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BAY CITY, Mich. — The Great Lakes
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has offered affiliate
membership status to Notre Dame College (Ohio) in the sports of
football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and wrestling.
Notre Dame will officially begin its affiliate membership in the
conference on July 1, 2012.
“The GLIAC is excited to have Notre Dame
College as an affiliate member in the sports of football,
men’s and women’s soccer, and wrestling,” stated
GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson. “This partnership
will help enhance the student-athlete experience for both NDC and
the GLIAC, while strengthening these four sports at regional and
national levels. The GLIAC is looking forward to establishing
a great relationship with Notre Dame College.”
The Falcons will compete as GLIAC members in
football, men’s and women’s soccer, and wrestling
beginning next fall. The GLIAC currently includes five other
Ohio schools — Ashland University, the University of Findlay,
Lake Erie College, Ohio Dominican University and Tiffin University.
Two more Ohio institutions, Malone University and Walsh University,
were recently accepted as full members and will begin competition
in the GLIAC in the Fall of 2012. In most sports, including
football, the highly successful circuit is split into two
divisions, North and South. Notre Dame will compete as a
member of the South Division in football and women’s soccer.
Men’s soccer and wrestling currently do not have
divisions.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity
to participate with peer institutions in the GLIAC,” said
Notre Dame President Dr. Andrew P. Roth. “We feel it is a
good fit for our athletic programs in many ways. The spirit of
healthy competition, the respect for high-caliber sportsmanship,
and the priority placed on the “student” part of our
student-athletes complement our College’s mission of
preparing students for personal, professional and global
responsibility. We eagerly anticipate beginning conference
competition.”
Notre Dame’s football, soccer and
wrestling programs currently compete as independents. Overall, NDC
sponsors 24 varsity collegiate athletic teams. In 2011-12,
the College is in its provisional year in the NCAA membership
process, which was initiated in 2008.
That same year — 2008 — is when
Notre Dame announced it would add football as a varsity sport; in
football the Falcons have gone 7-15 in their first two varsity
seasons (2010-11). The College has had women’s soccer
since 1995, men’s soccer since 2001 and wrestling since
2006. The NDC Men’s Soccer and Wrestling programs have
each earned national acclaim in recent years. In men’s
soccer, Notre Dame has gone 42-1 over the last two seasons
(2010-11). In 2010 the team advanced to the championship game
of the NAIA National Tournament. On the mats, the Wresting
Falcons won back-to-back NAIA championships the last two seasons
(2010-11), and individually seven wrestlers have won titles in the
program’s short history.
“Notre Dame is looking forward to
membership in this conference,” said NDC Athletic Director
Dr. John P. Galovic. “The GLIAC has a reputation for
being a very competitive conference and a leader in the promotion
of intercollegiate athletics for men and women. We’re
pleased to have the opportunity to join such a
conference.”
Notre Dame College is located in South Euclid,
Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The College was founded in 1922
as a private, Catholic, four-year liberal arts institution for
women. In 2001, NDC admitted men, paving the way for record
growth through the addition of new academic programs and an
expansion of athletic programs.
Founded in 1972, the GLIAC has been a leader in
the advancement and promotion of intercollegiate athletics for men
and women for 40 years. The league boasts 14 full members, nine of
which are located in Michigan, and five in Ohio. The
GLIAC’s members in Michigan include: Ferris State
University, Grand Valley State University, Hillsdale College, Lake
Superior State University, Michigan Technological University,
Northern Michigan University, Northwood University, Saginaw Valley
State University, and Wayne State University. The
league’s Ohio institutions include: Ashland University, the
University of Findlay, Lake Erie College, Ohio Dominican University
and Tiffin University.
The GLIAC conducts championships in 21 sports,
11 for men and 10 for women. The GLIAC Executive Council is
comprised of three representatives from each institution - its
director of athletics, senior woman administrator, and faculty
athletics representative.