Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association


The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association is a college athletic conference whose member schools compete in men's volleyball. The conference footprint is centered in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Missouri in the west to Ohio in the east. Many of the conference's schools also participate in the similarly named Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association in men's volleyball at the club level.
The MIVA Tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, which now consists of seven teams playing in a single-elimination format to determine the national champion. The two other pre-2017 major volleyball conferences, the EIVA and the MPSF, also send their league tournament champions to the tournament, as do Conference Carolinas and the Big West Conference.

History

On February 4, 1961 the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Conference, the nation's first men's college volleyball league, was started in Lansing, Michigan by representatives of Ball State University, Detroit Institute of Technology, Earlham College, George Williams College, Lansing College, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, and Wittenberg College. The league came about largely through the efforts of Jim Coleman of Wittenberg College and Don Shondell of Ball State University. The league name was later changed to the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Over the years, more than forty schools from Divisions I, II, and III, as well as a couple of junior colleges, have participated as members of the MIVA. The current membership is made up of four D-I and four D-II institutions.
Three MIVA teams have won the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, although only two are officially recognized by the NCAA. Lewis' 2003 title was later vacated by the school due to player eligibility issues, and the NCAA no longer recognizes the title. Loyola won the national championship in both 2014 and 2015, and Ohio State won the title in 2011, 2016, and 2017.

Membership timeline


DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1960 till:2020
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width:15 textcolor:black shift: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:red from:1961 till:end text:Ball State
bar:2 color:red from:1961 till:end text:Ohio State
bar:3 color:red from:1961 till:1963 text:DIT
bar:4 color:red from:1961 till:1986 text:Earlham
bar:5 color:red from:1961 till:1986 text:George Williams
bar:6 color:red from:1961 till:1963 text:Michigan State
bar:6 color:red from:1967 till:1971 text:
bar:7 color:red from:1961 till:1963 text:Wittenberg
bar:8 color:red from:1962 till:1969 text:Kentucky
bar:9 color:red from:1962 till:1964 text:Lansing C.C.
bar:10 color:red from:1962 till:1963 text:Calvin
bar:10 color:red from:1970 till:1971 text:
bar:11 color:red from:1962 till:1974 text:Indiana Tech
bar:12 color:red from:1965 till:1966 text:Louisville
bar:13 color:red from:1965 till:1970 text:Indiana
bar:13 color:red from:1973 till:1980 text:
bar:14 color:red from:1965 till:1971 text:Toledo
bar:14 color:red from:1981 till:1983 text:
bar:15 color:red from:1966 till:1967 text:Southern Illinois
bar:16 color:red from:1967 till:1969 text:Valparaiso
bar:17 color:red from:1967 till:1971 text:UIC
bar:18 color:red from:1969 till:1976 text:Purdue
bar:18 color:red from:1982 till:1987 text:
bar:19 color:red from:1969 till:1970 text:Cincinnati
bar:19 color:red from:1980 till:1983 text:
bar:20 color:red from:1970 till:1971 text:Michigan
bar:20 color:red from:1975 till:1976 text:
bar:20 color:red from:1982 till:1987 text:
bar:21 color:red from:1970 till:1971 text:Anderson
bar:22 color:red from:1970 till:1986 text:Kellogg C.C.
bar:23 color:red from:1971 till:1986 text:Bowling Green
bar:24 color:red from:1978 till:1980 text:Wright State
bar:25 color:red from:1979 till:1981 text:Wisconsin
bar:26 color:red from:1981 till:end text:Purdue Fort Wayne
bar:27 color:red from:1983 till:1989 text:Notre Dame
bar:28 color:red from:1984 till:1985 text:Wooster
bar:29 color:red from:1986 till:1987 text:Hardin–Simmons
bar:30 color:red from:1987 till:1991 text:Graceland
bar:31 color:red from:1991 till:1998 text:UWM
bar:32 color:red from:1994 till:end text:Lewis
bar:33 color:red from:1994 till:end text:Quincy
bar:34 color:red from:1995 till:1998 text:Thomas More
bar:35 color:red from:1996 till:end text:Loyola-Chicago
bar:36 color:red from:1997 till:2009 text:Mercyhurst
bar:37 color:red from:1998 till:2008 text:Clarke
bar:38 color:red from:2001 till:2006 text:Findlay
bar:39 color:red from:2005 till:2008 shift: text:Carthage
bar:40 color:red from:2005 till:2008 shift: text:MSOE
bar:41 color:red from:2006 till:2008 shift: text:Central State
bar:42 color:red from:2010 till:2017 shift: text:Grand Canyon
bar:43 color:red from:2013 till:end shift: text:Lindenwood
bar:44 color:red from:2015 till:end shift: text:McKendree
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1960

