Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
FormerlyTwin Rivers Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded1972
CommissionerCorey Borchardt (since 2008)
Sports fielded
  • 18
    • men's: 9
    • women's: 9
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams8 full, 2 associate
HeadquartersSaint Paul, Minnesota
RegionUpper Midwest
Official websiteumacathletics.com
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) is a college-level athletic conference. The UMAC is a conference of NCAA Division III since the 2008–09 season. Corey Borchardt is the current commissioner of the UMAC, and was appointed to the position in 2008. The UMAC was started in 1972 as the Twin Rivers Conference, and assumed its current name in 1983. Member institutions are located in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The UMAC sponsors intercollegiate competition in men's baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, women's softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and women's volleyball.

Greenville College and Westminster College became associate members of the UMAC in football in 2009 and Finlandia University in 2021.

In March 2023, Finlandia announced it was closing.[1]

History

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
100km
62miles
Northwestern–St. Paul
Wisconsin–Superior
North Central
Bethany Lutheran
Minnesota–Morris
Northland
Crown
.
Martin Luther
Map
Location of UMAC members: current

Chronological timeline

  • 1972 - The UMAC was founded as the Twin Rivers Conference (TRC), originally an athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Charter members included Concordia College, Saint Paul (now Concordia University, Saint Paul), Dr. Martin Luther College, Loras College, Mount Senario College, Northwestern College of Minnesota (now the University of Northwestern – St. Paul), Northwestern College of Wisconsin and Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, effective beginning the 1972-73 academic year.
  • 1974 - Maranatha Baptist Bible College (now Maranatha Baptist University) joined the TWC as an associate member for football, effective in the 1974 fall season (1974-75 academic year).
  • 1976 - Viterbo College (now Vitberbo University) joined the TWC, effective in the 1976-77 academic year.
  • 1983 - The TRC has been rebranded as the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, effective in the 1983-84 academic year.
  • 1986 - Loras left the UMAC, effective after the 1985-86 academic year.
  • 1988 - Pillsbury Baptist Bible and Viterbo left the UMAC, effective after the 1987-88 academic year.
  • 1994 - Crown College joined the UMAC, effective in the 1994-95 academic year.
  • 1995 - Dr. Martin Luther and Northwestern (Wisc.) merged to become Martin Luther College. Both institutions therefore left the UMAC as a result of the merger, effective after the 1994-95 academic year. And immediately Martin Luther joined the UMAC, effective beginning the 1995-96 academic year.
  • 1995 - The College of St. Scholastica joined the UMAC, effective in the 1995-96 academic year.
  • 1997 - Trinity Bible College joined the UMAC as an associate member for football, effective in the 1997 fall season (1997-98 academic year).
  • 1998 - Northland College of Wisconsin joined the UMAC, effective in the 1998-99 academic year.
  • 1999 - Concordia Saint Paul left the UMAC to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), effective after the 1998-99 academic year.
  • 2002 - Mount Scenario disbanded its athletics program in December 2001 without completing the rest of the 2001-02 academic year. Later on, the school closed on 31 August 2002.
  • 2002 - Presentation College of South Dakota joined the UMAC, effective in the 2002-03 academic year.
  • 2002 - Blackburn College, Principia College, Rockford College (now Rockford University) and Westminster College joined the UMAC as associate members for football, effective in the 2002 fall season (2002-03 academic year).
  • 2003 - The University of Minnesota at Morris joined the UMAC, effective in the 2003-04 academic year.
  • 2004 - Bethany Lutheran College joined the UMAC, effective in the 2004-05 academic year.
  • 2008 - Blackburn, Principia, Maranatha Baptist, Rockford, Trinity Bible and Westminster (Mo.) left the UMAC as associate members for football, effective after the 2007 fall season (2007-08 academic year).
  • 2008 - The UMAC had become affiliated with the Division III ranks of the NCAA, effective in the 2008-09 academic year.
  • 2008 - North Central University joined the UMAC as an associate member for certain sports, effective in the 2008-09 academic year.
  • 2009 - Eureka College, Greenville College (now Greenville University) and MacMurray College joined the UMAC as associate members for football (with Westminster (Mo.) re-joining back), effective in the 2009 fall season (2009-10 academic year).
  • 2012 - Presentation left the UMAC to join the NAIA and the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA), effective after the 2011-12 academic year.
  • 2013 - North Central (Minn.) became a full member of the UMAC for all sports, effective in the 2013-14 academic year.
  • 2013 - Iowa Wesleyan College (now Iowa Wesleyan University) joined the UMAC as an associate member for football, effective in the 2013 fall season (2013-14 academic year).
  • 2015 - The University of Wisconsin–Superior joined the UMAC, effective in the 2015-16 academic year.
  • 2018 - Eureka left the UMAC as an associate member for football, effective after the 2017 fall season (2017-18 academic year).
  • 2020 - MacMurray left the UMAC as an associate member for football as the school would later drop its athletics program and be closed, effective after the 2019-20 academic year.
  • 2021 - Iowa Wesleyan left the UMAC as an associate member for football, effective after the 2020 fall season (2020-21 academic year).
  • 2021 - St. Scholastica left the UMAC to join the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), effective after the 2020-21 academic year.
  • 2021 - Finlandia University joined the UMAC as an associate member for football, effective in the 2021 fall season (2021-22 academic year).
  • 2023 - Finlandia announces it will not enroll new students fall 2023, confirming their upcoming closure of the school.[1]

