as an associate member in men's wrestling (fall 2020) and men's lacrosse (spring 2021).
  • 2021: Missouri Western State University joined the GLVC as an associate member in women's lacrosse for spring 2021.
  • 2022:
    • Southern Indiana and Lindenwood left the GLVC at the end of the 2021–22 academic year, and joined NCAA Division I as members of the OVC in fall 2022.
    • Newman University joined the GLVC as an associate member in women's bowling for 2022–23.
  • 2023:
    • Core sports requirement revised.
    • Upper Iowa began GLVC competition as a full member in fall 2023, after four seasons as an associate member in women's bowling (2019-20 through 2022–23).
  • 2024:
    • Davenport to end its associate memberships in men's wrestling and men's lacrosse at the end of the 2023-24 academic year.
    • Lincoln to begin GLVC competition as a full member in fall 2024.

Member schools

Current members

The GLVC currently has 14 full members, including ten private and four public institutions:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment[lower-alpha 1] Nickname Joined Colors
Drury University Springfield, Missouri 1873 UCC & DOC 1,345 Panthers 2005    
University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, Illinois 1969 Public 2,503 Prairie Stars 2008[lower-alpha 2]      
University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana 1902 United Methodist 4,063 Greyhounds 1978    
Lewis University Romeoville, Illinois 1932 Catholic 3,907 Flyers 1980    
Maryville University Town and Country, Missouri 1872 Catholic 5,684 Saints 2008[lower-alpha 3]    
McKendree University Lebanon, Illinois 1828 United Methodist 1,443 Bearcats 2010[lower-alpha 4]    
Missouri University of Science and Technology
(Missouri S&T)
Rolla, Missouri 1870 Public 5,700 Miners 2005    
University of Missouri–St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri 1963 Public 12,347 Tritons 1995[lower-alpha 5]    
Quincy University Quincy, Illinois 1860 Catholic 1,052 Hawks 1994[lower-alpha 6]      
Rockhurst University Kansas City, Missouri 1910 Catholic 2,704 Hawks 2005
Southwest Baptist University Bolivar, Missouri 1878 Baptist 2,101 Bearcats 2019[lower-alpha 7]    
Truman State University Kirksville, Missouri 1867 Public 3,890 Bulldogs 2012[lower-alpha 8]    
Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa 1857 Nonsectarian 3,077 Peacocks 2022[lower-alpha 9]    
William Jewell College Liberty, Missouri 1849 Nonsectarian 779 Cardinals 2009[lower-alpha 10]    
Notes
  1. Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2021, as reported in USNews.com Best Colleges 2022–23.
  2. Illinois-Springfield joined the GLVC in 2008 but did not begin competition until the 2009–10 academic year.
  3. Maryville joined the GLVC in 2008 but did not begin competition until the 2009–10 academic year.
  4. McKendree joined the GLVC in 2010 but did not begin competition until the 2012–13 academic year.
  5. UMSL joined the GLVC in 1995 but did not begin competition until the 1996–97 academic year.
  6. Quincy joined the GLVC in 1994 but did not begin competition until the 1995–96 academic year.
  7. Southwest Baptist joined the GLVC in 2019 and began competition as a full member in the 2019–20 academic year, after five seasons as an associate member for football (2014 through 2018 fall seasons).
  8. Truman State joined the GLVC in 2012 but did not begin competition until the 2013–14 academic year.
  9. Upper Iowa joined the GLVC in 2022 and began competition as a full member in the 2023-24 academic year, after four seasons as an associate member for women's bowling (2019-20 through 2022-23).
  10. William Jewell joined the GLVC in 2009 but did not begin competition until the 2011–12 academic year.


Future member

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment[lower-alpha 1] Nickname Joining Colors Current
conference
Lincoln University Jefferson City, Missouri 1866 Public
(HBCU)
1,892 Blue Tigers 2024[lower-alpha 2]     Mid-America (MIAA)
Notes
  1. Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2021, as reported in USNews.com Best Colleges 2022–23.
  2. Lincoln was an associate member of the GLVC for football (2014 through 2018 fall seasons) and women's bowling (2019-20).

