 | |
| Formerly | Inter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin (1913–1926) Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference (1926–1951) Wisconsin State College Conference (1951–1964) Wisconsin State University Athletic Conference (1964–1997) |
|---|---|
| Association | NCAA |
| Founded | 1913; 112 years ago (1913) |
| Commissioner | Danielle Harris (since July 2020) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division III |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| Headquarters | Madison, Wisconsin |
| Region | Wisconsin |
| Official website | wiacsports.com |
| Locations | |
 | |
TheWisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is anintercollegiate athletic conference that competes in theNCAA'sDivision III. In women'sgymnastics, it competes alongsideDivision I andII members, as the NCAA sponsorsa single championship event open to members of all NCAA divisions. As the name implies, member teams are located in the state ofWisconsin, although there are three associate members fromMinnesota and one fromIllinois. All full members are part of theUniversity of Wisconsin System.
In 1913, representatives from Wisconsin's eightnormal schools—Superior Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Superior), River Falls State Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin-River Falls), Stevens Point Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Stevens Point), La Crosse State Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–La Crosse), Oshkosh State Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Oshkosh), Whitewater Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Whitewater), Milwaukee State Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Milwaukee) and Platteville Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Platteville)—met in Madison to organize theInter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin. The Stout Institute (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Stout) joined in 1914, followed by Eau Claire State Normal School (now theUniversity of Wisconsin–Eau Claire) in 1917.[1]
The conference evolved with the growing educational mission of its member schools. It changed its name to theWisconsin State Teachers College Conference in 1926, and theWisconsin State College Conference in 1951. Finally, in 1964, it became theWisconsin State University Conference.
In 1971, the member schools of the WSUC joined with theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison,University of Wisconsin–Parkside andCarthage College to form theWisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. By 1975, UW–Milwaukee,Carroll College, theUniversity of Wisconsin–Green Bay andMarquette University had also joined. With the dissolution of theAssociation of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in 1982, the member schools joined their male counterparts in either the NCAA orNAIA. 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 ofboth the WSUC and the WWIAC. The two conferences formally merged in 1997 to form the current WIAC.[1]
Effective with the 2001–02 academic year,Lawrence University joined the conference in the sport of wrestling. Three Minnesota schools,Gustavus Adolphus College,Hamline University andWinona State University, became members of the conference in the sport of women's gymnastics during the 2004–05 academic year. In 2009–10, the conference added men’s soccer as a sponsored sport with the announcement of Michigan schoolFinlandia University as an affiliate member. Lawrence discontinued its affiliation with the WIAC in wrestling.[1]
The conference remained unusually stable over the years; the only changes in full membership being the departures of UW–Milwaukee in 1964 and UW–Superior in 2015.
The ninth-oldest conference in the nation, the WIAC celebrated its centennial year during the 2012–13 academic year.[2] Additionally, the WIAC is the most successful NCAA Division III conference in history, boasting NCAA National Championships in 14 different sports.[3] At the beginning of the 2011–12 academic year, the conference had claimed a nation-leading 92 NCAA National Championships.[4]
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.[5] Furthermore, the WIAC commissioned a commemorative work of art, created by Tim Cortes,[6] and has also created a two-year calendar in celebration of its centennial.[7]
The celebration was headlined by its Centennial Banquet held on August 4, 2012, at theAlliant 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.
