Great Lakes Valley Conference Explained

Great Lakes Valley Conference should not be confused with Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Great Lakes Valley Conference
Color:	095890;
Font Color:	white
Founded:	1978
Association:	NCAA
Division:	Division II
Teams:	15
Sports:	24
Mens:	12
Womens:	12
Region:	Central United States
Headquarters:	Indianapolis, Indiana
Commissioner:	Jim Naumovich
Since:	2000
Map:	GLVCstates.png
Map Size:	250

The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Its fifteen member institutions are located in the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. There are also four associate members who participate in sports not sponsored by their home conference.

History

Formation

The GLVC grew out of discussions that started in 1972 between the athletic directors of Kentucky Wesleyan College, Bellarmine College (today Bellarmine University), and Indiana State University at Evansville (renamed University of Southern Indiana in 1985), with the goal of forming a men's basketball conference. The discussions later grew to include Indiana Central University (renamed University of Indianapolis in 1986), Saint Joseph's College, and Ashland College (today Ashland University).^[1] On July 7, 1978, at a meeting in Louisville hosted by Bellarmine, these six schools formed the GLVC, with the intention of competing in the 1978–79 season. Ashland, though considered a charter member, did not begin conference play until the league's second season, in 1979–80.^[2] From the time of its founding, the GLVC has been a member of NCAA Division II.

While the origins of the conference's name are lost to history, its initial footprint was bordered by the Great Lakes in the north and the Ohio Valley in the south. Following Southern Indiana's departure in July 2022, Indianapolis is the only remaining charter member.

The GLVC has been led by a full-time commissioner since 1996, first Carl McAloose (1996–2000), then Jim Naumovich (2000–present).^[3] The conference office is located in Indianapolis. From 1978 to 1996, the Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs) of the member institutions were responsible for operating the conference. The FARs (rather than the athletic directors) still cast the institutional votes at meetings where the presidents and chancellors are not present. This feature gives the GLVC a governance structure that is unique among Division I and Division II conferences.^[1]

Though conceived as a men's basketball league, the GLVC from the start planned to sponsor championships in golf, tennis, baseball, cross country, and track & field.^[2] The conference crowned golf and tennis champions in 1978-79 and added cross country and baseball the following year. Soccer became the sixth sport rather than track & field, with the first conference tournament held in 1980.^[4] In 1982, when the demise of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) brought women's college athletics under the NCAA, the GLVC began to sponsor women's sports. Within two years, the conference added women's championships in basketball, tennis, cross country, volleyball, and softball.

Expansion of membership and sport sponsorship

The conference experienced steady growth through the first three decades of its existence, expanding from six members to sixteen. The first addition was Lewis University in 1980, followed in 1984 by Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW; the athletic program is now Purdue Fort Wayne), then Northern Kentucky University in 1985 and Kentucky State University in 1989. The conference lost its first members with the departure of Ashland and Kentucky State, effective summer 1995, but nonetheless increased in size when Quincy University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) and the University of Wisconsin–Parkside began competition that fall, followed by the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) one year later. These changes initiated a westward shift in the GLVC's geographical footprint that has continued to the present.^[1]

The 1990s also featured an expansion in sports sponsorship. In 1995-96 the GLVC crowned its first champions in women's soccer and in men's and women's track and field. Women's golf was added in 1998–99, followed by men's and women's indoor track and field in 1999–2000. These additions increased the total number of conference sports from eleven to seventeen.

After IPFW left in 2001 to move to Division I, the GLVC considered further expansion, but not before redefining conference membership in 2005 to require the athletic program of each member to include seven core sports (men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, softball, and baseball). The eleven members at the time all sponsored these sports, and subsequent new members would be required to sponsor them as well. Previously, the GLVC had no sports sponsorship requirement other than the NCAA Division II minimum (that every member must sponsor at least ten sports, including men's and women's basketball). The conference began awarding the Commissioner's Cup to the member institution with the greatest success across the seven core sports, while continuing to award its All-Sports Trophy to the most successful program overall.^{[5] [6]}

In the fall of 2005, the GLVC welcomed three more members—Drury University, Rockhurst University, and the University of Missouri-Rolla (known as Missouri University of Science and Technology, or Missouri S&T, since 2008). SIUE left for Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference in 2008, but the conference continued to grow with the additions of Maryville University and the University of Illinois Springfield, which began GLVC competition in the fall of 2009. The GLVC reached sixteen members with the admission of William Jewell College, which began competing in fall 2011.^[1]

As the conference continued to grow, basketball remained its strongest sport, and the conference tournament, usually including both genders at the same neutral site, became its signature event. A GLVC team played in the championship game of the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament in eleven consecutive seasons (1993-94 through 2003–4). Kentucky Wesleyan, winner of four men's national championships prior to the creation of the GLVC, won four more as a conference member, while Southern Indiana, Bellarmine, and Drury won one apiece, and Northern Kentucky won two women's national championships. Meanwhile, the GLVC became the leading Division II conference in swimming and diving. During its first decade in the conference, Drury won ten men's national championships and four women's national championships in the sport. After men's and women's swimming and diving became conference sports in 2013–14, the annual GLVC swimming and diving meet grew to become the most financially lucrative of the conference's championship events, surpassing the basketball tournament.