Associate members

The GLVC currently has four associate members, including two private and two public institutions. Years listed in this table are calendar years. For schools that play only spring sports (such as men's lacrosse) in the GLVC, the calendar year of arrival precedes the first season of competition.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment[lower-alpha 1] Nickname Joined Colors GLVC
sport
Primary
conference
University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, Missouri 1871 Public 7,577 Jennies[lower-alpha 2] 2019     women's bowling Mid-America (MIAA)
Davenport University[lower-alpha 3] Grand Rapids, Michigan 1866 Nonsectarian 4,352 Panthers 2020m.lax
2020wr.
    men's lacrosse
men's wrestling
Great Lakes (GLIAC)
Missouri Western State University St. Joseph, Missouri 1915 Public 4,717 Griffons 2020     women's lacrosse Mid-America (MIAA)
Newman University Wichita, Kansas 1933 Catholic 1,577 Jets 2022     women's bowling Mid-America (MIAA)
Notes
  1. Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2021, as reported in USNews.com Best Colleges 2022–23.
  2. Central Missouri uses two nicknames: Mules for men's sports teams and Jennies for women's sports teams.
  3. Davenport will end its associate memberships in the GLVC at the close of the 2023-24 academic year.

Former members

Former members of the GLVC include six public and five private institutions:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment[lower-alpha 1] Nickname Joined Left Current
conference
Ashland University Ashland, Ohio 1878 Brethren 6,243 Eagles 1978 1994[lower-alpha 2] Great Midwest (G-MAC)
Bellarmine University Louisville, Kentucky 1950 Catholic 2,407 Knights 1978 2020 ASUN[lower-alpha 3]
Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne[lower-alpha 4] Fort Wayne, Indiana 1964 Public 7,768 Mastodons 1984 2001 Horizon[lower-alpha 3]
Kentucky State University Frankfort, Kentucky 1886 Public
(HBCU)
2,135 Thorobreds &
Thorobrettes
1989 1994[lower-alpha 2] Southern (SIAC)
Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, Kentucky 1858 United Methodist 778 Panthers 1978 2013[lower-alpha 5] Great Midwest (G-MAC)
Lindenwood University St. Charles, Missouri 1827 Presbyterian 4,619 Lions 2019 2022 Ohio Valley (OVC)[lower-alpha 3]
Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, Kentucky 1968 Public 10,814 Norse 1985 2012 Horizon[lower-alpha 3]
Saint Joseph's College Rensselaer, Indiana 1889 Catholic N/A Pumas 1978 2017 N/A[lower-alpha 6]
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, Illinois 1957 Public 9,967 Cougars 1994[lower-alpha 7] 2008 Ohio Valley (OVC)[lower-alpha 3]
University of Southern Indiana Evansville, Indiana 1965 Public 6,093 Screaming Eagles 1978 2022 Ohio Valley (OVC)[lower-alpha 3]
University of Wisconsin–Parkside[lower-alpha 8] Somers, Wisconsin 1968 Public 3,376 Rangers 1994[lower-alpha 9] 2018 Great Lakes (GLIAC)
Notes
  1. Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2021, as reported in USNews.com Best Colleges 2022–23.
  2. Ashland and Kentucky State announced their departure from the GLVC in 1994 but fulfilled their commitments to a final year of competition in the GLVC during the 1994–95 academic year.
  3. Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
  4. On July 1, 2018, Indiana University and Purdue University dissolved their joint Fort Wayne campus. IU took over IPFW's health sciences programs under the name of Indiana University Fort Wayne, and the remaining IPFW academic programs formed Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW). The IPFW athletic program was inherited by PFW, with the athletic branding changed to Purdue Fort Wayne.
  5. Kentucky Wesleyan competed in the GLVC as a football-only associate member in fall 2013.
  6. Saint Joseph's closed in May 2017.
  7. Southern Illinois–Edwardsville (SIUE) joined the GLVC in 1994 but did not begin competition until the 1995-96 academic year.
  8. Wisconsin-Parkside now brands its athletic program as "Parkside".
  9. Wisconsin-Parkside joined the GLVC in 1994 but did not begin competition until the 1995-96 academic year.

Former associate members

Former associate members of the GLVC include four public and four private institutions. Years listed in this table reflect calendar years. For fall sports, the calendar year of departure is the year after the last season of competition. For spring sports, the calendar year of arrival precedes the first season of competition. (NOTE: this list does not include the former associate members—Southwest Baptist, Upper Iowa, Lincoln—that eventually became full members).

