Association NCAA Members 8 (13 in 2017) | Division Division II | |
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Established 2011 (began play in 2012) Sports fielded 20 (men's: 10; women's: 10) Region Great Lakes and East South Central | ||
The Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) was named the 24th NCAA Division II conference and operates in the Great Lakes and East South Central States regions of the United States. The G-MAC began conference play in the 2012-13 academic year hosting 12 championships and continued to work through the educational assessment program. The conference received approval and will be an active Division II conference in 2013-14, hosting 17 championships.
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History
The initial announcement of a potential new conference surfaced in June, 2011 when the presidents and athletic directors of Cedarville University, Notre Dame College, Urbana University, and Ursuline College met to discuss plans for a new Division II conference.
Soon after the initial meeting, Central State University joined and became a fifth member. In October 2011, Kentucky Wesleyan College announced that the school will join the G-MAC, withdrawing from its current conference, the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
In November 2011, Trevecca Nazarene University was accepted as another charter member of the conference. Trevecca had begun the process of transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II membership in July, 2011 and will enter a provisional NCAA membership year during the conference's initially planned start for the 2013-14 academic year. In late November, the conference announced the hiring of Tom Daeger as Conference Commissioner, with offices in Indianapolis.
On February 20, 2012 the Great Midwest Athletic Conference announced the NCAA had accepted the G-MAC as the 24th NCAA Division ll conference. The conference then added two more members when it was announced on April 23 and May 1, 2012, that the University of Virginia's College at Wise (UVa–Wise) and Georgetown College had been granted provisional membership in the conference pending their approval by the NCAA Division II Membership Committee. Georgetown College was rejected for Division II membership, but has applied to join Division II in 2014. However, they were denied acceptance once again by the Membership Council. Georgetown College did not attempt to join Division II in 2015.
In the fall of 2012, it was announced that Urbana and UVa–Wise would spend only one season as active members of the G-MAC. At the same time, the G-MAC announced that three West Virginia schools had accepted invitations to join the conference, starting in July 2013—Alderson Broaddus University, Davis & Elkins College, and Ohio Valley University. All three schools were previously members of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. On October 16, 2012, the G-MAC announced that Salem International University will join the conference on July 1, 2013.
On July 12, 2013, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference received official approval from the NCAA Division II Membership Committee, recognizing the Conference as an active NCAA Division II conference. On the same day, it was announced that Ursuline College had been approved as an active NCAA DII member and Trevecca Nazarene University successfully completed its Year Two candidacy and was moved into the Provisional Year of the membership process by the NCAA Division II Membership Committee.
On August 7, 2013, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference partnered with Cumberland University as it embarks on a transition to potential NCAA Division II membership. The G-MAC Presidents Council unanimously admitted Cumberland as a provisional member effective immediately and will sponsor the institution as it works through the NCAA Division II membership application process. In July 2014, Cumberland was denied acceptance into the NCAA by the Membership Council. Cumberland did not attempt to join Division II in 2015.
Current members
Future members
Pending members
Membership timeline
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football-only) Associate member (sport)
Sports
The G-MAC sponsors the following championships: