The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), founded in 1972, has been a leader in the advancement and promotion of intercollegiate athletics for men and women for 37 years.

The charter members of the GLIAC were Ferris State University, Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University, Northwood University, and Saginaw Valley State University.

Expansion of the GLIAC began immediately with the addition of Oakland University in 1974. Hillsdale College, Northern Michigan University, and Wayne State University were accepted as members in 1975. In 1977, the conference lost its first member when Northern Michigan withdrew. Michigan Technological University filled the vacancy when it became a member in 1980.

After the 1986-87 season, Northwood left the conference and was replaced by Northern Michigan. Northwood rejoined the conference in 1992.

After the 1989 season, the conference dropped football as a sponsored sport. The conference schools sponsoring football joined the members of the Heartland Collegiate Conference in forming the football-only Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC), which began play in 1990.

After nine years of existence as one of the premier conferences in Division II football, the MIFC merged as part of GLIAC on July 1, 1999. With the merger, the University of Indianapolis became an associate member as a football-only school.

The GLIAC entered a new era in the 1995-96 school year. Prior to 1995-96, all member institutions of the GLIAC were located in the state of Michigan. On December 14, 1994, membership was offered to three schools located in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The expansion members were Ashland University of Ashland, Ohio, and Gannon University and Mercyhurst College, both located in Erie, Pennsylvania. All three schools began their membership July 1, 1995.

On July 1, 1997, membership was granted to The University of Findlay, located in Findlay, Ohio. UF replaced Oakland University, which withdrew from the conference after the 1996-97 season as it moved to NCAA Division I status.

Westminster College, located in New Wilmington,
Pennsylvania, became the 14th member of the GLIAC when it accepted its expansion offer in May of 1997. On June 30, 2000 Westminster left the conference as it changed its affiliation to NCAA Division III.

The GLIAC will expand again when Tiffin University of Ohio joins the conference in the 2008-09 academic year. Tiffin was offered membership on June 20, 2007, and will compete in 18 of the league's championships. The addition of Tiffin leaves the GLIAC with 12 full members as Gannon and Mercyhurst moved to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference for the 2008-09 academic year.

Overall the GLIAC conducts championships in 20 sports, 10 for men and 10 for women. The policy-making body of the GLIAC is the Executive Council, which is comprised of three representatives from each member institution - its director of athletics, faculty athletics representative and senior woman administrator.

The presidency of the GLIAC is rotated alphabetically by school, with Tim Selgo, Director of Athletics at Grand Valley State, serving as GLIAC President in 2008-09.

As GLIAC commissioner, Tom Brown is responsible for all conference administration. He is beginning his 17th season as the conference's fifth commissioner.

Assisting Brown are: Penny Cook, Assistant Commissioner for Compliance/SWA, Jeff Ligney, Director of Media Relations; Denise Gross, Assistant to the Commissioner; Eric Brookhouse, GLIAC Intern; Phil Barnes, Supervisor of Football Officials; John Kirk, Supervisor of Basketball Officials; and Jeanne Skinner, Supervisor of Volleyball Officials.