The admission of William Jewell, approved in October 2009, gave the conference six football-playing members and set in motion plans to crown a football champion, ultimately starting in fall 2012. The addition of football in the GLVC's 35th year of competition was a historic move, as no conference at any level of the NCAA (Division I, II, or III) founded without football had ever added it after existing for so long as a non-football conference.^[7] William Jewell joined Indianapolis, Kentucky Wesleyan, St. Joseph's, Quincy, and Missouri S&T to give the GLVC six football-playing members, the minimum number needed to sponsor the sport. They were soon joined by new full member McKendree University^[8] and the GLVC's first associate members, Central State University and Urbana University,^[9] to give the conference nine teams for its initial football season. Though they competed in the GLVC for just one year, Central State and Urbana eventually were followed by a dozen other schools admitted to the league as associates in one or more sports while maintaining full membership elsewhere. Just as the GLVC was adding football, the conference lost two of its premier basketball programs. In the fall of 2012, Northern Kentucky moved to Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), and one year later, Kentucky Wesleyan left to become a charter member of the newly formed Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).^[10] Meanwhile, the GLVC welcomed Truman State University into the conference, to begin competition in 2013–14.^[11] The additions of McKendree (coinciding with the departure of Northern Kentucky) and Truman State (coinciding with the departure of Kentucky Wesleyan) kept the GLVC at sixteen members.

In 2014, a unique interconference football partnership with the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) allowed Lincoln University and Southwest Baptist University to join the GLVC in football while otherwise remaining MIAA members.^[12] That autumn, the GLVC became the first NCAA Division II conference to create an inclusive league-wide digital streaming network – the GLVC Sports Network (GLVCSN), which subsequently broadcast football and all other conference sports.

Drury and Bellarmine started wrestling programs for the 2016–17 season, enabling the conference to add wrestling as its 21st championship sport.^[13] The initial seven-team GLVC wrestling lineup also included Indianapolis, Maryville, McKendree, Truman State, and Wisconsin–Parkside, all former Division II wrestling independents.

In July 2017, the GLVC announced the addition of men's lacrosse as its 22nd championship sport, in partnership with the Gulf South Conference (GSC) and Peach Belt Conference (PBC). The initial six-team lineup for spring 2018 included Indianapolis, Maryville, and four southern associate members (Young Harris College, the University of Alabama in Huntsville, the University of Montevallo, and Shorter University).^[14] The partnership lasted for three seasons, after which the GLVC and GSC-PBC each had enough lacrosse-playing members to offer separate championships in the sport.

Recent history

Charter member St. Joseph's College closed in May 2017 because of financial troubles.^[15] One year later, Wisconsin–Parkside left the GLVC to join the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).^[16] Their departures reduced the conference to fourteen members.

In fall 2019 conference membership returned to 16 with the addition of two schools from the MIAA, Southwest Baptist (elevated from football-only associate to full membership) and Lindenwood University.^{[17] [18]} Their admission voided the MIAA-GLVC football partnership of the previous five seasons (2014 through 2018), resulting in Lincoln rejoining MIAA football. After just one year the conference reverted to fifteen members, as charter member Bellarmine moved to Division I and the ASUN, effective fall 2020.^[19]

In 2019 the GLVC and G-MAC established the annual America's Crossroads Bowl in Hobart, Indiana, featuring their highest-ranking football teams not qualifying for the NCAA Division II playoffs. In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, members of the two conferences also played a two-game crossover in the third and fourth Saturdays of the football season.

The GLVC added two women's sports for 2019–20, bowling and lacrosse, bringing the total number of conference sports to 24. In women's bowling, the initial lineup included 2017 national champion McKendree, fellow full members Drury, Lewis, and Maryville, plus associate members Lincoln, the University of Central Missouri, and Upper Iowa University.^[20] In women's lacrosse, the initial lineup in spring 2020 consisted of seven full members—regional powers Lindenwood and Indianapolis, along with Lewis, Maryville, McKendree, Quincy, and Rockhurst.^[21] The two sports were an immediate success, with Lindenwood (2021) and Indianapolis (2022) winning national championships in women's lacrosse and McKendree (2022) winning its second national title in women's bowling.

In March 2020, GLVC winter and spring sport competitions ended when the NCAA suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2020–21 academic year, the GLVC held its fall 2020 conference sport competitions in spring 2021. Of the sixteen Division II conferences sponsoring football at the time, the GLVC was one of just four (with the G-MAC, Mountain East Conference, and South Atlantic Conference) to crown a football champion in spring 2021.

