West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Encyclopedia
The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) is a college athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia
, but has now expanded into Pennsylvania
. It participates in the NCAA
's Division II.
The WVIAC offers championships in 16 sports and is headquartered in Princeton, West Virginia
. Men's championships are offered in football, basketball, baseball, track, cross country, soccer, tennis, and golf. Women's titles are contested in volleyball, softball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track, tennis, and golf.
2006 brought about a shakeup in the league's mostly stable membership. Charter member West Virginia Tech moved to NAIA membership after struggling competitively in recent seasons. The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Seton Hill University were invited to become the WVIAC's first out-of-state members since Morehead State left the conference in 1932. Salem International drops their membership on May 1, 2010 to become an independent after experiencing NCAA probation and competitive issues.
The WVIAC moved into the NCAA in 1994 after a long affiliation with the NAIA. The conference was the only one in Division II to place a team in the national quarterfinals in men's basketball, football, and baseball during the 1998-99 academic year. In addition, the WVIAC, along with two other conferences, became the first league to earn four bids into the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship.
2006-07 marked the 25th anniversary of women's sports in the WVIAC. The conference brought women's athletics under its umbrella when the West Virginia Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Association was absorbed into the WVIAC.
Its post-season basketball tournament, which was first conducted in 1936, is the oldest college post-season tournament in continuous existence—predating the NCAA tournament
(1939), the NIT
(1938), and the NAIA
national championship (1937).
The WVIAC is the only conference in NCAA currently employing a rating system in these sports instead of using regular head-to-head standings. While in most cases, the conference champion also has the best record, there have been cases in lower seeds where a team with fewer wins surpasses a team with more wins. The rating system is also a sure-fire way to break a tie atop the standings. A good example of this was in the 2005 men's basketball season, when Salem International and Alderson-Broaddus both finished with 15-3 conference records, but Salem won the conference with a 152.22 rating compared to A-B's 143.89.
Another advantage of the rating system is it allows a rating to be computed for each team regardless of the number of conference games played. While most teams are scheduled the same number of conference games, often games are cancelled without make-up (especially in baseball and softball). Rating teams who have played an uneven number of games can be tricky, but the rating system provides a clear and concise path to determine a regular season champion. In the event of a tie in the rating system, head-to-head competition between the teams and actual record in conference games serves as the tiebreaker.
* Denotes a non-football member
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, but has now expanded into Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It participates in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division II.
History
The conference rates as one of the oldest in intercollegiate athletics dating back to its founding in 1924 by the West Virginia Department of Education. West Virginia University and Marshall University joined Broaddus (one of the predecessors to today's Alderson-Broaddus), Bethany, Concord, Davis & Elkins, Fairmont State, Glenville State, Morris Harvey (now the University of Charleston), New River State (now West Virginia Tech), Potomac State, Salem, Shepherd, West Liberty, and West Virginia Wesleyan as charter members.The WVIAC offers championships in 16 sports and is headquartered in Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 111,586. It is the county seat of Mercer County...
. Men's championships are offered in football, basketball, baseball, track, cross country, soccer, tennis, and golf. Women's titles are contested in volleyball, softball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track, tennis, and golf.
2006 brought about a shakeup in the league's mostly stable membership. Charter member West Virginia Tech moved to NAIA membership after struggling competitively in recent seasons. The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Seton Hill University were invited to become the WVIAC's first out-of-state members since Morehead State left the conference in 1932. Salem International drops their membership on May 1, 2010 to become an independent after experiencing NCAA probation and competitive issues.
The WVIAC moved into the NCAA in 1994 after a long affiliation with the NAIA. The conference was the only one in Division II to place a team in the national quarterfinals in men's basketball, football, and baseball during the 1998-99 academic year. In addition, the WVIAC, along with two other conferences, became the first league to earn four bids into the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship.
2006-07 marked the 25th anniversary of women's sports in the WVIAC. The conference brought women's athletics under its umbrella when the West Virginia Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Association was absorbed into the WVIAC.
