Midwest Conference to Add Luther in 2026-27

GRINNELL, Iowa - The Midwest Conference (MWC) announced on Tuesday, June 3, that Luther College will join the league beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.
 
The addition of Luther solidifies the MWC's regional footprint, increasing membership to 10 schools - three in Iowa (Cornell, Grinnell, Luther), four in Illinois (Illinois College, Knox, Lake Forest, and Monmouth College), and three in Wisconsin (Beloit, Lawrence, and Ripon).

"On behalf of Illinois College, I would like to welcome Luther to the Midwest Conference," IC President Dr. Barbara Farley said. "Luther's mission and vision for its athletic programs perfectly align with the distinguishing characteristics of the current Midwest Conference experience. We are excited to welcome The Norse to our campus in the coming years."

"We are excited to welcome Luther to the Midwest Conference, IC Athletics Director Meghan Roman said. "The Norse have a great tradition of strong athletics and academics, and we know they will be another great addition to the league. We look forward to welcoming Luther's teams and fans to the Hilltop."
 
"While other leagues in our region are primarily state-identified, we truly are the DIII athletic conference of the Midwest," says Executive Director Heather Benning. "When the league was formed 104 years ago, the intent was to establish an interstate athletic union of like-minded institutions; what binds our schools isn't necessarily geographic proximity but rather a shared vision of the role of athletics in the undergraduate experience."
 
Schools in the Midwest Conference give primary attention to the educational purpose of athletics, while maintaining that academic and athletic achievement are not mutually exclusive. Competitive success, academic engagement and the holistic development of student-athletes are at the core of the Conference's mission.
 
"Luther's interest in the Midwest Conference was met with broad-based enthusiasm by the members of the Presidents' Council, " said Grinnell College President Anne Harris - who also serves as Chair of the Council. "Its mission and vision for its athletic programs perfectly complement that which we believe to be distinguishing characteristics of the Midwest Conference experience."
 
Luther sponsors all 18 league sports, in addition to six others - including men's and women's golf. The Norse have produced twenty-nine individual national champions and have been recipients of 355 All-America honors. Forty-three student-athletes have received the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and 73 have been awarded a College Sports Communicators (formerly known as CoSIDA) Academic All-America honor. Luther College is a Phi Beta Kappa institution, and the athletic department is a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society.
 
On the decision to move from the American Rivers Conference to the Midwest Conference, Luther College President Brad Chamberlain said: "Luther College is a proud Iowa college with a regional presence and a national reputation. At Luther, athletics is about community, character, and competition. Athletics at Luther is part of our holistic approach to learning that develops mind, body, and spirit. In the Midwest Conference, Luther finds partner institutions that share our philosophy towards athletics and that match the geographical diversity of our student body. Luther was honored to receive an invitation from the Midwest Conference, and we look forward to joining the league in 2026."
 
Founded in 1921, charter members of the league were Beloit College, Carleton College, Coe College, Cornell College, Knox College and Lawrence University.  Hamline College (now Hamline University) and Millikin College (now Millikin University) joined the league in December 1921 but later withdrew. Ripon College joined the Conference in 1923, Monmouth College in 1924, Grinnell College in 1940 and Lake Forest College in 1974. Illinois College and St. Norbert College joined in 1982, and Carroll College (now Carroll University) followed in 1992. Carleton withdrew following the 1982-83 academic year.  St. Olaf also competed in the conference from 1952-74, as did the University of Chicago from 1976-87. Coe and Cornell withdrew following the 1996-97 academic year, and in 2012 Cornell returned to the league. Carroll departed in July of 2016 and St. Norbert left with the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year.