The WIAC currently has eight full members, all arepublic schools:
| Institution | Location[a] | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined[b] | Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (UW Eau Claire) | Eau Claire | 1916 | Public[c] | 10,043[8] | Blugolds | 1917 | |
| University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (UW La Crosse) | La Crosse | 1909 | Public[c] | 9,708[8] | Eagles | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (UW Oshkosh) | Oshkosh | 1871 | Public[c] | 15,111[8] | Titans | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Platteville (UW Platteville) | Platteville | 1866 | Public[c] | 8,134[8] | Pioneers | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–River Falls (UW River Falls) | River Falls | 1874 | Public[c] | 5,725[8] | Falcons | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (UW Stevens Point) | Stevens Point | 1894 | Public[c] | 8,792[8] | Pointers | 1913 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Stout (UW Stout) | Menomonie | 1891 | Public[c] | 7,555[8] | Blue Devils | 1914 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UW Whitewater) | Whitewater | 1868 | Public[c] | 11,722[8] | Warhawks | 1913 |
The WIAC currently has thirteen affiliate members, all but five areprivate schools:
The WIAC has one future affiliate member, which is aprivate school:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined[a] | Colors | WIAC sport(s) | Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville University | Greenville, Illinois | 1892 | Free Methodist | 1,088 | Panthers | 2026 | Gymnastics | St. Louis (SLIAC) |
The WIAC had two former full members, both werepublic schools:
| Institution | Location[a] | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined[b] | Left[c] | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee[d] (UW Milwaukee) | Milwaukee | 1885 | Public[e] | 22,767[8] | Cardinals[f] | 1913 | 1964 | Horizon[g] |
| University of Wisconsin–Superior (UW Superior) | Superior | 1893 | Public[e] | 2,294[8] | Yellowjackets | 1913 | 2015 | Upper Midwest (UMAC) |
The WIAC had five former affiliate members, all but one wereprivate schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined[a] | Left[b] | WIAC sport(s) | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finlandia University | Hancock, Michigan | 1896 | Lutheran ELCA | 500 | Lions | 2009 | 2015 | Men's soccer | Closed in 2023 |
| 2018 | 2023 | Baseball | |||||||
| Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) | Chicago, Illinois | 1890 | Nonsectarian | 2,977 | Scarlet Hawks | 2017 | 2018 | Baseball | Northern (NACC) |
| Lawrence University | Appleton, Wisconsin | 1847 | Nonsectarian | 1,555 | Vikings | 2002 | 2009 | Men's wrestling | Midwest (MWC) |
| Northland College | Ashland, Wisconsin | 1906 | United Church of Christ | 700 | LumberJacks & LumberJills | 2019 | 2025 | Men's ice hockey | Closed in 2025 |
| 2019 | 2025 | Women's ice hockey | |||||||
| Ramapo College | Mahwah, New Jersey | 1969 | Public | 5,145 | Roadrunners | 2023 | 2024 | Men's tennis | New Jersey (NJAC) |
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football) Associate member (sport)
Member institutions field men's and women's teams incross country,basketball,ice hockey,track and field, andswimming anddiving. Men's teams are fielded forbaseball,football, andwrestling. Women's teams are fielded forgolf,gymnastics, lacrosse,soccer,softball,tennis andvolleyball.
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  Y | |
| Basketball | Y | Y |
| Cross country | Y | Y |
| Football | Y | |
| Golf | Y | |
| Gymnastics | Y | |
| Ice hockey | Y | Y |
| Lacrosse | Y | |
| Soccer | Y | Y |
| Softball | Y | |
| Swimming &diving | Y | Y |
| Tennis | Y | Y |
| Track and field (indoor) | Y | Y |
| Track and field (outdoor) | Y | Y |
| Volleyball | Y | |
| Wrestling | Y |
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross country | Football | Ice hockey | Soccer | Swimming & diving | Tennis | Track & field (indoor) | Track & field (outdoor) | Wrestling | Total WIAC sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Wisconsin–La Crosse | Y | Y | Y | Y |  N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Wisconsin–Platteville | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Wisconsin–River Falls | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | 7 |
| Wisconsin–Stevens Point | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Wisconsin–Stout | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | N | 8 |
| Wisconsin–Whitewater | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Totals | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4+1[a] | 6 | 5 | 4+3[b] | 8 | 8 | 6 | 77 |
| School | Golf | Volleyball |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Ind. | No |
| Wisconsin–Stevens Point | Ind. | Ind. |
| Wisconsin–Stout | Ind. | No |
| School | Basketball | Cross country | Golf | Gymnastics | Ice hockey | Lacrosse | Soccer | Softball | Swimming & diving | Tennis | Track & field (indoor) | Track & field (outdoor) | Volleyball | Total WIAC sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin–Eau Claire | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 13 |
| Wisconsin–La Crosse | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 12 |
| Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Wisconsin–Platteville | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Wisconsin–River Falls | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Wisconsin–Stevens Point | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 12 |
| Wisconsin–Stout | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Wisconsin–Whitewater | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Totals | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5+4[a] | 3+1[b] | 5+5[c] | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 89+8 |
| School | Bowling | Wrestling |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin–Stevens Point | No | Ind. |
| Wisconsin–Whitewater | Ind. | No |
Listed below are theNCAA Division III team national championships won by WIAC members.
