The Midwestern Conference, alternatively Conference of Midwestern Universities, was a college athletic conference which operated in Illinois and Indiana from 1970 to 1972. It was composed of schools which had recently moved from Division II (then known as the College Division) to Division I (known as the University Division) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The conference sponsored only men's sports; awarding championships in baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, swimming, tennis, indoor & outdoor track and field, and wrestling.
The first conference championship was in cross country in the fall of 1970. Southern Illinois won that championship and almost made a clean sweep by winning championships in basketball, wrestling, swimming, baseball, tennis, and both indoor and outdoor track. Only Ball State prevented a sweep by winning the golf championship that spring.
At that time (as is generally still the case now), in order to be recognized by the NCAA, a conference was required to have six or more member institutions. The Midwestern Conference had only five members and was unable to find a sixth, so it ceased operations after only two years. The five member schools eventually affiliated with other conferences.
The conference commissioner was Jack McClelland, the former Drake Bulldogs basketball coach and athletic director, who had resigned as commissioner of the North Central Conference in order to accept the position with the Midwestern Conference.
Member schools The onetime members of the Midwestern Conference and the conferences they later joined are:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Colors Enrollment Joined Left Subsequentconference(s) Currentconference Ball State University Muncie, Indiana 1918 Public Cardinals 21,597 1970 1972 NCAA D-I Independent(1972–73) Mid-American (MAC)(1973–present) Illinois State University Normal, Illinois 1857 Public Redbirds 20,683 1970 1972 NCAA D-I Independent(1972–81) Missouri Valley (MVC)(1981–present) Indiana State University Terre Haute, Indiana 1865 Public Sycamores 13,584 1970 1972 NCAA D-I Independent(1972–76) Missouri Valley (MVC)(1976–present) Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois 1895 Public Huskies 16,769 1970 1972 various Mid-American (MAC)(1975–86; 1997–present) Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois 1869 Public Salukis 11,695 1970 1972 NCAA D-I Independent(1972–75) Missouri Valley (MVC)(1975–present)
Notes
Conference champions Baseball 1971 Southern Illinois 1972 Northern Illinois
Basketball 1970–71 Southern Illinois 1971–72 Northern Illinois
Cross country 1970 Southern Illinois 1971 Ball State
Golf 1971 Ball State 1972 Ball State
Swimming 1970–71 Southern Illinois 1971–72 Southern Illinois
Tennis 1971 Southern Illinois 1972 Southern Illinois
Indoor track & field 1970–71 Southern Illinois 1971–72 Southern Illinois
Outdoor track & field 1971 Southern Illinois 1972 Southern Illinois
Wrestling 1970–71 Southern Illinois 1971–72 Southern Illinois
References