Sources told Sports Headliners late last week that Carleton, Macalester and St. Olaf are studying whether they want to remain members of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Conference commissioner Dan McKane confirmed that MIAC presidents have been informed of the possibility.
McKane characterized the action of the three schools as part of a self examination that institutions periodically conduct. The process can include where athletics fits in the educational process.
While two sources said they don’t think the three schools will leave the MIAC, there is a possibility. The motivation, according to someone who spoke anonymously, is to “partner” with “high academic institutions” in possibly a new conference.
But aren’t other MIAC schools high academic institutions? “I think there are some (MIAC presidents) that it’s tweaked their ears and are a little bit offended, but everybody has to take a look at where they’re at,” a source said.
There presently is an academic consortium of schools called the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. It consists of Beloit, Coe, Colorado College, Cornell, Grinnell, Lake Forest, Lawrence, Monmouth and Ripon, plus Carleton, Macalester and St. Olaf. There’s speculation that members may form an athletic conference.
The same source said that while no definite date has been given to the MIAC presidents as to when a decision to stay or leave the conference will be made, he expects the issue to be resolved by next spring. Sources told Sports Headliners they don’t believe the schools will leave the MIAC to form a new league with members from various states because the result will be increased travel costs and student-athletes will miss more class time.
The MIAC is one of the largest Division III conferences in the country with 13 members. McKane said the conference has had a moratorium on new membership since 1997. The bylaws require that all members be private institutions within the state of Minnesota.