The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes at the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

's Division II level. Member institutions are located in the states of Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

, and Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

.

The GLVC is considered one of the top small college basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 conferences in the nation and placed a team in the men's NCAA Division II final over 11 straight years from 1994 to 2004. The league also sponsors championships in soccer (men's and women's), cross country

Cross country running

Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 (men's and women's), golf

Golf

Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

 (men's and women's), tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

 (men's and women's), indoor and outdoor track and field

Track and field

Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

 (men's and women's) and women's volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

.

In October 2008 Maryville University

Maryville University

Maryville University of St. Louis is a private, coeducational university in Town and Country, Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1872 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic order established in France by women dedicated to education....

 (MO) and The University of Illinois at Springfield

University of Illinois at Springfield

The University of Illinois at Springfield is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The University was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995.The University of Illinois at...

 (UIS) accepted invitations to join the GLVC and began competing in the conference in the fall of 2009. For men's and women's basketball, the league will split into three divisions based on geography (East, North, and West) for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons, and will revert to two divisions when William Jewell College

William Jewell College

William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the...

 joins in 2011. Baseball and Tennis operate in a two-division format, while all other sports run a single table.

On January 19, 2010, the GLVC announced the addition of football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 as a league championship sport, beginning with the 2012 season. Kentucky Wesleyan

Kentucky Wesleyan College

Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, a city on the Ohio River. KWC is just 40 minutes east of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours north of Nashville, Tennessee, 2 hours west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 4 hours east of St. Louis, Missouri...

, Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology is an institution of higher learning located in Rolla, Missouri, United States, and part of the University of Missouri System...

 and Saint Joseph's will move from the Great Lakes Football Conference

Great Lakes Football Conference

The Great Lakes Football Conference began operations in the 2006 season, with six institutions competing. A previous incarnation of the conference was disbanded after the 1999 season.-Members:*Kentucky Wesleyan College...

, McKendree University and Quincy

Quincy University

Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...

 will move from the Mid-States Football Association

Mid-States Football Association

The Mid-States Football Association is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio. The MSFA was organized in 1993, and on-field competition began in 1994...

 of the NAIA

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...

 and Indianapolis

University of Indianapolis

The University of Indianapolis is a university located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The shortened name it uses is UIndy...

 will end its affiliate membership in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a competitive intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division II. The GLIAC was founded in June 1972. Member institutions are located in the midwestern United States in the States of Michigan and Ohio, with affiliate...

 to join William Jewell and form the seven-team league.

On October 6, 2010 it was announced that McKendree University accepted an invitation to the GLVC as the 17th member of the GLVC and begin participating in the conference in 2012. The following day, the conference announced that it had approved Central State University

Central State University

Central State University, commonly referred to as "C-State", is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. It is the only public HBCU in Ohio.-History:...

 and Urbana College for associate membership in football, increasing the number of teams which will compete in the initial season of football to nine.

On October 18, it was announced that a new league, the Great Midwest, is forming for 2013. Charter members include Kentucky Wesleyan from the GLVC along with Central State and Urbana (GLVC members in football). Joining them are Ursuline, Notre Dame, and Cedarville. The conference hopes to expand to 10 members. The involved sports haven't been announced. Kentucky Wesleyan, with its eight national basketball titles, is the biggest loss for the GLV. But, with only 680 students, the school had trouble competing in the other sports against much larger schools.

