Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference | |
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NACC | |
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Established | 2006 |
Association | NCAA |
Division | Division III |
Members | 14 |
Sports fielded |
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Region | Upper Midwest |
Former names | Northern Athletics Conference |
Headquarters | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
Commissioner | Jeff Ligney (since 2020) |
Website | naccsports.org/ |
Locations | |
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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.
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[]
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 College, 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]
Member schools[]
Current members[]
Institution | Location | Nickname | Colors | Founded | Type | Undergraduate enrollment |
Joined |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Division | |||||||
Alverno College† | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Inferno | Red, White, & Black | 1887 | Private/Catholic | 1,664 | 2006 |
Concordia University Wisconsin | Mequon, Wisconsin | Falcons | Blue & White | 1880 | Private/Lutheran Missouri Synod | 2,473 | 2006 |
Edgewood College | Madison, Wisconsin | Eagles | Black, White, & Red | 1927 | Private/Catholic | 1,570 | 2006 |
Lakeland University | Plymouth, Wisconsin | Muskies | Navy Blue & Gold | 1862 | Private/United Church of Christ | 1,023 | 2006 |
Marian University | Fond du Lac, Wisconsin | Sabres | Royal Blue, Scarlet, & White | 1936 | Private/Catholic | 1,497 | 2006 |
St. Norbert College | De Pere, Wisconsin | Green Knights | Green and Gold | 1898 | Private/Catholic | 2,180 | 2021[a] |
Wisconsin Lutheran College | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Warriors | Forest Green & White | 1973 | Private/Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod | 917 | 2006 |
South Division | |||||||
Aurora University | Aurora, Illinois | Spartans | Royal Blue & White | 1893 | Private/Non-sectarian | 2,309 | 2006 |
Benedictine University | Lisle, Illinois | Eagles | Cardinal & White | 1887 | Private/Catholic | 2,740 | 2006 |
Concordia University Chicago | River Forest, Illinois | Cougars | Maroon & Gold | 1864 | Private/Lutheran Missouri Synod | 1,361 | 2006 |
Dominican University | River Forest, Illinois | Stars | Royal Blue, Black, & White | 1901 | Private/Catholic | 1,697 | 2006 |
Milwaukee School of Engineering | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Raiders | Cardinal & White | 1903 | Private/Non-sectarian | 2,122 | 2007 |
Rockford University | Rockford, Illinois | Regents | Purple & White | 1847 | Private/Non-sectarian | 765 | 2006 |
Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, Illinois | Scarlet Hawks | Red & Black | 1890 | Private/Non-sectarian | 2,977 | 2018 |
- Note
- ^ 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 (2019–2021).[6]
† - Women's college, therefore not competing in men's sports
Associate members[]
Institution | Location | Nickname | Colors | Founded | Type | Undergraduate enrollment | Joined | Primary conference | NACC sport |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eureka College | Eureka, Illinois | Red Devils | Maroon and Gold | 1855 | Private/Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) | 680 | 2018 | SLIAC | football |
Mount Mary University | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Blue Angels | Blue and White | 1913 | Private/Catholic | 529 | 2015 | C2C | women's cross country |
Former associate members[]
Institution | Location | Nickname | Colors | Founded | Type | Undergraduate enrollment |
Joined | Primary conference | NACC sport |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bethany Lutheran College | Mankato, Minnesota | Vikings | Red & White | 1927 | Private/Lutheran (ELS) | 550 | 2011 | UMAC | women's golf |
Martin Luther College | New Ulm, Minnesota | Knights | Red, Black, & White | 1995 | Private/Lutheran (WELS) | 800 | 2011 | UMAC | women's golf |
University of Minnesota Morris | Morris, Minnesota | Cougars | Maroon & Gold | 1960 | Public | 1,900 | 2011 | UMAC | women's golf |
Northland College | Ashland, Wisconsin | LumberJacks (men's) LumberJills (women's) |
Orange & Blue | 1906 | Private/United Church of Christ |
700 | 2011 | UMAC | women's golf |
University of Northwestern – St. Paul | Roseville, Minnesota | Eagles | Purple & Gold | 1902 | Private/ Non-denominational |
2,944 | 2011 | UMAC | women's golf |
Former member[]
Institution | Location | Nickname | Colors | Founded | Type | Undergraduate enrollment |
Joined | Left | New conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maranatha Baptist University | Watertown, Wisconsin | Sabercats | Navy Blue, Gold, & Crimson | 1968 | Private/Baptist | 765 | 2006 | 2013 | Independent |
Membership timeline[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/nm0xpzxxfvhelnos5h29fvclaaq2j4z.png)
Sports[]
Fall[]
- men's & women's cross country
- men's football
- men's & women's golf
- men's & women's soccer
- women's tennis
- women's volleyball
Winter[]
- men's & women's basketball
- men's & women's indoor track and field
Spring[]
- men's baseball
- men's & women's lacrosse
- men's & women's outdoor track and field
- women's softball
- men's tennis
- men's volleyball
References[]
- ^ "NACC To Add Men's Volleyball In 2018" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. January 10, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- ^ "NACC Announces Addition of Men's and Women's Lacrosse in 2021". NACC. August 6, 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
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(help) - ^ "About the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference".
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(help) - ^ "Illinois Tech Joins Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference". 3 May 2017.
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(help) - ^ "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.
- ^ a b "NACC Welcomes St. Norbert College as Full Member in 2020-21" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
External links[]
- Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference