Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
|
---|---|
Established | 1972 |
Association | NCAA |
Division | Division II |
Members | 15 (12 in 2017) (11 in 2018) |
Sports fielded | 21 (men's: 10; women's: 11) |
Region | Great Lakes |
Headquarters | Bay City, Michigan |
Commissioner | Jeff Ligney (interim) (since 2016) |
Website | www |
Locations | |
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a competitive collegiate 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 members in Indiana and Illinois. Charter members include Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Lake Superior State, Northwood, and Saginaw Valley State. Former members include Oakland (1972–1997) and Westminster (1997–2000).
Sponsorship of football was dropped by the GLIAC after the 1989 season. Conference schools sponsoring football joined with football-playing members of the Heartland Football Conference to form the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC), which began play in 1990. The MIFC merged with the GLIAC in July 1999 and the GLIAC resumed sponsorship of football that fall.
Tiffin University joined the GLIAC on July 1, 2008.Gannon University and Mercyhurst College left the GLIAC for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference on July 1, 2008.