UMAC Accepts UW-Superior for Full Membership

ST. PAUL, MINN. -- The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Council of Presidents accepted the membership application of the University of Wisconsin-Superior on Monday, voting to approve the Yellowjackets athletics program as the league's ninth full member as of the 2015-2016 academic year. UW-Superior is the second full member and third overall member that the UMAC has added since 2012.



“The UMAC is excited to add the University of Wisconsin-Superior as a full member. We firmly believe they will be a great fit in our league in all aspects including travel and financially, competitively, and most importantly philosophically” said Dr. Alan S. Cureton, Chair of the UMAC Council of Presidents, president at the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, and the NCAA Division III Presidents Council Vice Chair. He added, “Our primary focus is on student athletes and ensuring a positive, well-rounded collegiate experience, with a commitment to the primacy of student athlete academic progress. UW-Superior shares in our vision and will further exemplify the core values of our conference.”



UW-Superior currently sponsors 15 varsity sports at the NCAA Division III level. 13 of those 15 programs will compete in the UMAC with the exception of men's and women's ice hockey, which will both continue to compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC).



UMAC Commissioner Corey Borchardt notes, “The UMAC is pleased to add UW-Superior as a full member of our conference. It is clear that UW-Superior embodies the foundational elements of our conference including our mission, which recognizes the pursuit of excellence in both academics and athletics.” He continued, “To add another member with a similar profile of our current membership and centrally located in the current footprint of our conference is a significant step in the continued fulfillment of our strategic plan and growth as a league. I look forward to working with UW-Superior administrators, including Chancellor Dr. Renee Wachter and Director of Athletics Steve Nelson in further progressing our league as well as their institutional programming and profile."



Located in Superior, Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Superior is a comprehensive university, with an enrollment of over 2,500 in 33 undergraduate majors and seven graduate programs. A wide range of offerings in the performing arts, community activities and intercollegiate athletics, makes the University an important resource for northwestern Wisconsin. UW-Superior will represent the third largest institution in the UMAC in regards to undergraduate enrollment and will be one of two member institutions located in Wisconsin, with the seven other institutions located in Minnesota. The university was founded in 1893.



A press conference will be held on Thursday, May 8 at 2:00 p.m. in the mezzanine of the Marcovich Wellness Center/in Mertz Mortorelli Gym on the UW-Superior campus. Steve Nelson and Corey Borchardt will be in attendance to address the media and visitors as well as answer questions.



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The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference is comprised of eight full members located in Minnesota and Wisconsin and five associate members for football only located in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. Originally formed in 1972 as the Twin Rivers Conference, the league was renamed in 1983. The UMAC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. The conference provides its member institutions the opportunity to be recognized in the areas of academic excellence and athletic competitiveness. The UMAC awards conference championships in 17 sports.