Members

The MIVA comprises eight teams from the NCAA's Division I and Division II.
InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentTeam NicknamePrimary conferenceArenaCapacity
Ball State UniversityMuncie, Indiana1918Public21,401CardinalsMid-American John E. Worthen Arena11,500
Lewis UniversityRomeoville, Illinois1932Private/Catholic5,800FlyersGLVC Neil Carey Arena1,075
Lindenwood UniversitySaint Charles, Missouri1827Private/Presbyterian11,904LionsGLVC Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena3,270
Loyola UniversityChicago, Illinois1870Private/Catholic15,951RamblersMVC Joseph J. Gentile Arena4,486
McKendree UniversityLebanon, Illinois1828Private/Methodist3.054BearcatsGLVC Harry M. Statham Sports Center1,500
Ohio State UniversityColumbus, Ohio1870Public55,014BuckeyesBig Ten Covelli Center3,700
Purdue University Fort WayneFort Wayne, Indiana1964Public10,208MastodonsSummit League
Hilliard Gates Sports Center2,800
Quincy UniversityQuincy, Illinois1860Private/Catholic1,300HawksGLVC Pepsi Arena2,000

The most recent change in MIVA membership was in 2017, when Grand Canyon left the MIVA for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
One current MIVA member changed its institutional and athletic identity after the 2018 men's volleyball season. Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne, a joint venture between the Indiana University and Purdue University systems, was dissolved at the end of the 2017–18 school year. IPFW's academic programs in health sciences now operate as Indiana University Fort Wayne, and all other academic programs transferred to Purdue as Purdue University Fort Wayne. The athletic program was inherited solely by PFW. Shortly before the split took effect, PFW announced that the athletic program, previously known as the Fort Wayne Mastodons, would become the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons.

