Great Lakes Valley Conference

Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC)
Established	1978
Association	NCAA
Division	Division II
Members	16
Sports fielded	20 (21 in 2016) (men's: 10 (11 in 2016); women's: 10)
Region	Central United States
Headquarters	Indianapolis, Indiana
Commissioner	Jim Naumovich (since 2001)
Website	www.glvcsports.com
Locations

The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level. Member institutions are located in the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

The GLVC is considered one of the top small college basketball conferences in the nation and placed a team in the men's NCAA Division II final over 11 straight years from 1994 to 2004.

History

Old logo

In October 2008, Maryville University and The University of Illinois at Springfield accepted invitations to join the GLVC and began competing in the conference in the fall of 2009. For men's and women's basketball, the league split into three divisions based on geography (East, North, and West) for the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons, and reverted to two divisions when William Jewell College joined in 2011. Baseball and Tennis operate in a two-division format, while all other sports run a single table.

On January 19, 2010 the GLVC announced the addition of football as a league championship sport, beginning with the 2012 season. Kentucky Wesleyan, Missouri S&T and Saint Joseph's moved from the Great Lakes Football Conference, McKendree University and Quincy University from the Mid-States Football Association of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and Indianapolis ended its affiliate membership in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to join William Jewell and form the seven-team league. ^[1]

On October 6, 2010 it was announced that McKendree University accepted an invitation to the GLVC as the 17th member of the GLVC and begin participating in the conference in 2012.^[2] The following day, the conference announced that it had approved Central State University and Urbana University for associate membership in football, increasing the number of teams which will compete in the initial season of football to nine. ^[3]

On October 18, 2011 it was announced that a new league, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC; not to be confused with the former Division I Great Midwest Conference), was forming for 2013. Charter members include Kentucky Wesleyan from the GLVC along with Central State and Urbana (GLVC members in football). Joining them are Ursuline, Notre Dame College, and Cedarville, with the G-MAC hoping to expand to 10 members. The new conferences' sponsored sports were not immediately announced. Kentucky Wesleyan, with its eight national basketball titles, is the biggest loss for the GLVC, but, with only 680 students, the school had trouble competing in the other sports against much larger schools.

On December 8, 2011 Northern Kentucky University officially accepted an invitation from the Division I Atlantic Sun Conference, effective July 1, 2012.^[4] It was announced on June 8, 2012 that the GLVC Council of Presidents had voted unanimously to accept Truman State University, located in Kirksville, Missouri into the conference. The "Bulldogs" will begin competition in the GLVC effective Fall, 2013. Truman was a founding member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, and becomes the seventh Missouri school to join the GLVC since 1995.^[5]

On August 27, 2012 it was announced that Central State University would leave the GLVC football conference to join the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) as a football-only member, effective July 1, 2013.^[6] (Two years later, Central State would become an all-sports SIAC member.)

On November 4, 2015 Drury University announced it would begin sponsorship of wrestling in the 2016–17 season becoming the sixth conference member with a wrestling program. They will join current wrestling-only independents Indianapolis, Maryville, McKendree, Truman State, and Wisconsin–Parkside in GLVC competition, giving the conference an eleventh men's championship sport.

Membership

A divisional format is used for baseball, basketball (M / W), softball, tennis (M / W), and volleyball.

Current members

Affiliate members

Former members

• Kentucky Wesleyan — football was an affiliate member from 2012–2014.

Former affiliate members

Membership timeline

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

Sports

Conference sports

Sport	Men's	Women's
Baseball	Y
Basketball	Y	Y
Cross Country	Y	Y
Football	Y
Golf	Y	Y
Soccer	Y	Y
Softball		Y
Swimming & diving	Y	Y
Tennis	Y	Y
Track & Field Indoor	Y	Y
Track & Field Outdoor	Y	Y
Volleyball		Y

Men's sponsored sports by school

School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross Country	Football	Golf	Soccer	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field Indoor	Track & Field Outdoor	Total GLVC Sports
Bellarmine	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Drury	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Illinois-Springfield	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y		Y			6
Indianapolis	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Lewis	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Maryville	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	8
McKendree	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	9
Missouri S&T	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y		Y	Y	8
Missouri-St. Louis	Y	Y			Y	Y	Y	Y			6
Quincy	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	9
Rockhurst	Y	Y			Y	Y		Y			5
Saint Joseph's	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	9
Southern Indiana	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	8
Truman	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	9
William Jewell	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Wisconsin-Parkside	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y			Y	Y	7
Totals	16	16	14	7	14	16	9	13	13	13	131
Affiliate Members
Lincoln (MO)				Y							1
Southwest Baptist				Y							1

