 | |
| Formerly | Northern Athletics Conference |
|---|---|
| Association | NCAA |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Commissioner | Jeff Ligney (since 2020) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division III |
| No. of teams | 14 (13 in 2026, 12 in 2027) |
| Headquarters | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Region | Upper Midwest |
| Website | naccsports |
| Locations | |
 | |
The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), formerly the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC), is an intercollegiate athletic conference. It participates in the NCAA's Division III and began its first season in the fall of 2006.
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 University, Lakeland University, Maranatha Baptist University, Marian University, Rockford University 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 affiliate 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]
On April 17, 2024, four institutions joined the NCAA as affiliate members for lacrosse, effective in the 2025 spring season of the 2024-25 academic year). The following schools were Cornell College, Lake Forest College and Lawrence University for men's and women's lacrosse, and the University of Dubuque for only men's lacrosse.[7][8] Lawrence was introducing both sports, while Cornell, Dubuque, and Lake Forest had been members of the Midwest Lacrosse Conference / Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference.
Chronological timeline
- 2006 – The NACC was founded as the Northern Athletics Conference (NAC). Charter members include: Alverno College, Concordia University Wisconsin, Dominican University, Edgewood College (now Edgewood University), Lakeland College (now Lakeland University), Maranatha Baptist Bible College (now Maranatha Baptist University), Marian University and Wisconsin Lutheran College [from the Lake Michigan Conference (LMC)], and Aurora University, Benedictine University, Concordia University Chicago and Rockford College [now Rockford University; from the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC)], beginning the 2006–07 academic year.
- 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 D-III Independent school in the 2007–08 academic year.
- 2011 – Bethany Lutheran College, Martin Luther College, the University of Minnesota Morris, University of Northwestern – St. Paul and Presentation College joined the NAC as affiliate members for women's golf in the 2012 spring season (2011–12 academic year).
- 2012 – Presentation left the NAC as an affiliate member for women's golf to return to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) after the 2012 spring season (2011–12 academic year).
- 2013:
- Maranatha Baptist left the NAC to become an NCAA D-III Independent school after the 2012–13 academic year.
- The NAC was rebranded as the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), beginning the 2013–14 school year.
- Northland College joined the NACC as an affiliate member for women's golf in the 2014 spring season (2013–14 academic year).
- 2015:
- Bethany Lutheran, Minnesota–Morris, Northwestern (Minn.) and Northland left the NACC as affiliate members for women's golf after the 2015 spring season (2014–15 academic year).
- Mount Mary University joined the NACC as an affiliate member for women's cross country in the 2015 fall season (2015–16 academic year).
- 2018:
- The Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) joined the NACC in the 2018–19 academic year.
- Eureka College joined the NACC as an affiliate member for football in the 2018 fall season (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 in the 2019–20 academic year.
- 2021:
- St. Norbert had upgraded to join the NACC for all sports in the 2021–22 academic year.
- Beloit College joined the NACC as an affiliate member for men's and women's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year).
- 2024 – Four institutions joined the NACC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2025 spring season (2024–25 academic year):
- Cornell College, Lake Forest College and Lawrence University for men's and women's lacrosse
- and the University of Dubuque for men's lacrosse
- 2026 – Alverno will leave the NACC to join the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference (C2C), beginning the 2026–27 academic year.
- 2027 – Concordia–Wisconsin will leave the NACC to join the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), beginning the 2027–28 academic year.
Member schools
Current members
The NACC currently has 14 full members, all are private schools:
Member departing for the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference on July 1, 2027.
Member departing for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin on July 1, 2028.
