July 1 marked the Ashland University athletic department's first day of participation in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
“This marks a new chapter in Ashland University Athletics,” said Al King, Ashland Director of Athletics. “We are excited to be a part of the Great Midwest, and all of us at Ashland will do everything possible to contribute to the health of the convention. Over the past 10 years, GMAC has shown steady growth, and that is a credit to the convention bureau and the managers and coaches in the league.
“We are proud to call GMAC our new home. I cannot thank Tom Daeger and his staff enough for the outstanding job they have done helping us through this transition year.”
Said Daeger, the Great Midwest Commissioner, “We are pleased to officially welcome Ashland University as a full member of the Great Midwest as we enter our 10th year as a conference on July 1. We also look forward to working with the athletics department staff and integrating the Eagles in all conference championship opportunities. Adding Ashland to the Great Midwest is an exciting way to open the 2021-22 academic year.”
Founded in 2011, the Great Midwest is comprised of 12 private, not-for-profit member institutions and sponsors 23 conference championship athletic offerings. In addition to Ashland, the Great Midwest includes Cedarville, Findlay, Hillsdale, Kentucky Wesleyan, Lake Erie, Malone, Ohio Dominican, Tiffin, Trevecca Nazarene, Ursuline and Walsh. Northwood will join the league on July 1, 2022.
The Great Midwest is the fifth major conference in which Ashland College/University has been a member, following the Ohio Athletic Conference (1931-48), the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference (1948-66), the Great Lakes Valley Conference (1979-95) and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1995-2021).
Ashland is the only athletic department to have been a member of all three conferences in the Midwest Region – GLVC, GLIAC and now, Great Midwest.
In 2020-21, the Ashland wrestling team was an associate member of the Great Midwest, and the Eagles won the Great Midwest Championships team title in January.
ASHLAND COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY ALL TIME SESSIONS
YEAR MUNICIPAL CONFERENCE
1920-31 Independent
1931-48 Ohio Athletic Conference
1948-66 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference
1966-79 Independent
1979-95 Great Lakes Valley Conference
1995-2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
2021- Great Midwest Athletic Conference
YEARS SPECIALIZED CONFERENCE
Penn-Ohio Conference 1967-95 (swimming only)
1979-89 Heartland Collegiate Conference (football only)
1982-84 Greater Ohio Athletic Conference (women's sports only)
1990-98 Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (football only)