Current members

East Division

Institution	Team Nickname	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Year Joined
East Division
Bellarmine University Bellarmine University Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...	Knights	Louisville, Kentucky Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...	1950	Private Private university Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...	3,134	1978
University of Indianapolis University of Indianapolis The University of Indianapolis is a university located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The shortened name it uses is UIndy...	Greyhounds	Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...	1902	Private	4,300	1978
Kentucky Wesleyan College Kentucky Wesleyan College Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, a city on the Ohio River. KWC is just 40 minutes east of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours north of Nashville, Tennessee, 2 hours west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 4 hours east of St. Louis, Missouri...	Panthers Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers The Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers are the athletic teams of Kentucky Wesleyan College, which compete in the NCAA Division II and Great Lakes Valley Conference....	Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...	1858	Private	681	1978
Northern Kentucky University Northern Kentucky University |type = Public|president= Dr. James C. Votruba|city = Highland Heights|state = KY|country = U.S.|endowment = $68 million|students = 15,405|undergrad = 13,206|postgrad = 2,199|faculty = 1,159...	Norse Northern Kentucky Norse The Northern Kentucky Norse are the athletic teams of Northern Kentucky University, located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, United States. NKU is a NCAA Division II school that is part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference...	Highland Heights, Kentucky Highland Heights, Kentucky Highland Heights is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 6,554 at the 2000 census.Highland Heights is home to Northern Kentucky University...	1968	Public Public university A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...	15,405	1985
University of Southern Indiana University of Southern Indiana The University of Southern Indiana is a public university in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. This publicly funded institution has been among the fastest growingcomprehensive state universities in Indiana. Record fall enrollment in 2010 reached 10,702...	Screaming Eagles	Evansville, Indiana Evansville, Indiana Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...	1965	Public	10,540	1978
North Division
University of Illinois at Springfield University of Illinois at Springfield The University of Illinois at Springfield is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The University was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995.The University of Illinois at...	Prairie Stars	Springfield, Illinois Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...	1969	Public	5,174	2009
Lewis University Lewis University Lewis University is a private Roman Catholic and Lasallian university located in Romeoville, Illinois, United States . The enrollment is currently around 6,800 students...	Flyers	Romeoville, Illinois Romeoville, Illinois Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,153 at the 2000 census. As of 2006 the population has grown to 36,837. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near the newly constructed I-355 extension south from the Stevenson Expressway to I-80...	1932	Private	5,200	1980
Quincy University Quincy University Quincy University a private liberal arts Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition. It is located in Quincy, Illinois and currently enrolls around 1,300 students.-History:...	Hawks	Quincy, Illinois Quincy, Illinois Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...	1860	Private	1,269	1994
Saint Joseph's College	Pumas	Rensselaer, Indiana Rensselaer, Indiana -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,294 people, 2,158 households, and 1,404 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,824.8 people per square mile . There were 2,296 housing units at an average density of 791.4 per square mile...	1889	Private	991	1978
University of Wisconsin–Parkside	Rangers	Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha, Wisconsin Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...	1968	Public	5,000	1994
West Division
Drury University Drury University Drury University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Missouri.The university enrolls about 1,550 undergraduates, over 2,000 adult part-time undergraduates and around 400 graduate students in six master's programs...	Panthers	Springfield, Missouri Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...	1873	Private	5,100	2005
Maryville University Maryville University Maryville University of St. Louis is a private, coeducational university in Town and Country, Missouri, United States. It was founded in 1872 by the Religious of the Sacred Heart, a Roman Catholic order established in France by women dedicated to education....	Saints	St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...	1872	Private	3,400	2009
Missouri University of Science and Technology Missouri University of Science and Technology Missouri University of Science and Technology is an institution of higher learning located in Rolla, Missouri, United States, and part of the University of Missouri System...	Miners Missouri S&T Miners The Missouri S&T Miners athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of Missouri University of Science and Technology, located in Rolla. The name comes from the University's history as a mining school. Missouri S&T is a part of the University of Missouri System. The...	Rolla, Missouri Rolla, Missouri Rolla is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States, midway between the larger cities of St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The population in the 2010 United States Census was 19,559.It is the county seat of Phelps County...	1870	Public	6,100	2005
Rockhurst University Rockhurst University Rockhurst University is a private, coeducational Jesuit university located in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College. The school adheres to the motto etched into the stone of the campus bell tower: "Learning, Leadership, and Service in the Jesuit Tradition." It is one of 28...	Hawks	Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...	1910	Private	3,000	2005
University of Missouri–St. Louis University of Missouri–St. Louis The University of Missouri–St. Louis is one of four universities in the University of Missouri System. Established in 1963, it is the newest university in the UM System. , it is the largest university by enrollment in the St. Louis area with 16,548 students...	Tritons UMSL Tritons The University of Missouri–St. Louis Triton athletic programs compete in NCAA Division II and are members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.Athletic activities for students, including intercollegiate athletics, campus recreation, and intramurals, support the University of Missouri–St. Louis's...	St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...	1963	Public	15,548	1995