The most recent departures from the GLVC came at the end of the 2021–22 academic year, when charter member Southern Indiana joined Lindenwood in moving to Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference,^{[22] [23]} temporarily reducing the league to thirteen schools. They were replaced by associate member Upper Iowa, admitted to the GLVC as a full member effective fall 2023, and former football associate Lincoln, admitted effective fall 2024.^{[24] [25]}

With the addition of new members, the GLVC amended the core sports requirement that had been in place since 2005. Starting in 2023–24, all full members must sponsor men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, four additional men's sports, and four additional women's sports.

In July 2024, the GLVC formally announced that it would begin sponsoring men's volleyball in the 2026 season (2025–26 academic year), with an initial lineup consisting of full members Maryville, Missouri S&T, Quincy, Rockhurst, and Southwest Baptist, plus associate members Roosevelt University and Thomas More University.^[26]

Divisional play

The GLVC first adopted divisional play in 1996, for women's volleyball only. That sport competed in Blue and Green divisions (named for the conference's colors) until 2004, when it returned to a single table. All other sports competed in a single table until the conference expanded to fourteen members in 2005, when two seven-team divisions were adopted for basketball and most other core sports.

The organizational structure of the conference has varied dramatically since then, reflecting changes in membership and in the overall number of league members. As an added variable, the same structure has never been applied across all sports in any given year. For example, since 2005, men's and women's basketball has played in two divisions in ten seasons (from 2005–06 through 2008–09 and again from 2011–12 through 2016–17), three divisions in five seasons (2009–10, 2010–11, 2017–18, 2020–21, and 2021–22), and in a single table in four seasons (2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23, and 2023–24). Meanwhile, during the same years, men's and women's soccer always played a single table. Two-division structures have been labeled East-West or Blue-Green, while three-division structures have been labeled East-West-North or East-West-Central.

As of 2023–24, the GLVC has divisional play in men's and women's tennis, and plays a single table in all other sports with regular season competition.

Chronological timeline

• 1978: The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) was founded. Charter members included Ashland College (now Ashland University), Bellarmine College (now Bellarmine University), Indiana Central University (now the University of Indianapolis), Indiana State University at Evansville (now the University of Southern Indiana), Kentucky Wesleyan College, and Saint Joseph's College. Competition began in fall 1978.
• 1980: Lewis University began GLVC competition in fall 1980.
• 1982: The GLVC began to sponsor championships in women's sports.
• 1984: Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) began GLVC competition in fall 1984.
• 1985: Northern Kentucky University began GLVC competition in fall 1985.
• 1989: Kentucky State University began GLVC competition in fall 1989.
• 1995:
  • Ashland and Kentucky State left the GLVC at the end of the 1994–95 academic year. Ashland began competing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in fall 1995, and Kentucky State joined the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) in fall 1997.
  • Quincy, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the University of Wisconsin–Parkside began GLVC competition in fall 1995.
• 1996: The University of Missouri–St. Louis began GLVC competition in fall 1996.
• 1998: The GLVC held its first conference tournaments in men's and women's basketball, at the conclusion of the 1997–98 regular season.
• 2000: A record crowd of 9,402 attended the men's final at the GLVC basketball tournament, held at Roberts Stadium in Evansville, Indiana. Kentucky Wesleyan defeated Southern Indiana 90–88.
• 2001: IPFW left the GLVC at the end of the 2000–01 academic year to become an NCAA D-I Independent.
• 2005:
  • Core sports requirement established.
  • Drury University, the University of Missouri–Rolla (now the Missouri University of Science and Technology) and Rockhurst University began GLVC competition in fall 2005.
• 2008: Southern Illinois Edwardsville (SIUE) left the GLVC at the end of the 2007–08 academic year, and joined NCAA Division I as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in fall 2008.
• 2009: The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) and Maryville University began GLVC competition in fall 2009.
• 2011: William Jewell College began GLVC competition in fall 2011.
• 2012:
  • Northern Kentucky left the GLVC at the end of the 2011–12 academic year, and joined NCAA Division I as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) in fall 2012.
  • McKendree University began GLVC competition in fall 2012.
  • Central State University and Urbana University joined the GLVC as associate members in football in fall 2012.
• 2013:
  • Kentucky Wesleyan left the GLVC at the end of the 2012–13 academic year, and began competing in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) in fall 2013. Kentucky Wesleyan remained in the GLVC as an associate member in football for fall 2013.
  • Football associates Central State and Urbana left the GLVC after just one season of competition. Urbana joined the Mountain East Conference as an all-sports member in fall 2013. Central State joined the SIAC as a football associate in fall 2013, then as an all-sports member in fall 2015.
  • Truman State University began GLVC competition in fall 2013.
• 2014:
  • Lincoln University and Southwest Baptist University joined the GLVC as associate members for football in fall 2014.
  • The GLVC Sports Network (GLVCSN) debuted.
• 2017: Saint Joseph's College closed at the end of the 2016–17 academic year.
• 2018:
  • The University of Alabama in Huntsville, the University of Montevallo, Shorter University and Young Harris College joined the GLVC as associate members in men's lacrosse for spring 2018.
  • Wisconsin–Parkside left the GLVC at the end of the 2017–18 academic year, and began competing in the GLIAC in fall 2018.
  • Ouachita Baptist University joined the GLVC as an associate member in men's wrestling in fall 2018.
• 2019:
  • Shorter University ended its associate membership in men's lacrosse at the end of the 2018–19 academic year.
  • Southwest Baptist began GLVC competition as a full member in fall 2019, after five seasons as an associate member in football (2014 through 2018).
  • Lindenwood University began GLVC competition in fall 2019.
  • Lincoln ended its associate membership in football after five seasons of competition (2014 through 2018) but rejoined as an associate member in women's bowling for 2019–20.
  • America's Crossroads Bowl established.
  • The University of Central Missouri and Upper Iowa University joined the GLVC as associate members in women's bowling for 2019–20.
• 2020:
  • Lander University joined the GLVC as an associate member in men's lacrosse for spring 2020.
  • In March, the COVID-19 pandemic forced suspension of competition for the remainder of the 2019–20 academic year. For the 2020–21 academic year, the GLVC held its fall 2020 conference sport competitions in spring 2021.
  • Bellarmine left the GLVC at the end of the 2019–20 academic year, and joined NCAA Division I as a member of the ASUN in fall 2020.
  • Five associate members left the GLVC: Alabama–Huntsville, Montevallo, Lander and Young Harris in men's lacrosse, and Lincoln in women's bowling, all at the end of the 2019–20 academic year.
  • Davenport University joined the GLVC as an associate member in men's wrestling (fall 2020) and men's lacrosse (spring 2021).
• 2021: Missouri Western State University joined the GLVC as an associate member in women's lacrosse for spring 2021.
• 2022:
  • Southern Indiana and Lindenwood left the GLVC at the end of the 2021–22 academic year, and joined NCAA Division I as members of the OVC in fall 2022.
  • Newman University joined the GLVC as an associate member in women's bowling for 2022–23.
• 2023:
  • Core sports requirement revised.
  • Ouachita Baptist ended its associate membership in men's wrestling at the end of the 2022–23 academic year.
  • Upper Iowa began GLVC competition as a full member in fall 2023, after four seasons as an associate member in women's bowling (2019-20 through 2022–23).
• 2024:
  • Davenport ended its associate memberships in men's wrestling and men's lacrosse at the end of the 2023–24 academic year.
  • Lincoln to begin GLVC competition as a full member in fall 2024.
  • Oklahoma Christian University joined the GLVC as an associate member in women's bowling for 2024–25.
• 2026:
  • The GLVC will begin sponsoring men's volleyball in the spring 2026 season (2025–26 academic year), with Roosevelt University and Thomas More University as associate members.

