The Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference (MWLC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III women's lacrosse-only college athletic conference composed of schools located in the Midwestern United States. All schools are members of other conferences in other sports and formed the MWLC until such time as their existing conferences add lacrosse.
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Commissioner | KatieJo Svenson (Interim) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division III |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Headquarters | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Region | Midwestern United States |
| Official website | mlc-mwlc.org |
The Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference (MWLC) was founded in 2010 and began play during the spring of 2011. The conference enters its 14th season in the spring of 2024.
The conference comprises NCAA Division III institutions located throughout the Midwest including Augsburg (Minneapolis, Minn.), Cornell (Mt. Vernon, Iowa), Hamline (Saint Paul, Minn.), Lake Forest (Lake Forest, Ill.), Northwestern (St. Paul, Minn.), and Saint Benedict (St. Joseph, Minn.).
Adrian, Albion and Trine left the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference after the 2012 season when the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) began sponsoring women's lacrosse. The CCIW and HCAC institutions left the MWLC after the 2014 season along with Dubuque and Fontbonne.
Cornell, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Wartburg began conference play in the spring of 2015, joining members Aurora, Beloit, Benedictine, Concordia Wisconsin, and Loras. Augsburg and Concordia Chicago joined the spring of 2016, while Hamline and Monmouth joined the MWLC ranks in the spring of 2017. Marian and Northwestern became members in the spring of 2019.
At the conclusion of the 2020 season, the NACC institutions left the MWLC to compete in their core conference. Beloit departed after the 2021 season due to joining the NACC as an affiliate member. Loras also departed after the 2021 season due to suspending its program.
Lake Forest joined the MWLC in 2022 and Saint Benedict in 2023.
Monmouth and Wartburg departed after the 2023 season due to suspending their programs.[1]
Member schools
edit| Institution | City | State | Team Name | Affiliation | Enrollment | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augsburg University | Minneapolis | Minnesota | Auggies | Private/Lutheran | 3,000 | MIAC |
| Cornell College | Mount Vernon | Iowa | Rams | Private/Methodist | 1,197 | Midwest |
| Hamline University | St. Paul | Minnesota | Pipers | Private/Methodist | 2,100 | MIAC |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest | Illinois | Foresters | Private/Non-sectarian | 1,700 | Midwest |
| Northwestern (Minn.) | Roseville | Minnesota | Eagles | Private (Nondenominational) | 2,944 | UMAC |
| College of Saint Benedict | St. Joseph | Minnesota | Bennies | Roman Catholic (Benedictines) | 1,400 | MIAC |