The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is an 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 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 (now the University of Wisconsin–Superior), River Falls State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-River Falls), Stevens Point Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point), La Crosse State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse), Oshkosh State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh), Whitewater Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater), Milwaukee State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) and Platteville Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Platteville)—met in Madison to organize the Inter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin. The Stout Institute (now the University of Wisconsin–Stout) joined in 1914, followed by Eau Claire State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire) 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. 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 (INACW). Charter members included La Crosse State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse), Milwaukee State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee), Oshkosh State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh), Platteville Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Platteville), River Falls State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–River Falls), Stevens Point Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point), Superior Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Superior) and Whitewater Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater), beginning the 1913–14 academic year.
- 1914 – Stout Institute (now the University of Wisconsin–Stout) joined the INACW in the 1914–15 academic year.
- 1917 – Eau Claire State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire) joined the INACW in the 1917–18 academic year.
- 1926 – The INACW was rebranded as the Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference (WSTCC), beginning the 1926–27 academic year.
- 1951 – The WSTCC was rebranded as the Wisconsin State College Conference (WSCC), beginning the 1951–52 academic year.
- 1964:
- Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW Milwaukee) left the WSTCC to become an NCAA College Division Independent after the 1963–64 academic year.
- The WSCC was rebranded as the Wisconsin State University Conference (WSUC), beginning the 1964–65 academic year.
- The WSCC was also affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), 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 (NCAA), beginning the 1993–94 academic year.
- 1997 – The WSUC was merged with the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WWIAC, a women's athletic conference) and was rebranded as the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC), 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 (2009–10 academic year).
- 2015:
- Finlandia left the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's soccer after the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
- Wisconsin–Superior (UW Superior) left the WIAC to join the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) 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 (Illinois Tech or IIT) joined the WIAC as an affiliate member for baseball in the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year).
- 2018:
- Illinois Tech (IIT) left the WIAC as an affiliate member for baseball after the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year).
- Finlandia rejoined the WIAC as an affiliate member (this time for baseball) in the 2019 spring season (2018–19 academic year).
- 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 (2022–23 academic year); as the school ceased operations.
- Three institutions joined the WIAC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year):
- 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 (SUNY Oneonta) and The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) for men's tennis
- 2024:
- Ramapo left the WIAC as an affiliate member for men's tennis after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year).
- Augsburg University and College of Saint Benedict (with Hamline alongside) joined the WIAC affiliate members for women's lacrosse in the 2025 spring season (2024–25 academic year).
- 2025:
- Northland (Wisc.) 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 (2025–26 academic year).
- 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 and part of the University of Wisconsin System:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
! Institution
! Location
! Founded
! Affiliation
! Enrollment
! Nickname
! Joined
! Colors
|-
| University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire<br>
| Eau Claire
| 1916
| Public
| 10,043
| Blugolds
| 1917
|
|-
| University of Wisconsin–La Crosse<br>
| La Crosse
| 1909
| Public
| 9,708
| Oneonta, New York
| 1889
| Public
| 6,543
| Red Dragons
| 2023
|
| Men's tennis
| S.U. New York (SUNYAC)
|-
| The College of New Jersey
| Ewing, New Jersey
| 1855
| Public
| 7,400
| Lions
| 2023
|
| Men's tennis
| New Jersey (NJAC)
|-
| rowspan=2 | University of Wisconsin–Superior<br>
| rowspan=2 | Superior, Wisconsin
| rowspan=2 | 1893
| rowspan=2 | Public
| rowspan=2 | 2,294
| rowspan=2 | Yellowjackets
| 2015