Member schools

Current members

The GLVC currently has 15 full members, including ten private and five public institutions:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Undergrad Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Colors
Drury University	Springfield, Missouri	1873	UCC & DOC	1,375	Panthers	2005
	Springfield, Illinois	1969	Public	2,393	Prairie Stars	2008
	Indianapolis, Indiana	1902	United Methodist	3,613	Greyhounds	1978
Lewis University	Romeoville, Illinois	1932	Catholic	3,933	Flyers	1980
Lincoln University	Jefferson City, Missouri	1866	Public	1,689	Blue Tigers	2023
Maryville University	Town and Country, Missouri	1872	Catholic	5,809	Saints	2008
McKendree University	Lebanon, Illinois	1828	United Methodist	1,483	Bearcats	2010
(Missouri S&T)	Rolla, Missouri	1870	Public	5,501	Miners	2005
		1963	Public	12,431	Tritons	1995
Quincy University	Quincy, Illinois	1860	Catholic	1,146	Hawks	1994
Rockhurst University	Kansas City, Missouri	1910	Catholic	2,545	Hawks	2005
Southwest Baptist University	Bolivar, Missouri	1878	Baptist	1,836	Bearcats	2019
Truman State University	Kirksville, Missouri	1867	Public	3,622	Bulldogs	2012
Upper Iowa University	Fayette, Iowa	1857	Nonsectarian	2,510	Peacocks	2022
William Jewell College	Liberty, Missouri	1849	Nonsectarian	829	Cardinals	2009

Notes:

Associate members

The GLVC currently has four associate members, two private and two public institutions. Years listed in this table are calendar years. For schools that play only spring sports (such as women's lacrosse) in the GLVC, the calendar year of arrival precedes the first season of competition.

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Undergrad Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Colors	GLVC sport	Primary conference
University of Central Missouri	Warrensburg, Missouri	1871	Public	7,345	Jennies	2019		nowrap	women's bowling	Mid-America (MIAA)
Missouri Western State University	St. Joseph, Missouri	1915	Public	3,824	Griffons	2020		women's lacrosse
Newman University	Wichita, Kansas	1933	Catholic	1,528	Jets	2022		women's bowling
Oklahoma Christian University	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	1950	Churches of Christ	2,003	Lady Eagles	2024			Lone Star (LSC)

Notes:

Future associate members

The GLVC currently has two future associate members, both private institutions. Years listed in this table are calendar years. For schools that play only spring sports (such as men's volleyball) in the GLVC, the calendar year of arrival precedes the first season of competition.

