West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) was a collegiate athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but briefly had one Kentucky member in its early years, and expanded into Pennsylvania in its final years. It participated in the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), originally affiliated in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) until 1995, 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 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.

West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
AssociationNCAA (1993–2013)
NAIA (until 1995)
Founded1924
Ceased2013
CommissionerBarry Blizzard (1987–2013)
Sports fielded
  • 16
    • men's: 8
    • women's: 8
DivisionDivision II
No. of teams15
HeadquartersPrinceton, West Virginia
RegionAppalachia
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

History

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The conference was 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 1995 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.

Chronological timeline

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WVIAC breakup

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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] The final remaining member, Bluefield State, competed as a D-II independent for 9 years before being invited to rejoin its former conference in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2023.[5]

Member schools at breakup

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Institution[a] Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference
Current
conference
Alderson Broaddus University[b] Philippi, West Virginia 1871 ABCUSA 800 Battlers 1932 2013 Great Midwest (G-MAC)[c]
(2013–20)
Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2020–23)
Closed in 2023
Bluefield State College[b][d] Bluefield, West Virginia 1895 Public 1,800 Big Blues &
Lady Blues
1955 2013 D-II Independent
(2013–23)
Central (CIAA)[c]
(2023–present)
University of Charleston Charleston, West Virginia 1888 Nonsectarian 1,315 Golden Eagles 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–present)
Concord University Athens, West Virginia 1872 Public 3,000 Mountain Lions &
Lady Lions
1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–present)
Davis & Elkins College[b] Elkins, West Virginia 1904 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
600 Senators
Lady Senators
1924 2013 Great Midwest (G-MAC)[c]
(2013–19)
Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2019–present)
Fairmont State University Fairmont, West Virginia 1865 Public 7,000 Fighting Falcons 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–present)
Glenville State College[e] Glenville, West Virginia 1872 Public 1,600 Pioneers &
Lady Pioneers
1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–present)
Ohio Valley University[b] Vienna, West Virginia 1960 Church of Christ 512 Fighting Scots 1999 2013 Great Midwest (G-MAC)[c]
(2013–21)
Closed in 2021[f]
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown[b] Johnstown, Pennsylvania 1927 Public 3,029 Mountain Cats 2006 2013 Pennsylvania (PSAC)[c]
(2013–present)
Seton Hill University Greensburg, Pennsylvania 1883 Catholic
(S.C.S.H.)
1,860 Griffins 2006 2013 Pennsylvania (PSAC)[c]
(2013–present)
Shepherd University Shepherdstown, West Virginia 1871 Public 3,900 Rams 1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–19)
Pennsylvania (PSAC)[c]
(2019–present)
West Liberty University West Liberty, West Virginia 1837 Public 2,400 Hilltoppers &
Lady Toppers
1924 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–present)
West Virginia State University Institute, West Virginia 1891 Public 5,000 Yellow Jackets 1955 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–present)
West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West Virginia 1890 United Methodist 1,400 Bobcats &
Lady Bobcats
1924[g] 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–present)
Wheeling University[b][h] Wheeling, West Virginia 1954 Nonsectarian 1,232 Cardinals 1957 2013 Mountain East (MEC)[c]
(2013–present)
Notes
  1. ^ All colleges are listed by their names as of 2020; most have had name changes over the years. See articles on individual schools for details.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Non-football member at time of breakup.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  4. ^ Currently known as Bluefield State University since 2022.
  5. ^ Currently known as Glenville State University since 2022.
  6. ^ Ohio Valley's final conference affiliation was the River States Conference (RSC) during the 2021–22 school year. However, the school announced that it had close at the end of the fall 2021 semester without completing the rest of the 2021–22 school year.
  7. ^ West Virginia Wesleyan left the WVIAC after the 1985–86 school year; before rejoining in the 1988–89 school year.
  8. ^ Wheeling added football in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 school year).