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment[lower-alpha 1] Nickname Joined Left GLVC
sport
Primary
conference
University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, Alabama 1969 Public 7,569 Chargers 2017 2020 men's lacrosse Gulf South (GSC)
Central State University Wilberforce, Ohio 1887 Public 6,035 Marauders 2012 2013 football Southern (SIAC)
Lander University Greenwood, South Carolina 1872 Public 3,599 Bearcats 2019 2020 men's lacrosse Peach Belt (PBC)
University of Montevallo Montevallo, Alabama 1896 Public 2,215 Falcons 2017 2020 men's lacrosse Gulf South (GSC)
Ouachita Baptist University Arkadelphia, Arkansas 1886 Baptist 1,716 Tigers 2018 2023 men's wrestling Great American (GAC)
Shorter University Rome, Georgia 1873 Baptist 1,354 Hawks 2017 2019 men's lacrosse Gulf South (GSC)
Urbana University Urbana, Ohio 1850 Nonsectarian N/A Blue Knights 2012 2013 football N/A[lower-alpha 2]
Young Harris College Young Harris, Georgia 1886 United Methodist 1,389 Mountain Lions 2017 2020 men's lacrosse Peach Belt (PBC)
Notes
  1. Undergraduate enrollment in fall 2021, as reported in USNews.com Best Colleges 2022–23.
  2. Urbana closed in May 2020.

Membership timeline

Newman University, WichitaMissouri Western State UniversityDavenport UniversityUniversity of Central MissouriUpper Iowa UniversityLander UniversityLindenwood UniversityOuachita Baptist UniversityYoung Harris CollegeShorter UniversityUniversity of MontevalloUniversity of Alabama in HuntsvilleLincoln University (Missouri)Southwest Baptist UniversityTruman State UniversityUrbana UniversityMcKendree UniversityCentral State UniversityWilliam Jewell CollegeMaryville UniversityUniversity of Illinois SpringfieldRockhurst UniversityMissouri University of Science and TechnologyDrury UniversityUniversity of Missouri–St. LouisUniversity of Wisconsin–ParksideQuincy UniversitySouthern Illinois University EdwardsvilleKentucky State UniversityNorthern Kentucky UniversityIndiana University–Purdue University Fort WayneLewis UniversityUniversity of Southern IndianaSaint Joseph's College (Indiana)Kentucky Wesleyan CollegeUniversity of IndianapolisBellarmine UniversityAshland University

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football-only)   Associate member (other sport) 

Sports sponsorship

Conference sports

The seven sports indicated with a green background were designated "core sports" and required of all full members from 2005 to 2023. Effective fall 2023, all full members are required to sponsor men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, four additional men's sports, and four additional women's sports.

SportMen'sWomen's
BaseballGreen tickY
BasketballGreen tickYGreen tickY
BowlingGreen tickY
Cross CountryGreen tickYGreen tickY
FootballGreen tickY
GolfGreen tickYGreen tickY
LacrosseGreen tickYGreen tickY
SoccerGreen tickYGreen tickY
SoftballGreen tickY
Swimming & DivingGreen tickYGreen tickY
TennisGreen tickYGreen tickY
Track & Field IndoorGreen tickYGreen tickY
Track & Field OutdoorGreen tickYGreen tickY
VolleyballGreen tickY
WrestlingGreen tickY

Men's conference sports, by school

School Baseball Basketball Cross
Country
Football Golf Lacrosse Soccer Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Track
& Field
Indoor
Track
& Field
Outdoor
Wrestling Total
GLVC
Sports
Drury Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Illinois–Springfield Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Indianapolis Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 12
Lewis Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Maryville Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 11
McKendree Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 11
Missouri S&T Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 9
Missouri–St. Louis Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 9
Quincy Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY[lower-alpha 1] Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 12
Rockhurst Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Southwest Baptist Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Truman Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Upper Iowa Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
William Jewell Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 12
Totals 14 14 13 8 12 6+1 14 11 11 13 13 7+1 136
Future Member
Lincoln [lower-alpha 2] Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY [lower-alpha 2] Green tickY Green tickY 5
Associate Member
Davenport Green tickY Green tickY 2
  1. In addition to its full-sized football team, Quincy plays sprint football, a weight-restricted version otherwise played under standard college rules, in the Midwest Sprint Football League.[26]
  2. Lincoln will add teams in baseball and men's soccer in the 2024-25 academic year.[27]

