GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is proud to welcome Concordia-St. Paul (CSP) and Upper Iowa (UIU) as affiliate members in women's lacrosse. CSP will start competing in the GLIAC beginning with the 2017-18 season, while UIU will enter league competition in 2018-19.
"The GLIAC is extremely excited to have both Concordia-St. Paul and Upper Iowa join the league as affiliate members in women's lacrosse," stated Kris Dunbar, GLIAC Commissioner. "Our agreement with the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference will help grow women's lacrosse and we are hopeful this will encourage schools throughout the region to start programs and give more opportunities to student-athletes."
Concordia-St. Paul and Upper Iowa's affiliate membership applications were recently approved by the GLIAC Council of Presidents. Both programs will continue to compete as full members in all other sports in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The GLIAC and the NSIC reached an agreement which states any other NSC institution who starts the sport will automatically gain GLIAC membership until the NSIC has enough teams to sponsor NCAA Division II women's lacrosse.
"Becoming an affiliate member of the GLIAC allows us to reach the next milestone in our NCAA lacrosse journey. We are thrilled to have a competitive league where our lacrosse student-athletes can have the same type of experiences that the rest of our teams have – competing for conference championships, creating rivalries, and eligibility for conference awards," said Regan McAthie, Concordia-St. Paul Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator. "We are joining a quality conference with coaches and administrators who are passionate about growing the game of lacrosse, and we are honored to partner with them and call the GLIAC home."
"We are excited about this great opportunity for our women's lacrosse program," said David Miller, Upper Iowa Director of Athletics. "Our student-athletes will have a home immediately in the GLIAC and participate in a championship experience. We are eager to help grow the sport of women's lacrosse and the established programs within the GLIAC will provide us with a great blueprint for success."
CSP began sponsoring women's lacrosse during the 2016-17 academic year, while UIU will play its inaugural season starting in 2018-19. Concordia-St. Paul and Upper Iowa will become the seventh and eighth women's lacrosse team in the league and the third and fourth associate member alongside Indianapolis and McKendree. The four full GLIAC women's lacrosse members include Davenport, Grand Valley State, Northern Michigan and Tiffin.