West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

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West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(WVIAC)
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference logo
Established 1924
Dissolved 2013
Association NCAA
Division Division II
Members 15
Sports fielded 16 (men's: 8; women's: 8)
Region Appalachia
Headquarters Princeton, West Virginia
Commissioner Barry Blizzard (since 1987)
Website wviac.org
Locations
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference locations

The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) was a collegiate athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but expanded into Pennsylvania in its final years. It participated in the NCAA's Division II, but held its final athletic competitions in spring 2013, and officially disbanded on September 1 of that year. Its football-playing members announced in June 2012 that they planned to withdraw to form a new Division II conference effective at the end of the 2012–13 season; this led to a chain of conference moves that saw all but one of the WVIAC's members find new conference homes.

History

The conference was rated as one of the oldest in intercollegiate athletics, dating back to its founding in 1924 by the West Virginia Department of Education.

In its final school year of 2012–13, the WVIAC offered championships in 16 sports and was headquartered in Princeton, West Virginia. Men's championships were offered in football, basketball, baseball, track, cross country, soccer, tennis, and golf. Women's titles were contested in volleyball, softball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track, tennis, and golf.

The WVIAC moved into the NCAA Division II in 1994 after its long affiliation with the NAIA.

Its post-season basketball tournament, which was first conducted in 1936, was at the time of the conference's demise one of the oldest college post-season tournaments in continuous existence—only the Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, established in 1922, was older.

WVIAC breakup

On June 18, 2012, nine football-playing members of the WVIAC announced they would withdraw from the league to form a new regional all-sports conference.[1]

The WVIAC officially ceased to exist on September 1, 2013.[2] Eight of the nine football-playing members (Concord, Charleston, Fairmont State, Glenville State, Shepherd, West Liberty, West Virginia State, and West Virginia Wesleyan) and one non-football playing member (Wheeling Jesuit) of the conference joined a provisional D-II member from Virginia (UVA-Wise) and two associate Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference members from Ohio (Notre Dame and Urbana) to form a new all-sports conference, the Mountain East Conference.[3] Seton Hill and Pitt-Johnstown joined the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Three of the remaining non-football members (Alderson–Broaddus, Davis & Elkins, and Ohio Valley) accepted invitations to join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.[4] By the end of August 2012, the only WVIAC member without a conference home for 2013–14 was Bluefield State.

Member schools leaving before 2013

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Current Conference
Alderson College Alderson, West Virginia 1901 Private ? ? 1924 1932 merged to form Alderson–Broaddus College
Broaddus College Philippi, West Virginia 1871 Private ? ? 1924 1932
West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia 1867 Public 29,707 Mountaineers 1924 1927 Big 12
Morehead State University Morehead, Kentucky 1887 Public 11,172 Eagles 1929 1933 OVC
Mountain State University Beckley, West Virginia 1933 Private 8,200 Cougars 1946 1977 KIAC (NAIA) until 2011-12
n/a - lost accreditation1
Marshall University2 Huntington, West Virginia 1837 Public 13,450 Thundering Herd 1924 1949 C-USA
Bethany College Bethany, West Virginia 1840 Private 1,030 Bison 1924 1962 Presidents' (NCAA DIII)
Potomac State College
of West Virginia University		 Keyser, West Virginia 1901 Public ? Catamounts 1924 1963 PCAA (NJCAA)
West Virginia University
Institute of Technology		 Montgomery, West Virginia 1895 Public 1,106 Golden Bears 1924 2006 NAIA/USCAA Independent
Salem International University Salem, West Virginia 1888 Private 835 Tigers 1924 2010 G-MAC
Notes
  1. - Mountain State's main campus (Beckley) became the University of Charleston–Beckley on January 1, 2013.
  2. - Marshall stopped competition in the conference when it joined the Buckeye Conference in 1932, but was required by state regulations to remain a member on a technical basis until 1949.

Member schools at breakup

Institution1 Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined Left New Conference
Alderson Broaddus University* Philippi, West Virginia 1871 Private 800 Battlers 1932 2013 G-MAC
Bluefield State College* Bluefield, West Virginia 1895 Public 1,800 Big Blues (men's)
Lady Blues (women's)		 1955 2013 D-II Independent (most sports)
ECAC (some sports)
University of Charleston Charleston, West Virginia 1888 Private 1,315 Golden Eagles 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
Concord University Athens, West Virginia 1872 Public 3,000 Mountain Lions (men's)
Lady Lions (women's)		 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
Davis & Elkins College* Elkins, West Virginia 1904 Private 600 Senators
Lady Senators		 1924 2013 G-MAC
Fairmont State University Fairmont, West Virginia 1865 Public 7,000 Falcons 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
Glenville State College Glenville, West Virginia 1872 Public 1,600 Pioneers (men's)
Lady Pioneers (women's)		 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
Ohio Valley University* Vienna, West Virginia 1960 Private 512 Fighting Scots 1999 2013 G-MAC
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown* Johnstown, Pennsylvania 1927 Public 3,029 Mountain Cats 2006 2013 PSAC
Seton Hill University Greensburg, Pennsylvania 1883 Private 1,860 Griffins 2006 2013 PSAC
Shepherd University Shepherdstown, West Virginia 1871 Public 3,900 Rams 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
West Liberty University West Liberty, West Virginia 1837 Public 2,400 Hilltoppers (men's)
Lady Toppers (women's)		 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
West Virginia State University Institute, West Virginia 1891 Public 5,000 Yellow Jackets 1955 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West Virginia 1890 Private 1,400 Bobcats (men's)
Lady Bobcats (women's)		 19242 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
Wheeling Jesuit University* Wheeling, West Virginia 1954 Private 1,232 Cardinals 1957 2013 Mountain East (MEC)
Notes
  1. - All colleges are listed by their names as of 2013; most have had name changes over the years. See articles on individual schools for details.
  2. - West Virginia Wesleyan left the WVIAC after the 1985-86 season, and later returned in the 1988-89 season.
* - Denotes a non-football member

Membership timeline

References

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External links

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