| Lewis Flyers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Lewis University |
| Conference | GLVC–East Division (primary) MIVA (men's volleyball) |
| NCAA | Division II Division I (men's volleyball) |
| Athletic director | John Planek |
| Location | Romeoville, Illinois |
| Varsity teams | 22 (23 in 2026–27) |
| Basketball arena | Neil Carey Arena |
| Baseball stadium | Brennan Field |
| Soccer stadium | Lewis Stadium |
| Aquatics center | Lewis Pool |
| Nickname | Flyers |
| Colors | Red and white[1] |
| Website | lewisflyers |
 | |
TheLewis Flyers are the athletic teams that representLewis University, located inRomeoville, Illinois, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of theDivision II level of theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in theGreat Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) for most of its sports since the 1980–81 academic year; while its men's volleyball team competes in theMidwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). Since it is not a sponsored sport at the Division II level, the men's volleyball team is the only program that plays in Division I.
Prior to joining the NCAA, Lewis was aNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) member, primarily competing in theChicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) from 1954–55 to 1979–80.
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Bowling |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Golf | Flag football (in 2026–27)[2] |
| Lacrosse | Golf |
| Soccer | Lacrosse |
| Swimming | Soccer |
| Tennis | Softball |
| Track & field | Stunt |
| Volleyball | Swimming |
| Tennis | |
| Track & field | |
| Volleyball |
As a member of the NAIA, the Flyers won theNAIA Baseball World Series in 1974, 1975, and 1976 and finished as runners-up in 1966 and 1980.[3]
The men's and women's track and field and cross country teams have had a long history of success, with 85 athletes being awarded All-American since 1988. Alum Isaac Jean-Paul, who won an NCAA Championship in the HJ, went on to win a World Championship in the Paralympics High jump in 2017 in London, jumping a world record 2.17m.
The men's volleyball team is the only program that plays in Division I, even though they are a Division II program. The Flyers have qualified for 9 Final Four appearances: 1996, 1998, 2003*, 2004, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 & 2021. In 2003 the men's volleyball team won theNCAA Division I/II National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, defeatingBYU in the final, but it later voluntarily gave back its title after an internal investigation found ineligibility issues that were kept private from the NCAA. This disgrace hurt the program for a few years, but they have slowly climbed their way back into the Top-10 rankings of DI-II schools. The Flyers qualified for the NCAA Championship and participated in the 1998 Final Four. In 1998 the Flyers also won their conference title. The Flyers were runners-up to Loyola Chicago in the 2015 NCAA Final. More recently, the Flyers won the MIVA Conference Tournament in both 2019 & 2021. During both seasons, they made it as far as the NCAA Final Four in their playoff push.[4]
Despite being a full member of the GLVC, Lewis remains an MIVA member, as it was not listed among the inaugural members of GLVC men's volleyball in the spring 2026 season.[5]
The women's volleyball team has qualified for 19 straight NCAA Regional Championships (2006-2024), having made it to the final 4 in 2016 and 2018
Lewis also competes intercollegiately in rugby as a member of theChicago Area Rugby Football Union (CARFU).
| Sport | Association | Division | Year | Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball (3) | NAIA (3) | Single (3) | 1974 | Sam Houston State | 3–2 |
| 1975 | Sam Houston State | 2–1 | |||
| 1976 | Lewis–Clark State | 16–8 | |||
| Volleyball (1) | NCAA (1) | Division 1 | 2003 | BYU | 3–2 |
Italics: (vacated) by the NCAA.
| Full members |  | |
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| Affiliate members | ||
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