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Alverno is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
- St. Norbert was an affiliate member of the NACC for men's volleyball, men's golf and women's golf during its final two years as a full core member of the Midwest Conference (MWC) from 2019–20 to 2020–21.[6]
Affiliate members
The NACC currently has six affiliate members, all are private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Undergraduate enrollment |
Nickname | Joined[a] | Colors | NACC sport(s) |
Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beloit College | Beloit, Wisconsin | 1846 | Nonsectarian | 1,358 | Buccaneers | 2021 | College Blue & Vegas Gold |
Men's lacrosse | Midwest (MWC) |
| 2021 | Women's lacrosse | ||||||||
| Cornell College | Mount Vernon, Iowa | 1853 | United Methodist |
1,176 | Rams | 2024 | Purple & White |
Men's lacrosse | Midwest (MWC) |
| 2024 | Women's lacrosse | ||||||||
| University of Dubuque | Dubuque, Iowa | 1852 | Presbyterian | 1,361 | Spartans | 2024 | Navy Blue & White |
Men's lacrosse | American Rivers (A-R-C) |
| Eureka College | Eureka, Illinois | 1855 | Disciples of Christ |
680 | Red Devils | 2018 | Maroon & Gold |
Football | St. Louis (SLIAC) |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, Illinois | 1857 | Nonsectarian | 1,395 | Foresters | 2024 | Red & Black |
Men's lacrosse | Midwest (MWC) |
| 2024 | Women's lacrosse | ||||||||
| Lawrence University | Appleton, Wisconsin | 1847 | Nonsectarian | 1,489 | Vikings | 2024 | Blue & Grey & White |
Men's lacrosse | Midwest (MWC) |
| 2024 | Women's lacrosse |
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
Former member
The NACC had one former full member, which was also a private school:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Undergraduate enrollment |
Nickname | Joined[a] | Left[b] | Colors | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maranatha Baptist University | Watertown, Wisconsin | 1968 | Baptist | 765 | Sabercats | 2006 | 2013 | Navy Blue, Gold, & Crimson |
D-III Independent |
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
Former affiliate members
The NACC had seven former affiliate members, all were private schools:
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
- Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
Membership timeline
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football) Associate member (sport)
Sports
| A divisional format is used for baseball, basketball (M / W), softball, and volleyball (W) from 2008–09 to 2012–13 and during 2020–21. | |
North
|
South
|
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 13 | |
| Basketball | 13 | 14 |
| Cross Country | 13 | 14 |
| Football | 9 | |
| Golf | 10 | 10 |
| Lacrosse | 11 | 10 |
| Soccer | 13 | 14 |
| Softball | 13 | |
| Tennis | 7 | 9 |
| Track & Field (Indoor) | 13 | 13 |
| Track & Field (Outdoor) | 13 | 13 |
| Volleyball | 13 | 14 |
Men's sponsored sports by school
| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Lacrosse | Soccer | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Volleyball | Total NACC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Benedictine | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| CUC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| CUW | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 11 |
| Dominican | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Edgewood | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| IIT | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Lakeland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Marian | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| MSOE | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Rockford | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| St. Norbert | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Wisconsin Lutheran | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Associate Members | ||||||||||||
| Beloit | Yes | 1 | ||||||||||
| Cornell (IA) | Yes | 1 | ||||||||||
| Eureka | Yes | 1 | ||||||||||
| Lake Forest | Yes | 1 | ||||||||||
| Lawrence | Yes | 1 | ||||||||||
| Totals | 13 | 13 | 13 | 8+1 | 10 | 7+4 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 124+5 |
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference which are played by NACC schools:
| School | Ice Hockey | Rowing | Swimming & Diving | Wrestling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | NCHA | CCIW | ||
| CUW | NCHA | CCIW | ||
| IIT | LAC | |||
| Lakeland | IND | |||
| Marian | NCHA | |||
| MSOE | NCHA | IND | MWC | CCIW |
| St. Norbert | NCHA | MWC |
Women's sponsored sports by school
| School | Basketball | Cross Country | Golf | Lacrosse | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Volleyball | Total NACC Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alverno | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | 7 |
| Aurora | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Benedictine | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| CUC | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| CUW | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Dominican | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| Edgewood | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| IIT | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Lakeland | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Marian | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| MSOE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 10 |
| Rockford | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7 |
| St. Norbert | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Wisconsin Lutheran | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9 |
| Associate Members | |||||||||||
| Beloit | Yes | 1 | |||||||||
| Cornell (IA) | Yes | 1 | |||||||||
| Lake Forest | Yes | 1 | |||||||||
| Lawrence | Yes | 1 | |||||||||
| Totals | 14 | 14 | 10 | 6+4 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 121+4 |
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference which are played by NACC schools:
| School | Acrobatics & Tumbling | Bowling | Field Hockey | Flag Football | Ice Hockey | Rowing | Swimming & Diving | Triathlon | Wrestling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | CCIW | Yes | NCHA | CCIW | |||||
| Benedictine | Yes | ||||||||
| CUW | NCATA | CFHC | NCHA | Yes | |||||
| Edgewood | IND | ||||||||
| IIT | LAC | ||||||||
| Lakeland | IND | ||||||||
| Marian | CCIW | CFHC | NCHA | ||||||
| MSOE | NCHA | IND | MWC | CCIW | |||||
| Rockford | IND | Yes | |||||||
| St. Norbert | NCHA | MWC |
References
- "NACC To Add Men's Volleyball In 2018" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. January 10, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
- "NACC Announces Addition of Men's and Women's Lacrosse in 2021". NACC. August 6, 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- "About the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference".
- "Illinois Tech Joins Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference". 3 May 2017.
- "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.
- "NACC Welcomes St. Norbert College as Full Member in 2020-21" (Press release). Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. April 3, 2019. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- "NACC Welcomes Cornell, Dubuque, Lake Forest as Lacrosse Affiliates". Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- "Lawrence University to Join NACC as Affiliate Member in Men's and Women's Lacrosse". Retrieved 8 July 2025.