Member schools leaving before 2013

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Institution[a] Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Current
conference
Alderson College Alderson, West Virginia 1901 ABCUSA ? ? 1924 1932 defunct[b]
Broaddus College Philippi, West Virginia 1871 ABCUSA ? ? 1924 1932
West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia 1867 Public 29,707 Mountaineers 1924 1927 Big 12[c]
Morehead State University Morehead, Kentucky 1887 Public 11,172 Eagles 1929 1933 Ohio Valley (OVC)[c]
Mountain State University Beckley, West Virginia 1933 Nonsectarian 8,200 Cougars 1946 1977 Closed in 2012[d]
Marshall University[e] Huntington, West Virginia 1837 Public 13,450 Thundering Herd 1924 1948 Sun Belt[c]
Bethany College Bethany, West Virginia 1840 Disciples of Christ 1,030 Bison 1924 1962 Presidents' (PAC)[f]
Potomac State College of West Virginia University Keyser, West Virginia 1901 Public ? Catamounts 1924 1963 Pennsylvania (PCAA)[g]
West Virginia University Institute of Technology[h] Montgomery, West Virginia[i] 1895 Public 1,106 Golden Bears 1924 2006 River States (RSC)[j]
Salem University[k] Salem, West Virginia 1888 For-profit 835 Tigers 1924 2010 D-II Independent
Notes
  1. ^ All colleges are listed by their most recent names—the final names of defunct institutions, and names in use by existing institutions as of 2020. Most have had name changes over the years; see articles on individual schools for details.
  2. ^ Both Alderson College and Broaddus College merged to form the school now known as Alderson Broaddus University.
  3. ^ a b c Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
  4. ^ Mountain State's main campus in Beckley became the University of Charleston–Beckley on January 1, 2013. UC later established a new Beckley campus in 2015, leaving the former Mountain State campus, which was sold to West Virginia University and to where West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) moved in 2017.
  5. ^ Marshall stopped competition in the conference when it joined the Buckeye Conference from 1932–33 to 1938–39, but was required by state regulations to remain a member on a technical basis until 1949. Marshall was a non-competing member of the WVIAC from 1939–40 to 1947–48, when the Herd joined the Ohio Valley Conference (1948–49 to 1951–52), but Marshall had players picked for All-WVIAC during the decade as a non-competing member.
  6. ^ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  7. ^ Currently an NJCAA athletic conference.
  8. ^ Formerly known as West Virginia Institute of Technology before 1996.
  9. ^ WVU Tech is now located in Beckley, but its campus was in Montgomery throughout the existence of the WVIAC.
  10. ^ Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
  11. ^ Formerly known as Salem International University before September 2017.

Membership timeline

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Seton Hill UniversityUniversity of Pittsburgh at JohnstownOhio Valley UniversityWheeling UniversityWest Virginia State UniversityBluefield State CollegeMountain State UniversityAlderson Broaddus UniversityMorehead State UniversityWest Virginia Wesleyan CollegeWest Virginia University Institute of TechnologyWest Virginia UniversityWest Liberty UniversityShepherd UniversitySalem UniversityPotomac State College of West Virginia UniversityMarshall UniversityGlenville State CollegeFairmont State UniversityDavis & Elkins CollegeConcord UniversityUniversity of CharlestonAlderson Broaddus UniversityBethany College (West Virginia)Alderson Broaddus University

References

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  1. ^ "A Break Up For WVIAC". WV Metro News. June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  2. ^ "NCAA ADDS MOUNTAIN EAST CONFERENCE AS NEWEST DIVISION II LEAGUE" (Press release). Mountain East Conference. February 15, 2013. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013.
  3. ^ "A New conference Called Mountain East". August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  4. ^ "G-MAC News: Conference Adds Three New Members" (Press release). Great Midwest Athletic Conference. August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  5. ^ CIAA expected to add Bluefield State, cut ties with Chowan