Its post-season basketball tournament, which was first conducted in 1936, is the oldest college post-season tournament in continuous existence—predating the NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
(1939), the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
(1938), and the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
national championship (1937).
Rating system
The WVIAC is noted for its unique rating system which is used to determine regular-season championships and tournament seeding in basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball. The rating system was first used in 1959 for men's basketball. With the large number of teams playing in the conference, balanced schedules are impossible. The rating system is a way for the conference to reward teams that play a stronger non-conference schedule. Each team is rewarded 100 points for each conference win, in addition to 10 bonus points for each conference victory for each defeated opponent. This total is then divided by the total number of conference games each team plays. The highest-rated team at the end of the season is the regular-season conference champion and #1 seed for the tournament.The WVIAC is the only conference in NCAA currently employing a rating system in these sports instead of using regular head-to-head standings. While in most cases, the conference champion also has the best record, there have been cases in lower seeds where a team with fewer wins surpasses a team with more wins. The rating system is also a sure-fire way to break a tie atop the standings. A good example of this was in the 2005 men's basketball season, when Salem International and Alderson-Broaddus both finished with 15-3 conference records, but Salem won the conference with a 152.22 rating compared to A-B's 143.89.
Another advantage of the rating system is it allows a rating to be computed for each team regardless of the number of conference games played. While most teams are scheduled the same number of conference games, often games are cancelled without make-up (especially in baseball and softball). Rating teams who have played an uneven number of games can be tricky, but the rating system provides a clear and concise path to determine a regular season champion. In the event of a tie in the rating system, head-to-head competition between the teams and actual record in conference games serves as the tiebreaker.
Member schools
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alderson–Broaddus College* | Philippi, West Virginia Philippi, West Virginia Philippi is a city in — and the county seat of — Barbour County, West Virginia, USA. The population was 2,870 at the 2000 census. In 1861, the city was the site of the Battle of Philippi, known as "The Philippi Races"... |
1871 | Private | 800 | Battlers |
| Bluefield State College Bluefield State College Bluefield State College is a historically black college located in Bluefield, West Virginia, United States. It is a part of West Virginia's public education system and offers baccalaureate and associate degrees. The school is not connected in any way with Bluefield College in nearby Bluefield,... * |
Bluefield, West Virginia Bluefield, West Virginia Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 10,447 at the 2010 census. It is also the core city of the Bluefield WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,342.-Geography & Climate:... |
1895 | Public | 1,800 | Big Blues and Lady Blues |
| University of Charleston University of Charleston The University of Charleston is a private university in Charleston, West Virginia, United States of over 1,300 students.-History:The school was founded in 1888 as the Barboursville Seminary of the Southern Methodist Church... |
Charleston, West Virginia Charleston, West Virginia Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early... |
1888 | Private | 1,000 | Golden Eagles |
| Concord University Concord University Concord University is a comprehensive, public, liberal arts institution located in Athens, West Virginia, United States, founded on February 28, 1872, when the West Virginia Legislature passed "an Act to locate a Branch State Normal School, in Concord Church, in the County of Mercer".Founded by... |
Athens, West Virginia Athens, West Virginia Athens is a town in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,102 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 107,578. It is the home of Concord University.-History:... |
1872 | Public | 3,000 | Mountain Lions and Lady Lions |
| Davis & Elkins College* | Elkins, West Virginia Elkins, West Virginia Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins , a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,032 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County... |
1904 | Private | 600 | Senators and Lady Senators |
| Fairmont State University Fairmont State University Fairmont State University is a public university located in Fairmont, West Virginia, USA. Enrollment of the university is about 7,700 and offers masters degrees in business, education, teaching, criminal justice and nursing in addition to 90 baccalaureate and 50 associate degrees... |
