Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), formerly the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC), is a college athletic conference. It participates in the NCAA's Division III and began its first season in the fall of 2006.

Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
FormerlyNorthern Athletics Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded2006
CommissionerJeff Ligney (since 2020)
Sports fielded
  • 21
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 10
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams14
HeadquartersMilwaukee, Wisconsin
RegionUpper Midwest
Official websitenaccsports.org/
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

The NACC sponsors 21 sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and volleyball. Women's squads are fielded in basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field and volleyball. The newest NACC sports are men's volleyball, added in the 2017–18 school year,[1] and men's and women's lacrosse, added in the 2020-21 school year.[2]

The NACC became eligible for automatic NCAA postseason berths in 2008–09.

History

Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Location of NACC members: current

The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference began its first season of competition in the fall of 2006 as the Northern Athletics Conference. The name change took place at the beginning of the 2013–14 academic year. The NACC consists of 13 colleges and universities from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Many have shared traditional rivalries dating back to the NACC's predecessor conferences: the Lake Michigan Conference and the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.

Charter members include: Alverno College, Aurora University, Benedictine University, Concordia University Chicago, Concordia University Wisconsin, Dominican University, Edgewood College, Lakeland University, Maranatha Baptist University, Marian University, Rockford College and Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Just three changes to the league's core membership have occurred, as the Milwaukee School of Engineering joined the NAC in the fall of 2007, and Maranatha withdrew from the league in the summer of 2013.[3] In 2017, the Illinois Institute of Technology announced that they would be joining the NACC for the 2018 athletic season, coinciding with their acceptance as a full NCAA Division III member.[4]

Also in 2017, Benedictine, which had been contemplating a move to NCAA Division II, was formally invited to join the D-II Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), pending NCAA approval of its entry into the D-II transition process. Benedictine formally applied to begin this transition in advance of a February 1, 2018 deadline, and was officially approved to enter the transition process in July of that year. In October 2018, Benedictine reversed course and rescinded its request to withdraw from the NACC.[5]

The most recent membership change was announced on April 3, 2019, when St. Norbert College, already slated to become an associate member in men's volleyball (and, subsequently, men's and women's golf) in 2019–20, was upgraded to full NACC membership effective in 2021–22.[6]

Chronological timeline

Member schools

Current members

The NACC currently has 14 full members, all are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Undergraduate
enrollment
Nickname Joined Colors Football?
North Division
Alverno College[lower-alpha 1] Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1887 Catholic
(S.S.S.F.)
1,664 Inferno 2006      
Red, White, & Black
No
Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin 1880 Lutheran LCMS 2,473 Falcons 2006    
Blue & Gold
Yes
Edgewood College Madison, Wisconsin 1927 Catholic
(S.D.S.)
1,570 Eagles 2006      
Black, White, & Red
No
Lakeland University Herman, Wisconsin 1862 United Church of Christ 1,023 Muskies 2006    
Navy Blue & Gold
Yes
Marian University Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 1936 Catholic
(C.S.S.A.)
1,497 Sabres 2006    
Royal Blue & Gold
No
St. Norbert College De Pere, Wisconsin 1898 Catholic
(Premonstratensians)
2,180 Green Knights 2021[lower-alpha 2]    
Green and Gold
Yes
Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1973 Lutheran WELS 917 Warriors 2006    
Forest Green & White
Yes
South Division
Aurora University Aurora, Illinois 1893 Nonsectarian 2,309 Spartans 2006    
Royal Blue & White
Yes
Benedictine University Lisle, Illinois 1887 Catholic
(Benedictines)
3,123 Eagles 2006    
Cardinal & White
Yes
Concordia University Chicago River Forest, Illinois 1864 Lutheran LCMS 1,361 Cougars 2006    
Maroon & Gold
Yes
Dominican University River Forest, Illinois 1901 Catholic
(Dominican)
1,697 Stars 2006      
Royal Blue, Black, & White
No
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, Illinois 1890 Nonsectarian 6,943 Scarlet Hawks 2018      
Red, Gray & Black
No
Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1903 Nonsectarian 2,122 Raiders 2007    
Cardinal & White
No
Rockford University Rockford, Illinois 1847 Nonsectarian 1,181 Regents 2006    
Purple & White
Yes
Notes
  1. Alverno is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
  2. St. Norbert was an affiliate member for men's volleyball, men's golf and women's golf during its final two years as a member of the Midwest Conference (2019–20 to 2020–21 school years).[6]

Associate members

The NACC currently has three associate members, all are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Undergraduate
enrollment
Nickname Joined Colors Primary
conference
NACC
sport
Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin 1846 Nonsectarian 1,358 Buccaneers 2021–22m.lax;
2021–22w.lax
   
College Blue & Vegas Gold
Midwest (MWC) men's lacrosse;
women's lacrosse
Eureka College Eureka, Illinois 1855 Disciples of Christ 680 Red Devils 2018–19    
Maroon and Gold
St. Louis (SLIAC) football
Mount Mary University Milwaukee, Wisconsin 1913 Catholic
(SSND)
529 Blue Angels 2015–16    
Blue and White
Coast to Coast (C2C) women's cross country

    Former member

    The NACC had one full member that competed in the conference, which was also a private school:

    Institution Location Founded Affiliation Undergraduate
    enrollment
    Nickname Joined Left Colors Current
    conference
    Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, Wisconsin 1968 Baptist 765 Sabercats 2006–07 2012–13      
    Navy Blue, Gold, & Crimson
    D-III Independent

    Former associate members

    The NACC had six former associate members in the conference, which most were private schools, except Minnesota–Morris, which was a public school:

    Institution Location Founded Affiliation Undergraduate
    enrollment
    Nickname Joined Left Colors Primary
    conference
    NACC
    sport
    Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, Minnesota 1927 Lutheran ELS 550 Vikings 2011–12 2014–15      
    Red & White & Black
    Upper Midwest (UMAC) women's golf
    Martin Luther College New Ulm, Minnesota 1995 Lutheran WELS 800 Knights 2011–12 2011–12      
    Red & Black & White
    University of Minnesota Morris Morris, Minnesota 1960 Public 1,900 Cougars 2011–12 2014–15    
    Maroon & Gold
    Northland College Ashland, Wisconsin 1906 UCC & Cong. 700 LumberJacks &
    LumberJills
    2013–14 2014–15    
    Orange & Blue
    University of Northwestern – St. Paul Roseville, Minnesota 1902 Nondenominational 2,944 Eagles 2011–12 2014–15    
    Purple & Gold
    Presentation College Aberdeen, South Dakota 1951 Catholic 786 Saints 2011–12 2011–12    
    Green & Gold
    North Star (NSAA)
    (NAIA)

    Membership timeline

    St. Norbert CollegeIllinois Institute of TechnologyMilwaukee School of EngineeringWisconsin Lutheran CollegeRockford UniversityMarian University (Wisconsin)Maranatha Baptist UniversityLakeland UniversityEdgewood CollegeDominican University (Illinois)Concordia University WisconsinConcordia University ChicagoBenedictine UniversityAurora UniversityAlverno College

    Sports

    Fall

    Winter

    Spring

    References

    1. "NACC To Add Men's Volleyball In 2018" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. January 10, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
    2. "NACC Announces Addition of Men's and Women's Lacrosse in 2021". NACC. August 6, 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
    3. "About the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference".
    4. "Illinois Tech Joins Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference". 3 May 2017.
    5. "Benedictine University to Stay in NCAA Division III - Eagles eligible to compete in postseason competition" (Press release). Benedictine University. October 25, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
    6. "NACC Welcomes St. Norbert College as Full Member in 2020-21" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
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