West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) was a collegiate athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but briefly had one Kentucky member in its early years, and expanded into Pennsylvania in its final years. It participated in the NCAA's Division II, but held its final athletic competitions in spring 2013, and officially disbanded on September 1 of that year. Its football-playing members announced in June 2012 that they planned to withdraw to form a new Division II conference effective at the end of the 2012–13 season; this led to a chain of conference moves that saw all but one of the WVIAC's members find new conference homes.

West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
WVIAC
Established1924
Dissolved2013
AssociationNCAA
DivisionDivision II
Members15
Sports fielded
  • 16
    • men's: 8
    • women's: 8
RegionAppalachia
HeadquartersPrinceton, West Virginia
CommissionerBarry Blizzard (since 1987)
Locations

History

The conference was rated as one of the oldest in intercollegiate athletics, dating back to its founding in 1924 by the West Virginia Department of Education.

In its final school year of 2012–13, the WVIAC offered championships in 16 sports and was headquartered in Princeton, West Virginia. Men's championships were offered in football, basketball, baseball, track, cross country, soccer, tennis, and golf. Women's titles were contested in volleyball, softball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track, tennis, and golf.

The WVIAC moved into the NCAA Division II in 1994 after its long affiliation with the NAIA.

Its post-season basketball tournament, which was first conducted in 1936, was at the time of the conference's demise one of the oldest college post-season tournaments in continuous existence—only the Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, established in 1922, was older.

WVIAC breakup

On June 18, 2012, nine football-playing members of the WVIAC announced they would withdraw from the league to form a new regional all-sports conference.[1]

The WVIAC officially ceased to exist on September 1, 2013.[2] Eight of the nine football-playing members (Concord, Charleston, Fairmont State, Glenville State, Shepherd, West Liberty, West Virginia State, and West Virginia Wesleyan) and one non-football playing member (Wheeling Jesuit) of the conference joined a provisional D-II member from Virginia (UVA-Wise) and two associate Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference members from Ohio (Notre Dame and Urbana) to form a new all-sports conference, the Mountain East Conference.[3] Seton Hill and Pitt-Johnstown joined the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Three of the remaining non-football members (Alderson–Broaddus, Davis & Elkins, and Ohio Valley) accepted invitations to join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.[4] By the end of August 2012, the only WVIAC member without a conference home for 2013–14 was Bluefield State.

Member schools leaving before 2013
Institution[lower-alpha 1] Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Current conference
Alderson College Alderson, West Virginia 1901 Private ? ? 1924 1932 merged to form the school now known as Alderson Broaddus University
Broaddus College Philippi, West Virginia 1871 Private ? ? 1924 1932
West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia 1867 Public 29,707 Mountaineers 1924 1927 Big 12
Morehead State University Morehead, Kentucky 1887 Public 11,172 Eagles 1929 1933 OVC
Mountain State University Beckley, West Virginia 1933 Private 8,200 Cougars 1946 1977 KIAC (NAIA) until 2011-12[lower-alpha 2]
n/a - closed in 2012[lower-alpha 3]
Marshall University[lower-alpha 4] Huntington, West Virginia 1837 Public 13,450 Thundering Herd 1924 1949 C-USA
Bethany College Bethany, West Virginia 1840 Private 1,030 Bison 1924 1962 Presidents' (NCAA DIII)
Potomac State College
of West Virginia University		 Keyser, West Virginia 1901 Public ? Catamounts 1924 1963 PCAA (NJCAA)
West Virginia University
Institute of Technology		 Montgomery, West Virginia[lower-alpha 5] 1895 Public 1,106 Golden Bears 1924 2006 River States (NAIA)
Salem University Salem, West Virginia 1888 Private 835 Tigers 1924 2010 Independent (D-II)
Notes
  1. All colleges are listed by their most recent names—the final names of defunct institutions, and names in use by existing institutions as of 2020. Most have had name changes over the years; see articles on individual schools for details.
  2. The Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference changed its name to the River States Conference in July 2016.
  3. Mountain State's main campus in Beckley became the University of Charleston–Beckley on January 1, 2013. UC later established a new Beckley campus in 2015, leaving the former Mountain State campus, which was sold to West Virginia University and to where West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) moved in 2017.
  4. Marshall stopped competition in the conference when it joined the Buckeye Conference in 1932-39, but was required by state regulations to remain a member on a technical basis until 1949. Marshall was a non-competing member of the WVIAC from 1939–49, when the Herd joined the Ohio Valley Conference (1949–52), but Marshall had players picked for All-WVIAC during the decade as a non-competing member.
  5. WVU Tech is now located in Beckley, but its campus was in Montgomery throughout the existence of the WVIAC.