Women's conference sports, by school

School Basketball Bowling[lower-alpha 1] Cross
Country
Golf Lacrosse Soccer Softball Swimming
& Diving
Tennis Track
& Field
Indoor
Track
& Field
Outdoor
Volleyball Total
GLVC
Sports
Drury Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Illinois–Springfield Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 9
Indianapolis Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 11
Lewis Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 12
Maryville Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 12
McKendree Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 12
Missouri S&T Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 7
Missouri–St. Louis Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Quincy Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 12
Rockhurst Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 11
Southwest Baptist Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
Truman Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 10
Upper Iowa Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 8
William Jewell Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 11
Totals 14 4+2 14 12 7+1 14 14 10 12 14 14 14 143
Future Member
Lincoln Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY [lower-alpha 2] Green tickY Green tickY Green tickY 6
Associate Members
Central Missouri Green tickY 1
Missouri Western Green tickY 1
Newman Green tickY 1
  1. De facto Division I sport. The NCAA holds a single championship open to members of all divisions.
  2. Lincoln will add women's soccer in the 2024-25 academic year.[27]

Non-conference NCAA sports, by school

School Men Women
Volleyball [lower-alpha 1] Water
Polo [lower-alpha 1]
Field
Hockey
Water
Polo [lower-alpha 1]
Beach
Volleyball [lower-alpha 1]
Lewis MIVA
Maryville Independent Independent
McKendree MIVA WWPA WWPA Independent
Missouri S&T Independent
Quincy MIVA
Rockhurst [lower-alpha 2]
Southwest Baptist Independent
  1. De facto Division I sport. For the sports of men's and women's water polo and beach volleyball, the NCAA conducts a single national championship open to members of Divisions I, II, and III. In men's volleyball, the NCAA conducts one national championship for Divisions I and II, and a separate (non-scholarship) national championship for Division III.
  2. Rockhurst will add men's volleyball in the 2025 season (2024–25 academic year).[28]

Non-NCAA sports and "emerging sports"

McKendree, Quincy, and William Jewell sponsor varsity teams in women's wrestling, classified as an "emerging sport" by the NCAA. Upper Iowa plans to add women's wrestling in 2024–25.

Drury sponsors a varsity team in women's triathlon, classified as an "emerging sport" by the NCAA.

Some GLVC members give varsity status to teams in non-NCAA sports and to other club teams, such as men's bowling (because the NCAA governs only the women's sport). Other examples are sprint football, a weight-restricted variant of American football, sponsored by Quincy, and the men's and women's ice hockey teams of McKendree and Maryville, which compete at the club level in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). While some GLVC members administer their club sports through their athletics departments, others operate their club sports as student organizations outside of athletics.

Conference facilities

School Football Basketball
Stadium Capacity Arena Capacity
Drury
non-football school
O'Reilly Family Events Center 2,850
Illinois–Springfield
non-football school
The Recreation and Athletic Center 3,000
Indianapolis Key Stadium 5,500 Nicoson Hall 4,000
Lewis
non-football school
Neil Carey Arena 1,100
Lincoln Dwight T. Reed Stadium 3,000 Jason Gymnasium 2,000
Maryville
non-football school
Moloney Arena at Simon Athletic Center 2,000
McKendree Leemon Field 2,000 Melvin Price Convocation Center 1,600
Missouri S&T Allgood–Bailey Stadium 8,000 Gibson Arena 4,000
Missouri–St. Louis
non-football school
Mark Twain Center 4,736
Quincy QU Stadium 2,500 Pepsi Arena 2,000
Rockhurst
non-football school
Mason-Halpin Field House 1,500
Southwest Baptist Plaster Stadium 3,000 John Q. Hammons Court 2,925
Truman James S. Stokes Stadium 4,000 John J. Pershing Arena 2,300
Upper Iowa Harms-Eischeid Stadium 3,500 Dorman Gymnasium 1,950
William Jewell Greene Stadium 7,000 Mabee Center 2,400

National champions

Since the founding of the conference, members of the GLVC have won 33 NCAA Division II national championships and two NCAA National Collegiate championships (indicated in green). "National Collegiate" is the NCAA's official term to describe championship events open to members of more than one NCAA division.

