SLIAC Accepts MUW as Member
The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference President's Council has officially accepted Mississippi University for Women (MUW) as a full co-educational member institution beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. Mississippi University for Women (MUW) will become the 9th member of the SLIAC and will begin competition in all 17 men's and women's conference sponsored championship sports in their inaugural year.
"The President's Council of the SLIAC would like to welcome MUW into the conference and thank the conference commissioner and his staff for working diligently with MUW on their application over the past 18 months," said Greenville University President Suzanne Davis, Executive Chair of the SLIAC President's Council Executive Committee. "We have greatly appreciated getting to know President Nora Miller, interim Athletic Director Buddy Foster, and many other members of the "W" team throughout the application process. We feel that MUW is a great fit with the mission and vision of the SLIAC as it seeks to grow their Division III athletic programs while keeping a holistic view of the student-athlete experience."
"The SLIAC is elated to have another new member institution join the conference and help provide a stable conference membership. In the past 18 months, the SLIAC has seen some significant changes in its previous membership and the addition of MUW will once again stabilize the conference at 9 full member institutions," said SLIAC Commissioner Dr. Dick Kaiser. "In looking at possible SLIAC members over the past three years, there hasn't been much movement within the various national organizations as it relates to membership. Therefore, when MUW first reached out to the SLIAC close to two years ago and inquired about the possibility of membership, it opened up some real opportunities for the conference for the future."
MUW is located in Columbus, Mississippi; 434 miles from the St. Louis metro area. The institution is currently completing their provisional NCAA status as they transition to become a full member of the NCAA Division III in September, 2022. A co-ed public institution, MUW reinstated their athletic program in 2017 with the addition of both men's and women's sports after a 14-year hiatus.
"The President's Council and the Conference Office obviously realize that MUW does not fit into the current geographic footprint of the other conference institutions, but everyone felt the opportunity to gain another quality member of such a high academic profile and a complete sports program was worth our efforts to be creative with our scheduling and championships," said Kaiser.
During the past several years, MUW has worked diligently to refurbish and develop various quality athletic facilities that will be comparable to many other current SLIAC facilities within the conference.
MUW most recently competed against several SLIAC schools this past season in both softball and volleyball. The institution's athletic programs are currently competing as an independent and the institution has an enrollment of 2,789 students with a strong academic emphasis in nursing, health administration, education and business.
