Midwest Lacrosse Conference


The Midwest Lacrosse Conference is a men's National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III lacrosse-only college athletic conference composed of schools located in the Midwestern United States. All schools are members of conferences that do not sponsor lacrosse.

History

Founding members Adrian College, Albion College, Carthage College, Fontbonne University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, College of Mount St. Joseph and Trine University ratified bylaws on June 2, 2009. The NCAA recognition of the new conference went into effect September 1, 2009 and conference play began on February 13, 2010. Many of the MLC members also field women's lacrosse as part of the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference, which began in 2011.
Because the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association added lacrosse beginning with the 2013 season, their members played their last season in the MLC during 2012. Likewise, the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin added lacrosse beginning with the 2015 season, so their teams played their last season in the MLC during 2014. The three schools in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference starting playing in the new lacrosse-only Ohio River Lacrosse Conference in 2015 as well.
Beloit College and Cornell College joined the MLC in the spring of 2015. Concordia University Chicago joined in 2016 and Monmouth College joined in 2017. Marian University continued to expand the conference in 2018.
In 2019, the conference added North Central University and University of Northwestern – St. Paul. Both universities are members of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference for other sports and had been independent programs for men's lacrosse. Further change came before the 2020 season when the conference added Illinois Tech and Fontbonne announced that the men's lacrosse program would be suspended indefinitely due to low participation numbers for the program. In 2021, the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference will bring its lacrosse-sponsoring institutions under the NACC umbrella.

Member schools

Current members

Departing members in red.
InstitutionNicknameLocationFoundedTypeEnrollmentJoinedHome Conference
Aurora UniversitySpartansAurora, Illinois1893Private 3,0002011Northern
Beloit CollegeBuccaneersBeloit, Wisconsin1846Private 1,3002015Midwest
Benedictine UniversityEaglesLisle, Illinois1887Private 3,8002013Northern
Concordia University ChicagoCougarsRiver Forest. Illinois1864Private 1,6002016Northern
Concordia University WisconsinFalconsMequon. Wisconsin1881Private 4,4002011Northern
Cornell CollegeRamsMount Vernon, Iowa1853Private 1,2002015Midwest
Illinois Institute of TechnologyScarlet HawksChicago, Illinois1890Private 2,9772020Northern
Marian UniversitySabresFond du Lac, Wisconsin1936Private 1,4972018Northern
Monmouth CollegeFighting ScotsMonmouth, Illinois1853Private 1,3002017Midwest
Milwaukee School of EngineeringRaidersMilwaukee, Wisconsin1903Private 2,5002010Northern
North Central UniversityRamsMinneapolis, Minnesota1930Private 1,2002019Upper Midwest
University of Northwestern – St. PaulEaglesRoseville, Minnesota1902Private 2,9442019Upper Midwest

Former Members

InstitutionNicknameLocationFoundedTypeJoinedLeftCurrent Conference
Adrian CollegeBulldogsAdrian, Michigan1859Private 20102013MIAA
Albion CollegeBritonsAlbion, Michigan1835Private 20102013MIAA
Augustana CollegeVikingsRock Island, Illinois1860Private 20132015CCIW
Carthage CollegeRed MenKenosha, Wisconsin1847Private 20102015CCIW
Defiance CollegeYellow JacketsDefiance, Ohio1850Private 20132015Ohio River
Fontbonne UniversityGriffinsSt. Louis, Missouri1923Private 20102019Program disbanded
Elmhurst CollegeBluejaysElmhurst, Illinois1871Private 20132015CCIW
Hanover CollegePanthersHanover, Indiana1827Private 20122015Ohio River
Mount St. Joseph UniversityLionsDelhi Township, Ohio1920Private 20122015Ohio River
Trine UniversityThunderAngola, Indiana1884Private 20102013MIAA