Year Sport School
1987 Men's basketball Kentucky Wesleyan
1990 Men's basketball Kentucky Wesleyan
1995 Men's basketball Southern Indiana
1999 Men's basketball Kentucky Wesleyan
2000 Women's basketball Northern Kentucky
2001 Men's basketball Kentucky Wesleyan
2005 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2006 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2007 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2007 Women's swimming & diving Drury
2007 Softball SIU Edwardsville
2008 Women's basketball Northern Kentucky
2008 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2009 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2009 Women's swimming & diving Drury
2010 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2010 Women's swimming & diving Drury
2010 Baseball Southern Indiana
2010 Men's soccer Northern Kentucky
2011 Men's basketball Bellarmine
2011 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2011 Women's swimming & diving Drury
2012 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2013 Men's basketball Drury
2013 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2014 Men's swimming & diving Drury
2014 Baseball Southern Indiana
2015 Women's golf Indianapolis
2017 Bowling McKendree
2018 Women's golf Indianapolis
2018 Softball Southern Indiana
2021 Women's lacrosse Lindenwood
2022 Bowling McKendree
2022 Women's lacrosse Indianapolis
2023 Men's swimming & diving Indianapolis

See also

References

  1. "Great Lakes Valley Conference (History)". Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  2. Jay Stockman (July 14, 1978). "Search Ends: ISUE in Conference". Evansville Press. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  3. "GLVC hires new commissioner". Evansville Courier and Press. August 4, 2000. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  4. Steve Vied (November 8, 1981). "ISUE wins GLVC soccer title". Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  5. "GLVC All-Sports Trophy". Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  6. "GLVC Commissioner's Cup". Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  7. "GLVC Establishes Timeline for Football Sponsorship" (Press release). January 19, 2010. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
  8. "GLVC Welcomes Two Associate Members for Football" (Press release). October 8, 2010. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  9. Staff (October 7, 2010). "GLVC adds McKendree". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on December 22, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  10. "Northern Kentucky to Join Atlantic Sun" (Press release). Atlantic Sun Conference. December 8, 2011. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
  11. "Truman moving to GLVC". The Kirksville Daily Express. June 8, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  12. Boyce, David (October 25, 2018). "Boyce's Beat: The MIAA Path of Lincoln's Football Return in 2019". Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  13. "Bellarmine to start men's wrestling team". Bellarmine University. Archived from the original on June 18, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  14. "GLVC Announces Sport Sponsorship of Men's Lacrosse" (Press release). Great Lakes Valley Conference. July 11, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  15. "Alumni Short Of Goal To Stop St. Joseph's College Closure". Archived from the original on April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  16. Mike Johnson (September 27, 2017). "Looking forward to the GLIAC: UW-Parkside coaches, athletes, alumni excited to switch conferences". Kenosha News. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  17. "GLVC Admits Lindenwood University as 16th Member" (Press release). Great Lakes Valley Conference. October 4, 2018. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  18. "GLVC Admits Southwest Baptist University as Full-Time Member" (Press release). Great Lakes Valley Conference. May 31, 2018. Archived from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  19. "ASUN Conference Announces Addition of Bellarmine University" (Press release). ASUN Conference. June 18, 2019. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  20. "GLVC Announces Sport Sponsorship of Women's Bowling" (Press release). Great Lakes Valley Conference. July 3, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  21. "GLVC Announces Sport Sponsorship of Women's Lacrosse" (Press release). Great Lakes Valley Conference. July 2, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  22. "University of Southern Indiana to Join the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022-23" (Press release). Ohio Valley Conference. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  23. "Lindenwood sports moving to Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference". FOX 2. 2022-02-23. Archived from the original on 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  24. "GLVC Admits Upper Iowa University as Full Time Member" (Press release). Upper Iowa University. November 29, 2022. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  25. "Lincoln University Announces Move to GLVC, Additions of Baseball and Men's & Women's Soccer" (Press release). Lincoln University. January 26, 2023. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  26. "New Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Forms for Sprint Football" (Press release). Midwest Sprint Football League. June 21, 2021. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  27. "Lincoln University Announces Move to GLVC, Additions of Baseball and Men's & Women's Soccer" (Press release). Lincoln Blue Tigers. January 26, 2023. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  28. "Rockhurst University to boost Athletics with addition of seven new teams" (Press release). Rockhurst Hawks. October 28, 2022. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
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