Member schools at breakup
Institution[lower-alpha 1] Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Next conference Current conference
Alderson Broaddus University[lower-alpha 2] Philippi, West Virginia 1871 Private 800 Battlers 1932 2013 G-MAC Mountain East
Bluefield State College[lower-alpha 2] Bluefield, West Virginia 1895 Public 1,800 Big Blues (men's)
Lady Blues (women's)		 1955 2013 D-II Independent (most sports)
ECAC (some sports)
University of Charleston Charleston, West Virginia 1888 Private 1,315 Golden Eagles 1924 2013 Mountain East
Concord University Athens, West Virginia 1872 Public 3,000 Mountain Lions (men's)
Lady Lions (women's)		 1924 2013 Mountain East
Davis & Elkins College[lower-alpha 2] Elkins, West Virginia 1904 Private 600 Senators
Lady Senators		 1924 2013 G-MAC Mountain East
Fairmont State University Fairmont, West Virginia 1865 Public 7,000 Fighting Falcons 1924 2013 Mountain East
Glenville State College Glenville, West Virginia 1872 Public 1,600 Pioneers (men's)
Lady Pioneers (women's)		 1924 2013 Mountain East
Ohio Valley University[lower-alpha 2] Vienna, West Virginia 1960 Private 512 Fighting Scots 1999 2013 G-MAC
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown[lower-alpha 2] Johnstown, Pennsylvania 1927 Public 3,029 Mountain Cats 2006 2013 PSAC
Seton Hill University Greensburg, Pennsylvania 1883 Private 1,860 Griffins 2006 2013 PSAC
Shepherd University Shepherdstown, West Virginia 1871 Public 3,900 Rams 1924 2013 Mountain East PSAC
West Liberty University West Liberty, West Virginia 1837 Public 2,400 Hilltoppers (men's)
Lady Toppers (women's)		 1924 2013 Mountain East
West Virginia State University Institute, West Virginia 1891 Public 5,000 Yellow Jackets 1955 2013 Mountain East
West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West Virginia 1890 Private 1,400 Bobcats (men's)
Lady Bobcats (women's)		 1924[lower-alpha 3] 2013 Mountain East
Wheeling University[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 4] Wheeling, West Virginia 1954 Private 1,232 Cardinals 1957 2013 Mountain East
Notes
  1. All colleges are listed by their names as of 2020; most have had name changes over the years. See articles on individual schools for details.
  2. Non-football member.
  3. West Virginia Wesleyan left the WVIAC after the 1985–86 school year, and returned for the 1988–89 school year.
  4. Wheeling added football in 2019.

Membership timeline
Seton Hill UniversityUniversity of Pittsburgh at JohnstownOhio Valley UniversityWheeling UniversityWest Virginia State UniversityBluefield State CollegeMountain State UniversityAlderson Broaddus UniversityMorehead State UniversityWest Virginia Wesleyan CollegeWest Virginia University Institute of TechnologyWest Virginia UniversityWest Liberty UniversityShepherd UniversitySalem UniversityPotomac State College of West Virginia UniversityMarshall UniversityGlenville State CollegeFairmont State UniversityDavis & Elkins CollegeConcord UniversityUniversity of CharlestonAlderson Broaddus UniversityBethany College (West Virginia)Alderson Broaddus University
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References
  1. "A Break Up For WVIAC". WV Metro News. June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
  2. "NCAA ADDS MOUNTAIN EAST CONFERENCE AS NEWEST DIVISION II LEAGUE" (Press release). Mountain East Conference. February 15, 2013. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013.
  3. "A New Conference Called Mountain East". August 20, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  4. "G-MAC News: Conference Adds Three New Members" (Press release). Great Midwest Athletic Conference. August 21, 2012. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
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