| Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference | |
|---|---|
| WHAC | |
){kind=logo} | |
| Established | 1992 |
| Association | NAIA |
| Members | 12 |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Region | Midwest (East North Central) |
| Headquarters | Livonia, Michigan |
| Commissioner | Rob Miller |
| Website | www.whac.net |
| Locations | |
) | |
The Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) is a college athletic conference of twelve colleges and universities in the U.S. states of Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. Founded in 1992, the conference was created as a successor group for the now-defunct NAIA District 23. The conference is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and is headquartered in Livonia, Michigan.
The WHAC announced on January 27, 2012, added bowling and lacrosse for both men and women as conference sports effective the fall of 2012, becoming the first NAIA conference to offer championships in these sports.[1]
On October 13, 2016, the Council of Presidents unanimously voted to accept Rochester College (now Rochester University) into the conference beginning with the 2017–2018 academic year.[2]
Men's ice hockey was added as a conference sport effective the fall of 2017, making the WHAC the first conference in the NAIA to offer ice hockey as a conference championship sport.[3] Initially, the five conference members that sponsor ice hockey will participate in a conference championship.[3][4] In July 2017, Concordia University Ann Arbor announced that the university will begin an ice hockey program and begin competition in the NAIA Division and WHAC Hockey Conference in the 2018-19 season.[5]
Member schools
Current members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aquinas College | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1886 | Private/Catholic | 2,300 | Saints | 1992 |
| Cleary University | Howell, Michigan | 1883 | Private/Nonsectarian | 600 | Cougars | 2018 |
| Concordia University Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor, Michigan | 1963 | Private/LCMS | 1,200 | Cardinals | 1992 |
| Cornerstone University | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1941 | Private/Christian | 2,200 | Golden Eagles | 1992 |
| Indiana Institute of Technology | Fort Wayne, Indiana | 1930 | Private/Nonsectarian | 7,000 | Warriors | 1998 |
| Lawrence Technological University | Southfield, Michigan | 1932 | Private/Nonsectarian | 3,000 | Blue Devils | 2012 |
| Lourdes University | Sylvania, Ohio | 1958 | Private/Catholic | 1,500 | Gray Wolves | 2011 |
| Madonna University | Livonia, Michigan | 1930 | Private/Catholic | 3,100 | Crusaders | 1997 |
| University of Michigan–Dearborn | Dearborn, Michigan | 1959 | Public | 9,500 | Wolverines | 2004 |
| University of Northwestern Ohio | Lima, Ohio | 1920 | Private/Nonsectarian | 3,500 | Racers | 2010 |
| Rochester University | Rochester Hills, Michigan | 1959 | Private/Churches of Christ | 1,100 | Warriors | 2017 |
| Siena Heights University | Adrian, Michigan | 1919 | Private/Catholic | 2,500 | Saints | 1992 |
Former members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport University | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 1866 | Panthers | 2005 | 2017 | GLIAC (NCAA D-II) |
| Spring Arbor University | Spring Arbor, Michigan | 1873 | Cougars | 1992 | 2004 | Crossroads |
| Trine University | Angola, Indiana | 1884 | Thunder | 1992 | 2003 | MIAA (NCAA D-III) |
| Marygrove College | Detroit, Michigan | 1899 | Mustangs | 2012 | 20181 | Discontinued athletics;1 closed in 2019 |
Note:
1 - Marygrove announced that all athletics would cease after the 2017 fall season (with men's & women's soccer and volleyball remaining) of the 2017-18 academic year; with their August 2017 announcement of the closing of school's undergraduate programs.[6]
Membership timeline
Sports
WHAC offers 11 men's and 11 women's sports.
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  | |
| Basketball | | |
| Bowling | | |
| Cross Country | | |
| Golf | | |
| Ice Hockey | | |
| Lacrosse | | |
| Soccer | | |
| Softball | | |
| Tennis | | |
| Track & Field Indoor | | |
| Track & Field Outdoor | | |
| Volleyball | |
References
- ^ "WHAC Adds Two Conference Sports for 2012-13". WHAC. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ "Rochester College Unanimously Accepted Into Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference". Rochester College. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
- ^ a b "WHAC adds hockey and Tech gets tourney". The Journal Gazette. July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "2017-18 MEN'S ICE HOCKEY". WHAC. 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "HOCKEY TO BE ADDED TO CUAA ATHLETIC PROGRAM OFFERINGS". Concordia University Ann Arbor. June 23, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ "What you need to know about the closing of Marygrove College". model D. October 29, 2019.