Former members

Affiliations reflect those for men's volleyball, and are current for the next NCAA men's volleyball season in 2021.
InstitutionLocationFoundedJoinedLeftTypeEnrollmentNicknameCurrent Conference
Detroit Institute of TechnologyDetroit, Michigan189119611962Private/YMCAClosedNo Program
Earlham CollegeRichmond, Indiana184719611985Private/Quakers1,019QuakersNo Program
George Williams CollegeDowners Grove, Illinois189019611985Private/YMCAClosedNo Program
Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, Michigan18551961
1967		1962
1970		Public50,351SpartansNo Program
Wittenberg UniversitySpringfield, Ohio184519611962Private/Lutheran 1,738TigersMCVL
University of KentuckyLexington, Kentucky186519621968Public29,182WildcatsNo Program
Lansing Community CollegeLansing, Michigan195719621963Community college18,551StarsNo Program
Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids, Michigan18761962
1970		1962
1970		Private/CRC3,570KnightsNo Program
Indiana Institute of TechnologyFort Wayne, Indiana193019621973Private9,652WarriorsWHAC
University of LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky179819651965Public21,430CardinalsNo Program
Indiana UniversityBloomington, Indiana18201965
1973		1969
1979		Public43,710HoosiersNo Program
University of ToledoToledo, Ohio18721965
1981		1970
1982		Public23,085RocketsNo Program
Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale, Illinois186919661966Public11,695SalukisNo Program
Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, Indiana185919671968Private/Lutheran 4,500CrusadersNo Program
University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, Illinois194619671970Public33,390FlamesNo Program
Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, Indiana18691969
1982		1975
1986		Public43,411BoilermakersNo Program
University of CincinnatiCincinnati, Ohio18191969
1980		1969
1982		Public46,388BearcatsNo Program
University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan18171970
1975
1982		1970
1975
1986		Public46,002WolverinesNo Program
Anderson UniversityAnderson, Indiana191719701970Private/Nonsectarian1,877RavensNo Program
Kellogg Community CollegeBattle Creek, Michigan195619701985Community college8,400BruinsNo Program
Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green, Ohio191019711985Public20,395FalconsNo Program
Wright State UniversityFairborn, Ohio196719781979Public13,520RaidersNo Program
University of Wisconsin–MadisonMadison, Wisconsin184819791980Public44,413BadgersNo Program
University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana184219831988Private/Catholic12,292Fighting IrishNo Program
College of WoosterWooster, Ohio186619841984Private/Presbyterian 2,000Fighting ScotsNo Program
Hardin–Simmons UniversityAbilene, Texas189119861986Private/Baptist2,392CowboysNo Program
Graceland UniversityLamoni, Iowa189519871990Private/Community of Christ2,222YellowjacketsHAAC
University of Wisconsin–MilwaukeeMilwaukee, Wisconsin195619911997Public26,037PanthersNo Program
Thomas More UniversityCrestview Hills, Kentucky192119951997Private/Catholic1,963SaintsMid-South
Mercyhurst UniversityErie, Pennsylvania192619972008Private/Catholic2,759LakersNo Program
Clarke UniversityDubuque, Iowa184319982007Private/Catholic1,200PrideHAAC
University of FindlayFindlay, Ohio188220012005Private/Churches of God3,700OilersNo Program
Carthage CollegeKenosha, Wisconsin184720052007Private/Lutheran 2,800Red MenCCIW
Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, Wisconsin190320052007Private/Nonsectarian2,820RaidersNACC
Central State UniversityWilberforce, Ohio188720062007Public2,119MaraudersSIAC
Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, Arizona194920102017For-profit20,500AntelopesMPSF

MIVA Champions

YearRegular SeasonTournament
1990Ball State / IPFWBall State
1991IPFWIPFW
1992IPFWIPFW
1993IPFW / Ohio StateOhio State
1994IPFWBall State
1995Ball State / Ohio StateBall State
1996Ball State / Lewis / Ohio StateLewis
1997Ball StateBall State
1998Ohio StateLewis
1999IPFW / Ohio StateIPFW
2000Ohio StateOhio State
2001Lewis*Ohio State
2002Ball State / Loyola ChicagoBall State
2003Lewis*Lewis*
2004Ohio StateLewis
2005Loyola ChicagoOhio State
2006Loyola ChicagoIPFW
2007Ohio StateIPFW
2008Ohio StateOhio State
2009Ohio StateOhio State
2010Ohio StateOhio State
2011Ohio StateOhio State
2012Lewis / Ohio StateLewis
2013Lewis / Loyola ChicagoLoyola Chicago
2014Loyola ChicagoLoyola Chicago
2015LewisLoyola Chicago
2016Ohio StateOhio State
2017Ohio StateOhio State
2018Loyola Chicago / Ohio StateOhio State
2019LewisLewis

Titles

MIVA in the NCAA tournament

Until 2014, the NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship was a Final Four only tournament with the champions of three conferences receiving automatic bids and one team getting an at-large bid. In 2014, the tournament expanded to include the champion of the Division II Conference Carolinas and a second at-large team. The tournament expanded to seven teams for 2018 with the addition of the Big West Conference champion.

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