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Undergrad Enrollment	Nickname	Joining	Colors	GLVC sport	Primary conference
Roosevelt University	Chicago, Illinois	1945	Nonsectarian	2,391	Lakers	2025		men's volleyball	Great Lakes (GLIAC)
Thomas More University	Crestview Hills, Kentucky	1921	Catholic	1,958	Saints	2025			Great Midwest (G-MAC)

Notes:

Former members

Former members of the GLVC include six public and five private institutions:

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Undergrad Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Current conference
Ashland University	Ashland, Ohio	1878	Brethren	5,109	Eagles	1978	1994	Great Midwest (G-MAC)
Bellarmine University	Louisville, Kentucky	1950	Catholic	2,343	Knights	1978	2020	ASUN
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne	Fort Wayne, Indiana	1964	Public	8,390	Mastodons	1984	2001	Horizon
Kentucky State University	Frankfort, Kentucky	1886	Public	1,610	nowrap	Thorobreds & Thorobrettes	1989	1994	nowrap	Southern (SIAC)
Kentucky Wesleyan College	Owensboro, Kentucky	1858	United Methodist	780	Panthers	1978	2013	Great Midwest (G-MAC)
Lindenwood University		1827	Presbyterian	4,808	Lions	2019	2022	Ohio Valley (OVC)
Northern Kentucky University	Highland Heights, Kentucky	1968	Public	10,776	Norse	1985	2012	Horizon
Saint Joseph's College	Rensselaer, Indiana	1889	Catholic	N/A	Pumas	1978	2017	N/A
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	Edwardsville, Illinois	1957	Public	9,321	Cougars	1994	2008	Ohio Valley (OVC)
	Evansville, Indiana	1965	Public	5,539	Screaming Eagles	1978	2022	Ohio Valley (OVC)
University of Wisconsin–Parkside	Somers, Wisconsin	1968	Public	3,255	Rangers	1994	2018	Great Lakes (GLIAC)

Notes:

Former associate members

Former associate members of the GLVC include four public and five private institutions. Years listed in this table reflect calendar years. For fall sports, the calendar year of departure is the year after the last season of competition. For spring sports, the calendar year of arrival precedes the first season of competition. (NOTE: this list does not include the former associate members—Southwest Baptist, Upper Iowa, Lincoln—that eventually became full members).

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Undergrad Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	GLVC sport	Primary conference as assoc.	Current conference
	Huntsville, Alabama	1969	Public	7,169	Chargers	2017	2020	nowrap	men's lacrosse	Gulf South (GSC)
Central State University	Wilberforce, Ohio	1887	Public	5.406	Marauders	2012	2013	football	Great Midwest (GMAC)	Southern (SIAC)
Davenport University	Grand Rapids, Michigan	1866	Nonsectarian	4,352	Panthers	2020	2024	men's lacrosse men's wrestling	Great Lakes (GLIAC)
Lander University	Greenwood, South Carolina	1872	Public	3,562	Bearcats	2019	2020	men's lacrosse	Peach Belt (PBC)
	Montevallo, Alabama	1896	Public	2,172	Falcons	2017	2020	men's lacrosse	Gulf South (GSC)
Ouachita Baptist University	Arkadelphia, Arkansas	1886	Baptist	1,730	Tigers	2018	2023	men's wrestling	Great American (GAC)
Shorter University	Rome, Georgia	1873	Baptist	1,394	Hawks	2017	2019	men's lacrosse	Gulf South (GSC)	Carolinas (CC)
Urbana University	Urbana, Ohio	1850	Nonsectarian	N/A	Blue Knights	2012	2013	football	Great Midwest (G-MAC)	N/A
Young Harris College	Young Harris, Georgia	1886	United Methodist	1,388	nowrap	Mountain Lions	2017	2020	men's lacrosse	Peach Belt (PBC)	Carolinas (CC)

Notes:

Membership timeline

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bar:1 color:FullxF from:1978 till:1995 text:Ashland (1978–1995)

bar:2 color:FullxF from:1978 till:2020 text:Bellarmine (1978–2020)

bar:3 color:FullxF from:1978 till:2012 text:Indianapolis (1978–present) bar:3 color:Full from:2012 till:end

bar:4 color:FullxF from:1978 till:2012 text:Kentucky Wesleyan (1978–2013) bar:4 color:Full from:2012 till:2013 bar:4 color:AssocF from:2013 till:2014 text:(2013–2014)

bar:5 color:FullxF from:1978 till:2012 text:Saint Joseph's (Ind.) (1978–2017) bar:5 color:Full from:2012 till:2017

bar:6 color:FullxF from:1978 till:2022 text:Southern Indiana (1978–2022)

bar:7 color:FullxF from:1980 till:end text:Lewis (1980–present)

bar:8 color:FullxF from:1984 till:2001 text:IPFW (1984–2001)