Fairmont, West Virginia Fairmont, West Virginia Fairmont is a city in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. Nicknamed "The Friendly City". The population was 18,704 at the 2010 census... |
1865 | Public | 7,000 | Falcons |
| Glenville State College Glenville State College Glenville State College is a public four-year college located in Glenville, a town in the rural north-central part of the U.S. state of West Virginia.-History:... |
Glenville, West Virginia Glenville, West Virginia Glenville is a town in and the county seat of Gilmer County, West Virginia, United States, along the Little Kanawha River. The population was 1,544 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Glenville State College.-History:... |
1872 | Public | 1,600 | Pioneers and Lady Pioneers |
| Ohio Valley University Ohio Valley University Ohio Valley University is a private, four-year Christian college and is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is located between the western towns of Parkersburg and Vienna in the State of West Virginia in the United States.... * |
Vienna, West Virginia Vienna, West Virginia Vienna is a city in Wood County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. It is a suburb of Parkersburg. The population was 10,749 at the 2010 census. It is the third largest city by population in the Parkersburg-Marietta-Vienna Metropolitan Statistical Area. Vienna was incorporated in 1935, and was... |
1960 | Private | 512 | Fighting Scots |
| University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, also known as UPJ or Pitt-Johnstown, is a four-year, degree-granting regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The university is located in Richland Township, a suburban area of Johnstown, Pennsylvania and was founded in 1927 as one of the first... * |
Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County... |
1927 | Public | 3,029 | Mountain Cats |
| Seton Hill University Seton Hill University Seton Hill University is a small Catholic liberal arts university of about 2100 students in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Formerly a women's college, it became a coeducational university in 2002.... |
Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War... |
1883 | Private | 1,860 | Griffins |
| Shepherd University Shepherd University Shepherd University, formerly Shepherd College, is a state-funded university in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, United States. The University currently serves more than 4,200 students.- Accreditation :... |
Shepherdstown, West Virginia Shepherdstown, West Virginia Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, located along the Potomac River. It is the oldest town in the state, having been chartered in 1762 by Colonial Virginia's General Assembly. Since 1863, Shepherdstown has been in West Virginia, and is the oldest town in... |
1871 | Public | 3,900 | Rams |
| West Liberty University | West Liberty, West Virginia West Liberty, West Virginia West Liberty is a town in Ohio County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,220 at the 2000 census. It is the home of West Liberty University... |
1837 | Public | 2,400 | Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers |
| West Virginia State University West Virginia State University West Virginia State University is a historically black public college in Institute, West Virginia, United States. In the Charleston-metro area, the school is usually referred to simply as "State" or "West Virginia State"... |
Institute, West Virginia Institute, West Virginia Institute is an unincorporated community on the Kanawha River in Kanawha County, West Virginia, USA. The community lies off of Interstate 64 and West Virginia Route 25, and has grown to intermingle with nearby Dunbar... |
1891 | Public | 5,000 | Yellow Jackets |
| West Virginia Wesleyan College West Virginia Wesleyan College West Virginia Wesleyan College is a regionally accredited private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Buckhannon, West Virginia, United States. It has an enrollment of about 1,400 students from 35 U.S. states and 26 countries. The school was founded in 1890 by the West Virginia Conference of... |
Buckhannon, West Virginia Buckhannon, West Virginia Buckhannon is the only incorporated city in, and the county seat of, Upshur County, West Virginia, United States, and is located along the Buckhannon River. The population was 5,725 at the 2000 census. Buckhannon is home to West Virginia Wesleyan College and the West Virginia Strawberry Festival,... |
1890 | Private | 1,400 | Bobcats and Lady Bobcats |
| Wheeling Jesuit University Wheeling Jesuit University Wheeling Jesuit University is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic university in the United States. Located in Wheeling, West Virginia, it was founded as Wheeling College in 1954 by the Society of Jesus . Today, Wheeling Jesuit University is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of... * |
Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling, West Virginia Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area... |
1954 | Private | 1,232 | Cardinals |