Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

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.

Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
NACC
Established2006
AssociationNCAA
DivisionDivision III
Members14
Sports fielded
  • 21
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 10
RegionUpper Midwest
Former namesNorthern Athletics Conference
HeadquartersMilwaukee, Wisconsin
CommissionerJeff Ligney (since 2020)
Websitenaccsports.org/
Locations

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]

Chronological timeline
  • 2007 - The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSoE) (also a former member from the defunct Lake Michigan Conference) joined the NAC after spending a season as an NCAA Division III independent school, effective the 2007-08 academic year.
  • 2013 - Maranatha Baptist left the NAC to become an NCAA Division III independent school, effective the 2012-13 school year.
  • 2013 - The NAC was rebranded as the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), effective the 2013-14 school year.
  • 2013 - Northland College joined the NACC as an affiliate member for women's golf, effective the 2013-14 academic year.
  • 2015 - Bethany Lutheran, Minnesota–Morris, Northwestern (Minn.) and Northland left the NACC as affiliate members for women's golf, effective the 2014-15 academic year.
  • 2015 - Mount Mary University joined the NACC as an affiliate member for women's cross country, effective the 2015-16 academic year.
  • 2018 - Eureka College joined the NACC as an affiliate member for football, effective the 2018-19 academic year.
  • 2019 - St. Norbert College joined the NACC as an affiliate member for men's volleyball, men's golf and women's golf, effective the 2019-20 academic year.
  • 2021 - St. Norbert joined the NACC for all sports, effective the 2021-22 academic year.
  • 2021 - Beloit College joined the NACC as an associate member for men's and women's lacrosse, effective the 2021-22 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

The NACC currently has 14 full members, all of them are private schools:

Institution Location Nickname Colors Founded Affiliation Undergraduate
enrollment		 Joined
North Division
Alverno College[lower-alpha 1] Milwaukee, Wisconsin Inferno Red, White, & Black 1887 Catholic 1,664 2006
Concordia University Wisconsin Mequon, Wisconsin Falcons Blue & White 1880 Lutheran Missouri Synod 2,473 2006
Edgewood College Madison, Wisconsin Eagles Black, White, & Red 1927 Catholic 1,570 2006
Lakeland University Plymouth, Wisconsin Muskies Navy Blue & Gold 1862 United Church of Christ 1,023 2006
Marian University Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Sabres Royal Blue, Scarlet, & White 1936 Catholic 1,497 2006
St. Norbert College De Pere, Wisconsin Green Knights Green and Gold 1898 Catholic 2,180 2021[lower-alpha 2]
Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, Wisconsin Warriors Forest Green & White 1973 Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod 917 2006
South Division
Aurora University Aurora, Illinois Spartans Royal Blue & White 1893 Non-sectarian 2,309 2006
Benedictine University Lisle, Illinois Eagles Cardinal & White 1887 Catholic 2,740 2006
Concordia University Chicago River Forest, Illinois Cougars Maroon & Gold 1864 Lutheran Missouri Synod 1,361 2006
Dominican University River Forest, Illinois Stars Royal Blue, Black, & White 1901 Catholic 1,697 2006
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, Illinois Scarlet Hawks Red & Black 1890 Non-sectarian 2,977 2018
Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, Wisconsin Raiders Cardinal & White 1903 Non-sectarian 2,122 2007
Rockford University Rockford, Illinois Regents Purple & White 1847 Non-sectarian 1,272 2006
Notes
  1. Alverno is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
  2. 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 (2019–20 to 2020–21 school years).[6]

Associate members

The NACC has three associate members, which both are private schools:

Institution Location Nickname Colors Founded Affiliation Undergraduate
enrollment		 Joined Primary
conference		 NACC
sport
Beloit College Beloit, Wisconsin Buccaneers College Blue & Vegas Gold 1846 Nonsectarian 1,358 2021–22m.lax
2021–22w.lax		 Midwest men's lacrosse
women's lacrosse
Eureka College Eureka, Illinois Red Devils Maroon and Gold 1855 Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)		 680 2018–19 SLIAC football
Mount Mary University Milwaukee, Wisconsin Blue Angels Blue and White 1913 Catholic 529 2015–16 C2C women's cross country

    Former member

    The NACC had one full member that competed in the conference, which was also a private school:

    Institution Location Nickname Colors Founded Affiliation Undergraduate
    enrollment    		 Joined Left Current
    conference
    Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, Wisconsin Sabercats Navy Blue, Gold, & Crimson 1968 Baptist 765 2006 2013 D-III Independent

    Former associate members

    The NACC had six former associate members in the conference, which most were private schools, except Minnesota–Morris, which was a public school:

    Institution Location Nickname Colors Founded Affiliation Undergraduate
    enrollment    		 Joined Left Primary
    conference    		 NACC
    sport
    Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, Minnesota Vikings Red & White 1927 Lutheran (ELS) 550 2011–12 2014–15 UMAC women's golf
    Martin Luther College New Ulm, Minnesota Knights Red, Black, & White 1995 Lutheran (WELS) 800 2011–12 2011–12 UMAC women's golf
    University of Minnesota Morris Morris, Minnesota Cougars Maroon & Gold 1960 Public 1,900 2011–12 2014–15 UMAC women's golf
    Northland College Ashland, Wisconsin LumberJacks (men's)
    LumberJills (women's)    		 Orange & Blue 1906 United Church of Christ 700 2013–14 2014–15 UMAC women's golf
    University of Northwestern – St. Paul Roseville, Minnesota Eagles Purple & Gold 1902 Non-denominational 2,944 2011–12 2014–15 UMAC women's golf
    Presentation College Aberdeen, South Dakota Saints Green & Gold 1951 Catholic 786 2011–12 2011–12 NSAA
    (NAIA)    		 women's golf

    Membership timeline
    St. Norbert CollegeIllinois Institute of TechnologyMilwaukee School of EngineeringWisconsin Lutheran CollegeRockford UniversityMarian University (Wisconsin)Maranatha Baptist UniversityLakeland College (Wisconsin)Edgewood CollegeDominican University (Illinois)Concordia University WisconsinConcordia University ChicagoBenedictine UniversityAurora UniversityAlverno College

    Sports

    Fall

    Winter
    See also: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Men's Basketball Tournament

    Spring

    References
    1. "NACC To Add Men's Volleyball In 2018" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. January 10, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
    2. "NACC Announces Addition of Men's and Women's Lacrosse in 2021". NACC. August 6, 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
    3. "About the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
    4. "Illinois Tech Joins Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference". 3 May 2017. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
    5. "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.
    6. "NACC Welcomes St. Norbert College as Full Member in 2020-21" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
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