bar:9 color:FullxF from:1985 till:2012 text:Northern Kentucky (1985–2012)

bar:10 color:FullxF from:1989 till:1995 text:Kentucky State (1989–1995)

bar:11 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2008 text:SIU–Edwardsville (1995–2008)

bar:12 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2012 text:Quincy (1995–present) bar:12 color:Full from:2012 till:end

bar:13 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2018 text:Wisconsin–Parkside (1995–2018)

bar:14 color:FullxF from:1996 till:end text:Missouri–St. Louis (1996–present)

bar:15 color:FullxF from:2005 till:end text:Drury (2005–present)

bar:16 color:FullxF from:2005 till:2012 text:Missouri S&T (2005–present) bar:16 color:Full from:2012 till:end

bar:17 color:FullxF from:2005 till:end text:Rockhurst (2005–present)

bar:18 color:FullxF from:2009 till:end text:Illinois–Springfield (2009–present)

bar:19 color:FullxF from:2009 till:end text:Maryville (2009–present)

bar:20 color:FullxF from:2011 till:2012 text:William Jewell (2011–present) bar:20 color:Full from:2012 till:end

bar:21 color:AssocF from:2012 till:2013 text:Central State (2012–2013)

bar:22 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:McKendree (2012–present)

bar:23 color:AssocF from:2012 till:2013 text:Urbana (2012–2013)

bar:24 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:Truman State (2013–present)

bar:25 color:AssocF from:2014 till:2019 text:Southwest Baptist (2014–present) bar:25 color:Full from:2019 till:end

bar:26 color:AssocF from:2014 till:2019 text:Lincoln (Mo.) (2014–2020) bar:26 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2020 bar:26 color:Full from:2024 till:end text:(2024-present)

bar:27 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2020 text:Alabama–Huntsville (2017–2020)

bar:28 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2020 text:Montevallo (2017–2020)

bar:29 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2019 text:Shorter (2017–2019)

bar:30 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2020 text:Young Harris (2017–2020)

bar:31 color:AssocOS from:2018 till:2023 text:Ouachita Baptist (2018–2023)

bar:32 color:Full from:2019 till:2022 text:Lindenwood (2019–2022)

bar:33 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2020 text:Lander (2019–2020) bar:34 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2023 text:Upper Iowa (2019–present) bar:34 color:Full from:2023 till:end

bar:35 color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end text:Central Missouri (2019–present)

bar:36 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:2024 text:Davenport (2020–2024)

bar:37 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:Missouri Western (2020–present)

bar:38 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:Newman (2022–present) bar:39 color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Oklahoma Christian (2024–present)

bar:40 color:AssocOS from:2025 till:end text:Roosevelt (2025–future)

bar:41 color:AssocOS from:2025 till:end text:Thomas More (2025–future) bar:42

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1978

Sports sponsorship

Conference sports

The seven sports indicated with a green background were designated "core sports" and required of all full members from 2005 to 2023. Effective fall 2023, all full members are required to sponsor men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, four additional men's sports, and four additional women's sports.

Sport	Men's	Women's
	bgcolor=lightgreen
	bgcolor=lightgreen		bgcolor=lightgreen
	bgcolor=lightgreen		bgcolor=lightgreen
		bgcolor=lightgreen
		bgcolor=lightgreen

Men's conference sports, by school

School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross Country	Football	Golf	Lacrosse	Soccer	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field Indoor	Track & Field Outdoor	Wrestling	Total GLVC Sports
Drury													10
Illinois–Springfield													8
Indianapolis													12
Lewis													10
Lincoln													7
Maryville													11
McKendree													11
Missouri S&T													9
Missouri–St. Louis													9
Quincy													12
Rockhurst													10
Southwest Baptist													8
Truman													8
Upper Iowa													6
William Jewell													11
Totals	15	15	13	9	13	6	15	11	11	14	14	6	142

Women's conference sports, by school

School	Basketball	Bowling	Cross Country	Golf	Lacrosse	Soccer	Softball	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field Indoor	Track & Field Outdoor	Volleyball	Total GLVC Sports
Drury													10
Illinois–Springfield													9
Indianapolis													12
Lewis													12
Lincoln													7
Maryville													12
McKendree													12
Missouri S&T													7
Missouri–St. Louis													10
Quincy													12
Rockhurst													11
Southwest Baptist													8
Truman													10
Upper Iowa													8
William Jewell													11
Totals	15	5+3	15	13	7+1	15	15	10	12	15	15	14	151
Associate Members
Central Missouri													1
Missouri Western													1
Newman													1
Oklahoma Christian													1

Non-conference NCAA sports, by school

School		Men			Women
	Volleyball	Water Polo	Field Hockey	Water Polo	Beach Volleyball
Lewis	MIVA
Maryville	Independent		Independent
McKendree	MIVA	WWPA		WWPA	Independent
Missouri S&T	Independent
Quincy	MIVA
Rockhurst	Independent
Southwest Baptist					Independent

Non-NCAA sports and "emerging sports"

McKendree, Quincy, and William Jewell sponsor varsity teams in women's wrestling, classified as an "emerging sport" by the NCAA. Upper Iowa plans to add women's wrestling in 2024–25.