• GLVC — Wrestling begins in 2016.
• Drury — Wrestling begins play in 2016.^[7]
• Illinois-Springfield — Track & Field Indoor (M) and Track & Field Outdoor (M) begin play in 2016.^[8]
• McKendree — Swimming & Diving (M) begins play in 2016.^[9]

Women's sponsored sports by school

School	Basketball	Cross Country	Golf	Soccer	Softball	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field Indoor	Track & Field Outdoor	Volleyball	Total GLVC Sports
Bellarmine	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Drury	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Illinois-Springfield	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Indianapolis	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Lewis	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Maryville	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
McKendree	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Missouri S&T	Y	Y		Y	Y			Y	Y	Y	7
Missouri-St. Louis	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	Y			Y	7
Quincy	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Rockhurst	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y			Y	7
Saint Joseph's	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Southern Indiana	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Y	Y	Y	Y	9
Truman	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
William Jewell	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Wisconsin-Parkside	Y	Y		Y	Y			Y	Y	Y	7
Totals	16	15	14	16	16	9	14	14	14	16	144

• McKendree — Swimming & Diving (W) begins play in 2016.

Other sponsored sports by school

• ^‡ — D-I sport
• MFC — Midwest Fencing Conference
• Maryville (IND) — Lacrosse (M) begins play in 2016.^[10]
• Quincy (IND) — Lacrosse (W) begins play in 2017; Lacrosse (M) begins play in 2018.^[11]

National Champions

GLVC schools have won 13 NCAA Division II national championships:^[12]

• 1987 men's basketball — Kentucky Wesleyan
• 1990 men's basketball — Kentucky Wesleyan
• 1995 men's basketball — Southern Indiana
• 1999 men's basketball — Kentucky Wesleyan
• 2000 women's basketball — Northern Kentucky
• 2001 men's basketball — Kentucky Wesleyan
• 2007 softball — SIU Edwardsville
• 2008 women's basketball — Northern Kentucky
• 2010 baseball — Southern Indiana
• 2010 men's soccer — Northern Kentucky
• 2011 men's basketball — Bellarmine
• 2013 men's basketball — Drury
• 2014 baseball — Southern Indiana

References

External links

• Official website

NCAA Division II Atlantic Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Mountain East Conference Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Independent — Bluefield State College Central Great American Conference Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference East Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference East Coast Conference Northeast-10 Conference Midwest Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Great Lakes Valley Conference Great Midwest Athletic Conference Independent — Oakland City University South Gulf South Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Sunshine State Conference South Central Heartland Conference Lone Star Conference Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Southeast Conference Carolinas Peach Belt Conference South Atlantic Conference West California Collegiate Athletic Association Great Northwest Athletic Conference Pacific West Conference Division II Independents ECAC Division II Lacrosse League NCAA Conferences Institutions Baseball (Championship) Basketball (Men, Women) Cross Country (Men, Women) Field Hockey (Championship) Football (Championship) Golf (Men, Women) Lacrosse (Men, Women) Rowing (Championship) Soccer (Men, Women) Softball (Championship) Swimming & Diving (Men, Women) Tennis (Men, Women) Track & Field (Men's indoor and outdoor, Women's indoor and outdoor) Volleyball (Championship) Wrestling (Championship) Discontinued — Ice Hockey (Championship)

NCAA Division II football conferences Super Region 1 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Mountain East Conference Northeast-10 Conference Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Super Region 2 Gulf South Conference South Atlantic Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Independent — Limestone College University of North Carolina at Pembroke North Greenville University Super Region 3 Great American Conference Great Northwest Athletic Conference Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Super Region 4 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Great Lakes Valley Conference Lone Star Conference Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Independent — Alderson Broaddus University Kentucky Wesleyan College Malone University Division II Independents Future Great Midwest Athletic Conference (2017) NCAA Conferences Institutions Football (Championship)