UW–Oshkosh: 1985, 1994
UW–Whitewater: 2005, 2014, 2025
UW–Whitewater: 1984, 1989, 2012, 2014
UW–Platteville: 1991, 1995, 1998, 1999
UW–Stevens Point: 2004, 2005, 2010, 2015
UW–Oshkosh: 2019
UW–Stevens Point: 1987, 2002
UW–Oshkosh: 1996
UW–Oshkosh: 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002
UW–La Crosse: 1996, 2001, 2005
UW–Eau Claire: 2015
UW–La Crosse: 1983
UW–Oshkosh: 1987, 1988, 1991, 1996
UW–Eau Claire: 2009
UW–La Crosse: 1992, 1995
UW–Whitewater: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014
UW–Eau Claire: 2001
UW–River Falls: 1988, 1994
UW–Stevens Point: 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 2016, 2019
UW–Superior: 2002
UW–Eau Claire: 2013
UW–Stevens Point: 1998
UW–Eau Claire: 2008
UW-River Falls: 2024, 2025
UW–La Crosse: 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2023, 2024, 2025
UW–Oshkosh: 2009
UW–Eau Claire: 2015, 2016, 2022
UW–La Crosse: 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2024, 2025
UW–Oshkosh: 2009
UW–Eau Claire: 2019, 2022
UW–Oshkosh: 1994–96, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014
UW–La Crosse: 2015, 2023
UW–La Crosse: 1983, 1984, 2015, 2023
UW–Oshkosh: 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011
UW–River Falls: 2008
UW–Whitewater: 2002, 2005
UW–Eau Claire: 2021
Many members of the WIAC have also won national championships from organizations other than the NCAA, including:NAIA,AIAW,NGCA, and National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA).[11]
Women's Cross Country: 1984^
Men's Ice Hockey: 1984^
Women's Swimming and Diving: 1983^, 1987^, 1988^
Women's Basketball: 1981^^
Men's Bowling: 1967^, 1968^, 1969^
Football: 1985^
Men's Gymnastics: 1975^, 1976^, 1977^
Women's Gymnastics: 1986*, 1988*, 1995*, 1997*, 1999*, 2001*, 2002*, 2003*, 2004*, 2005*, 2006*, 2008*, 2009*, 2010*, 2011*, 2015*, 2016*, 2025*
Women's Outdoor Track and Field: 1982^^
Men's Gymnastics: 1973^, 1974^, 1978^, 1979^, 1980^ (and NCAA Div. II), 1981^ (and NCAA Div. II), 1982^ (and NCAA Div. II), 1983^
Women's Gymnastics: 1980^^, 1986^, 1989*, 2007*, 2022*, 2023*
Men's Ice Hockey: 1983^
Men's Gymnastics: 1984^
Women's Golf: 1985%
Women's Gymnastics: 2012*, 2013*, 2014*, 2017*, 2018*
Men's Ice Hockey: 1976^
Women's Cross Country: 1982^
Women's Swimming and Diving: 1984^
Women's Cross Country: 1980^
^National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
^^Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW)
* National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA)
%National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA)
| School | Football stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UW–Eau Claire | Carson Park | 6,500 | Sonnentag Event Center | 5,000 |
| UW–La Crosse | Veterans Memorial Stadium | 10,000 | Mitchell Hall | 2,880 |
| UW–Oshkosh | Titan Stadium | 9,800 | Kolf Sports Center | 5,800 |
| UW–Platteville | Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium | 10,000 | Williams Fieldhouse | 2,300 |
| UW–River Falls | Ramer Field | 4,800 | Don Page Arena | 2,149 |
| UW–Stevens Point | Goerke Field | 4,000 | Quandt Fieldhouse | 3,281 |
| UW–Stout | Don and Nona Williams Stadium | 4,500 | Johnson Fieldhouse | 1,800 |
| UW–Whitewater | Forrest Perkins Stadium | 21,000[12] | Williams Center | 3,000 |
| Full members | | |
|---|---|---|
| Associate members | ||
| ||