Drury sponsors a varsity team in women's triathlon, classified as an "emerging sport" by the NCAA. Indianapolis plans to add women's triathlon in 2024–25.^[27]

Southwest Baptist treats "cheer and stunt" as a single women's sport. However, these are separate but closely related sports. Cheerleading has no NCAA recognition, while stunt is part of the NCAA's "emerging sports" program.

Some GLVC members give varsity status to teams in non-NCAA sports and to other club teams, such as men's bowling (because the NCAA governs only the women's sport). Other examples are sprint football, a weight-restricted variant of American football, sponsored by Quincy, and the men's and women's ice hockey teams of McKendree and Maryville, which compete at the club level in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). While some GLVC members administer their club sports through their athletics departments, others operate their club sports as student organizations outside of athletics.

Conference facilities

School	Football		Basketball
	Stadium	Capacity	Arena	Capacity
Drury			O'Reilly Family Events Center	2,850
Illinois–Springfield			The Recreation and Athletic Center	3,000
Indianapolis	Key Stadium	5,500	Nicoson Hall	4,000
Lewis			Neil Carey Arena	1,100
Lincoln	Dwight T. Reed Stadium	3,000	Jason Gymnasium	2,000
Maryville			Moloney Arena at Simon Athletic Center	2,000
McKendree	Leemon Field	2,000	Melvin Price Convocation Center	1,600
Missouri S&T	Allgood–Bailey Stadium	8,000	Gibson Arena	4,000
Missouri–St. Louis			Mark Twain Center	4,736
Quincy	QU Stadium	2,500	Pepsi Arena	2,000
Rockhurst			Mason-Halpin Field House	1,500
Southwest Baptist	Plaster Stadium	3,000	John Q. Hammons Court	2,925
Truman	James S. Stokes Stadium	4,000	John J. Pershing Arena	2,300
Upper Iowa	Harms-Eischeid Stadium	3,500	Dorman Gymnasium	1,950
William Jewell	Greene Stadium	7,000	Mabee Center	2,400

National champions

Since the founding of the conference, members of the GLVC have won 34 NCAA Division II national championships and two NCAA National Collegiate championships (indicated in green). "National Collegiate" is the NCAA's official term to describe championship events open to members of more than one NCAA division.

Year	Sport	School
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
2005	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2006	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2007	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2007	Women's swimming & diving	Drury
2007	Softball	SIU Edwardsville
2008	Women's basketball	Northern Kentucky
2008	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2009	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2009	Women's swimming & diving	Drury
2010	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2010	Women's swimming & diving	Drury
2010	Baseball	Southern Indiana
2010	Men's soccer	Northern Kentucky
2011	Men's basketball	Bellarmine
2011	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2011	Women's swimming & diving	Drury
2012	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2013	Men's basketball	Drury
2013	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2014	Men's swimming & diving	Drury
2014	Baseball	Southern Indiana
2015	Women's golf	Indianapolis
2017	Bowling	McKendree
2018	Women's golf	Indianapolis
2018	Softball	Southern Indiana
2021	Women's lacrosse	Lindenwood
2022	Bowling	McKendree
2022	Women's lacrosse	Indianapolis
2023	Men's swimming & diving	Indianapolis
2024	Women's golf	Indianapolis

See also

• Great Lakes Valley Conference men's basketball tournament
• Great Lakes Valley Conference women's basketball tournament
• List of Great Lakes Valley Conference football standings

