Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference - History

History

In 1913, representatives from Wisconsin's eight normal schools--Superior Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Superior), River Falls State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-River Falls), Stevens Point Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point), La Crosse State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse), Oshkosh State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh), Whitewater Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater), Milwaukee State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and Platteville Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Platteville)--met in Madison to organize the Wisconsin State Normal Conference. The Stout Institute (now the University of Wisconsin-Stout) joined in 1914, followed by Eau Claire State Normal School (now the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) in 1917.

The conference evolved with the growing educational mission of its member schools. It changed its name to the Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference in 1926, and the Wisconsin State College Conference in 1951. Finally, in 1964, it became the Wisconsin State University Conference. The conference remained unusually stable over the years; the only change in membership being UW-Milwaukee's departure in 1964.

In 1971, the member schools of the WSUC joined with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Carthage College to form the Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. By 1975, UW-Milwaukee, Carroll College, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Marquette University had also joined. With the dissolution of the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women in 1982, the member schools joined their male counterparts in either the NCAA or NAIA. By 1993, the non-NCAA Division III members had all dropped out, resulting in the WWIAC having the same membership as the WSUC. Under the circumstances, a merger was inevitable. In 1996, Gary Karner was named commissioner of both the WSUC and the WWIAC. The two conferences formally merged in 1997 to form the current WIAC.