Joins as a full member

Institution	Team Nickname	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Year Joined
William Jewell College William Jewell College William Jewell College is a private, four-year liberal arts college of 1,100 undergraduate students located in Liberty, Missouri, U.S. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and other civic leaders, including Robert S. James, a Baptist minister and father of the...	Cardinals	Liberty, Missouri Liberty, Missouri Liberty is a city in Clay County, Missouri and is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. At the 2007 population estimate, the city population was 29,993...	1849	Private	1,050	2011
McKendree University	Bearcats	Lebanon, Illinois Lebanon, Illinois Lebanon is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,523 at the 2000 census. Like many other places in "Little Egypt" or Southern Illinois, Lebanon was named after the Middle Eastern country of the same name. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St...	1828	Private	3,500	2012

Joins in 2012 as football-only affiliate members

Institution	Team Nickname	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Year Joined
Central State University Central State University Central State University, commonly referred to as "C-State", is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. It is the only public HBCU in Ohio.-History:...	Marauders	Wilberforce, Ohio Wilberforce, Ohio Wilberforce is a census-designated place in Greene County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,579 at the 2000 census. The community was named for the English statesman William Wilberforce, who worked for abolition of slavery and achieved the end of the slave trade in the United Kingdom and...	1887	Public	2,798	2012
Urbana University Urbana University Urbana University is a private university specializing in liberal arts education. Urbana is located in Urbana, Ohio, approximately one hour west of Columbus and one hour northeast of Dayton.-History:...	Blue Knights	Urbana, Ohio Urbana, Ohio Urbana is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Ohio, United States, west of Columbus. Urbana was laid out in 1805, and for a time in 1812 was the headquarters of the Northwestern army. Urbana was named after the town of Urbanna, Virginia. It is the burial-place of the Indian fighter...	1850	Private	1,505	2012

In 2009, Rockhurst applied for membership in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association is a college athletic conference which operates in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and effective in 2012 in Oklahoma in the Midwestern United States. The conference was formerly known as the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic...

 which would allow it to compete with geographically closer teams. There was some reluctance by the MIAA, since Rockhurst does not have a football team. On July 2, 2009, the MIAA voted against taking Rockhurst, deciding to stay with 12 teams for time being.

Former members

Institution	Team Nickname	Location	Founded	Type	Enrolmment	Year Joined	Year Left	Current Conference
Ashland University Ashland University Ashland University is a mid-sized, private, non-profit university that is located in Ashland, Ohio.The University offers 73 undergraduate majors and nine pre-professional programs. The majors include toxicology/environmental science and entrepreneurship, which are unusual for an institution of its...	Eagles	Ashland, Ohio Ashland, Ohio Ashland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Ashland County. The population was 21,249 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Ashland Micropolitan Statistical Area...	1878	Private	6,500	1978	1994	Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a competitive intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division II. The GLIAC was founded in June 1972. Member institutions are located in the midwestern United States in the States of Michigan and Ohio, with affiliate...
Kentucky State University Kentucky State University Kentucky State University is a four-year institution of higher learning, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, United States, the Commonwealth's capital. The school is an historically black university, which desegregated in 1954...	Thorobreds and Thorobrettes	Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...	1886	Public	2,341	1989	1994	Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a College athletic conference consisting of historically black colleges and universities located in the southern United States. Formed in 1913, the SIAC is a member of the NCAA and participates in Division II athletics...
IPFW Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne is the largest university in northern Indiana, United States, offering more than 200 Indiana University and Purdue University degrees and certificates. Since 1968, IPFW has conferred nearly 8,800 master’s degrees, 27,000 bachelor’s degrees, more...	Mastodons IPFW Mastodons The IPFW Mastodons are the athletic teams of Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne. The Mastodons compete as an National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I school in the The Summit League for most sports and in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association for men's...	Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...	1964	Public	14,300	1984	2001	The Summit League (Division I)
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, commonly abbreviated SIUE, is a four-year coed public university in Edwardsville, Illinois about from St. Louis, Missouri. SIUE was established in 1957 as an extension of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and is the younger of the two largest...	Cougars SIU Edwardsville Cougars The Cougars are the intercollegiate athletic teams of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The Cougars are a member of NCAA Division I and compete within the Ohio Valley Conference...	Edwardsville, Illinois Edwardsville, Illinois Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,293. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, then Governor of the Illinois...	1957	Public	10,920	1994	2008	Ohio Valley Conference Ohio Valley Conference The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...  (Division I)