Member schools

Current members

Full members

The UMAC currently has eight full members, all but two are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Varsity
teams
Joined
Bethany Lutheran College Mankato, Minnesota 1927 Lutheran ELS 550 Vikings 15 2004
Crown College St. Bonifacius, Minnesota 1916 Christian and Missionary Alliance 1,300 Polars 18 1994
Martin Luther College New Ulm, Minnesota 1995 Lutheran WELS 800 Knights 15 1995
University of Minnesota–Morris Morris, Minnesota 1960 Public 1,900 Cougars 16 2003
North Central University Minneapolis, Minnesota 1930 Assemblies of God 1,200 Rams 15 2013[a]
Northland College Ashland, Wisconsin 1906 United Church of Christ 700 LumberJacks &
LumberJills
12 1998
University of Northwestern–Saint Paul Roseville, Minnesota 1902 Nondenominational 2,944 Eagles 16 1972
University of Wisconsin–Superior Superior, Wisconsin 1893 Public 2,589 Yellowjackets 15 2015
Notes
  1. ^ North Central was an associate member for several sports from the 2008–09 to the 2012–13 school years.

Associate members

The UMAC currently has two associate members, all are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Varsity
teams
Joined Primary
conference
UMAC
sport
Greenville University Greenville, Illinois 1892 Free Methodist 1,200 Panthers 14 2009–10 St. Louis (SLIAC) football
Westminster College Fulton, Missouri 1851 Presbyterian 1,050 Blue Jays 8 2009–10[a]
Notes
  1. ^ Westminster was formerly an associate member for football from the 2002 to 2007 fall seasons (2002–03 to 2007–08 school years).

Former members

Full members

The UMAC had nine former full members, which all were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Current
conference
Concordia University, Saint Paul St. Paul, Minnesota 1893 Lutheran LCMS 2,800 Golden Bears 1972–73 1998–99 Northern Sun (NSIC)
(NCAA D-II)
Dr. Martin Luther College New Ulm, Minnesota 1884 Lutheran WELS N/A Lancers 1972–73 1994–95 N/A[a]
Loras College Dubuque, Iowa 1839 Catholic
(Archdiocese of Dubuque)
1,610 Duhawks 1972–73 1985–86 American Rivers (ARC)
Mount Senario College Ladysmith, Wisconsin 1930 Nonsectarian N/A Fighting Saints 1972–73 2001–02 N/A[b]
Northwestern College (Wisconsin) Watertown, Wisconsin 1865 Lutheran WELS N/A Trojans 1972–73 1994–95 N/A[a]
Pillsbury Baptist Bible College Owatonna, Minnesota 1877 Independent Baptist 142 Comets 1972–73 1987–88 closed in 2008
Presentation College Aberdeen, South Dakota 1922 Catholic
(Presentation Sisters)
786 Saints 2002–03 2011–12 closed in 2023
The College of St. Scholastica Duluth, Minnesota 1912 Catholic
(Benedictines)
3,309 Saints 1995–96 2020–21 Minnesota (MIAC)
Viterbo University La Crosse, Wisconsin 1890 Catholic
(FSPA)
3,192 V-Hawks 1976–77 1987–88 North Star (NSAA)
(NAIA)
Notes
  1. ^ a b Dr. Martin Luther and Northwestern (Wis.) were merged to form Martin Luther College in 1995.
  2. ^ Mount Scenario disbanded its athletics program in December 2001 without completing the rest of the 2001–02 school year, before closing the school on August 31, 2002.

Associate members

The UMAC had eight former associate members, all were private schools. School names and nicknames reflect those in use during the final school year in which each competed in the UMAC.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Primary
conference
UMAC
sport
Blackburn College Carlinville, Illinois 1837 Presbyterian 590 Beavers 2002–03 2007–08 St. Louis (SLIAC) football
Eureka College Eureka, Illinois 1855 Disciples of Christ 680 Red Devils 2009–10 2017–18 St. Louis (SLIAC)
Finlandia University Hancock, Michigan 1896 Lutheran
(ELCA)
507 Lions 2021–22 2022–23 closed in 2023
Iowa Wesleyan University Mt. Pleasant, Iowa 1842 United Methodist 571 Tigers 2013–14 2020–21 closed in 2023
Maranatha Baptist Bible College[a] Watertown, Wisconsin 1968 Baptist 950 Crusaders[b] 1974–75 2007–08 D-III Independent
MacMurray College Jacksonville, Illinois 1846 United Methodist 683 Highlanders 2009–10 2019–20 closed in 2020
Principia College Elsah, Illinois 1910 Scientist 550 Panthers 2002–03 2007–08 St. Louis (SLIAC)
Rockford College[c] Rockford, Illinois 1847 Nonsectarian 983 Regents 2002–03 2007–08 Northern (NACC)
Trinity Bible College Ellendale, North Dakota 1948 Assemblies of God 333 Lions 1997–98 2007–08 NCCAA Independent
Notes
  1. ^ Currently known as Maranatha Baptist University since 2013.
  2. ^ Maranatha Baptist changed its nickname from Crusaders to Sabercats in 2014.
  3. ^ Currently known as Rockford University since 2013.