Notes and References

1. Web site: Great Lakes Valley Conference (History) . January 23, 2023 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126012808/https://glvcsports.com/sports/2006/10/5/history_main.aspx . live .
2. Web site: Jay Stockman. Evansville Press. Search Ends: ISUE in Conference. July 14, 1978. December 29, 2022. December 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221229235909/https://www.newspapers.com/image/772967792/?terms=great%20lakes%20valley%20conference&match=1. live.
3. Web site: Evansville Courier and Press. GLVC hires new commissioner. August 4, 2000. January 23, 2023. January 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230126035335/https://www.newspapers.com/image/758878080/?terms=jim%20naumovich&match=1. live.
4. Web site: Steve Vied. Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. ISUE wins GLVC soccer title. November 8, 1981. March 19, 2023.
5. Web site: GLVC All-Sports Trophy . January 23, 2023 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126014237/https://glvcsports.com/sports/2022/11/30/22-23allsports.aspx . live .
6. Web site: GLVC Commissioner's Cup . January 23, 2023 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126014236/https://glvcsports.com/sports/2022/11/30/22-23commissionerscup.aspx . live .
7. GLVC Establishes Timeline for Football Sponsorship . January 19, 2010 . January 19, 2010 . June 17, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110617102307/http://www.glvcsports.com/news/2010/1/19/FB_0119105933.aspx . live .
8. Web site: McKendree to Become Member of Great Lakes Valley Conference | McKendree University .
9. GLVC Welcomes Two Associate Members for Football . October 8, 2010 . December 10, 2010 . June 17, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110617105229/http://www.glvcsports.com/news/2010/10/7/FB_1007104825.aspx . live .
10. Northern Kentucky to Join Atlantic Sun . Atlantic Sun Conference . December 8, 2011 . December 14, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120512113429/http://www.atlanticsun.org/mbasketball/news/2011-12/5920/northern-kentucky-to-join-atlantic-sun/ . May 12, 2012 .
11. Web site: Getting to Know the Truman State University Bulldogs .
12. Web site: Boyce's Beat: The MIAA Path of Lincoln's Football Return in 2019 . David . Boyce . Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association . October 25, 2018 . May 9, 2019 . May 9, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190509084322/http://www.themiaa.com/news/2018/10/25/boyces-beat-the-miaa-path-of-lincolns-football-return-to-the-miaa.aspx . live .
13. Web site: Bellarmine to start men's wrestling team. 14 June 2016 . Bellarmine University. June 14, 2016. June 18, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160618022041/http://athletics.bellarmine.edu/news/2016/6/13/general-bellarmine-to-start-mens-wrestling-team.aspx. live.
14. GLVC Announces Sport Sponsorship of Men's Lacrosse . Great Lakes Valley Conference . July 11, 2017 . February 19, 2020.
15. Web site: Alumni Short Of Goal To Stop St. Joseph's College Closure. 6 April 2017 . April 6, 2017. April 7, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170407145407/http://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/alumni-short-of-goal-to-stop-st-josephs-college-closure. live.
16. Web site: Mike Johnson. Kenosha News. Looking forward to the GLIAC: UW-Parkside coaches, athletes, alumni excited to switch conferences. September 27, 2017. January 23, 2023. January 26, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230126021329/https://www.newspapers.com/image/600344985/?terms=%22mike%20johnson%22&match=1. live.
17. GLVC Admits Lindenwood University as 16th Member . Great Lakes Valley Conference . October 4, 2018 . October 5, 2018 . October 5, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181005195127/https://glvcsports.com/news/2018/10/4/general-glvc-admits-lindenwood-university-as-16th-member.aspx . live .
18. GLVC Admits Southwest Baptist University as Full-Time Member . Great Lakes Valley Conference . May 31, 2018 . July 14, 2018 . June 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180619000547/http://glvcsports.com/news/2018/5/31/general-glvc-admits-southwest-baptist-university-as-full-time-member.aspx . live .
19. ASUN Conference Announces Addition of Bellarmine University . ASUN Conference . June 18, 2019 . June 18, 2019 . June 19, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190619175040/http://asunsports.org/general/2018-19/releases/20190617o5yrum . live .
20. GLVC Announces Sport Sponsorship of Women's Bowling . Great Lakes Valley Conference . July 3, 2019 . February 19, 2020 . February 19, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200219073539/https://glvcsports.com/news/2019/7/3/glvc-announces-sport-sponsorship-of-womens-bowling.aspx . live .
21. GLVC Announces Sport Sponsorship of Women's Lacrosse . Great Lakes Valley Conference . July 2, 2019 . February 19, 2020 . February 19, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200219073537/http://glvcsports.com/news/2019/7/2/glvc-announces-sport-sponsorship-of-womens-lacrosse.aspx . live .
22. University of Southern Indiana to Join the Ohio Valley Conference in 2022-23 . Ohio Valley Conference . February 9, 2022 . February 9, 2022 . April 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220403125654/http://ovcsports.com/news/2022/2/8/general-university-of-southern-indiana-to-join-the-ohio-valley-conference-in-2022-23.aspx . live .
23. Web site: 2022-02-23. Lindenwood sports moving to Division I and the Ohio Valley Conference. 2022-02-23. FOX 2. en-US. 2022-02-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20220223172219/https://fox2now.com/sports/lindenwood-sports-moving-to-division-i-and-the-ohio-valley-conference/. live.
24. GLVC Admits Upper Iowa University as Full Time Member . Upper Iowa University . November 29, 2022 . December 4, 2022 . December 1, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221201033436/https://uiupeacocks.com/news/2022/11/29/baseball-glvc-admits-upper-iowa-university-as-full-time-member.aspx . live .
25. Lincoln University Announces Move to GLVC, Additions of Baseball and Men's & Women's Soccer . Lincoln University . January 26, 2023 . January 26, 2023 . January 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230126230344/https://lubluetigers.com/news/2023/1/26/lincoln-university-announces-move-to-the-glvc-additions-of-baseball-and-mens-womens-soccer.aspx . live .
26. Web site: Men’s Volleyball Announced as Next GLVC Sport in 2025-26 . Great Lakes Valley Conference . July 25, 2024 . July 25, 2024.
27. UIndy Adds Women's Triathlon, Bowling for Upcoming Academic Year. May 6, 2024 . May 11, 2024.