Membership timeline

Finlandia UniversityUniversity of Wisconsin–SuperiorIowa Wesleyan UniversityMacMurray CollegeGreenville UniversityEureka CollegeNorth Central UniversityBethany Lutheran CollegeUniversity of Minnesota MorrisWestminster College (Missouri)Rockford UniversityPrincipia CollegeBlackburn College (Illinois)Presentation College, South DakotaNorthland College (Wisconsin)Trinity Bible College and Graduate SchoolCollege of St. ScholasticaMartin Luther CollegeCrown College (Minnesota)Viterbo UniversityMaranatha Baptist UniversityPillsbury Baptist Bible CollegeMartin Luther CollegeUniversity of Northwestern – St. PaulMount Senario CollegeLoras CollegeMartin Luther CollegeConcordia University, St. Paul

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football-only)   Associate member (sport) 

Conference sports

Conference sports
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball
Green tickY
Basketball
Green tickY
Green tickY
Cross Country
Green tickY
Green tickY
Football
Green tickY
Golf
Green tickY
Green tickY
Indoor Track and field
Green tickY
Green tickY
Soccer
Green tickY
Green tickY
Softball
Green tickY
Tennis
Green tickY
Green tickY
Track and field
Green tickY
Green tickY
Volleyball
Green tickY

Conference facilities

School Football stadium Capacity Basketball arena Capacity
Bethany Lutheran Non-football school N/A Sports and Fitness Center 800
Crown Old National Bank Stadium 1,400 Wild Athletic Center 700
Greenville Francis Stadium 2,000 Football-only member
Martin Luther MLC Bowl 2,200 Luther Student Center 700
Minnesota–Morris Big Cat Stadium 3,500 Cougar Sports Center (CSC) 4,000
North Central Non-football school N/A Clark-Danielson Gymnasium NA
Northland Non-football school N/A Kendrigan Gymnasium 1,000
Northwestern Reynolds Field 1,500 Ericksen Center 1,500
Westminster Priest Field 1,000 Football-only member
Wisconsin–Superior Non-football school N/A Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium 2,500

Football champions

Year Champion(s)
1974 Northwestern (MN)
1975 Northwestern (MN)
1976 Concordia-Saint Paul
Loras
Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Northwestern (MN)
Northwestern (WI)
1977 Concordia-Saint Paul
Dr. Martin Luther College
1978 Northwestern (WI)
1979 Northwestern (MN)
1980 Mount Senario
1981 Concordia-Saint Paul
Northwestern (MN)
1982 Concordia-Saint Paul
Mount Senario
Northwestern (MN)
1983 Mount Senario
Northwestern (WI)
1984 Northwestern (MN)
1985 Mount Senario
1986 Northwestern (WI)
1987 Mount Senario
1988 Concordia-Saint Paul
1989 Mount Senario
1990 Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Northwestern (MN)
1991 Concordia-Saint Paul
Northwestern (WI)
1992 Mount Senario
1993 Mount Senario
1994 Mount Senario
1995 Northwestern
1996 Maranatha Baptist Bible College
Martin Luther
1997 Mount Senario
1998 Maranatha Baptist
Martin Luther
Mount Senario
1999 Mount Senario
2000 Mount Senario
2001 Northwestern
2002 Northwestern
2003 Westminster
2004 Westminster
2005 Northwestern
2006 Minnesota-Morris
2007 Northwestern
2008 Northwestern
2009 North Division: Martin Luther
South Division: Greenville
2010 Greenville
2011* St. Scholastica
2012 Greenville
Northwestern
St. Scholastica
2013 St. Scholastica
2014 St. Scholastica
2015 St. Scholastica
2016 Northwestern
2017 Eureka
2018 Martin Luther
2019 Martin Luther
2020 No season COVID-19
2021 Greenville
2022 Northwestern
2023 Minnesota-Morris

*- 2011 was the first year the UMAC Champion received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs.[2]

Ice hockey affiliations

The UMAC does not sponsor ice hockey. Two UMAC member schools sponsor men's and women's ice hockey as a varsity sport. Northland College and UW-Superior are members of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

References

  1. ^ a b "Finlandia University will not enroll students for the Fall 2023 semester". finlandia.edu. 2 March 2023. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  2. ^ "UMAC: A Division III playoff bid for the first time". Star Tribune. August 31, 2011. Retrieved June 21, 2012.

External links