Cornell ready to make a move

Roll in the moving trucks and break out the packing tape. The Cornell Rams are moving - to another conference, that is.

Cornell officially left the Iowa Conference June 1 and will became a member of the Midwest Conference Aug. 1. Cornell was a charter member of the Midwest Conference from 1921 to 1997 before leaving to join the Iowa Conference.

Although they won't need the trucks and packing tape, Cornell will be traveling a little farther for conference competition. The move was a strategic, practical and natural one from the view of school administrators, who wanted to strengthen recruiting lines as well as reach alumni bases.

"In the Midwest Conference we'll be reaching into Wisconsin and Illinois," Cornell Athletics Director John Cochrane said. "We have a huge alumni base in and around the Chicago area and that will be great for our institution."

The Midwest Conference is an 11-team league of schools from Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Grinnell College is the other Iowa member.

Cornell will continue to schedule Iowa Conference schools, most notably Coe.

"We are certainly committed to preserving that rivalry," Cochrane said. "We established ‘The Bremner Cup' last year with Coe as a way not only to show but to strengthen our commitment to the rivalry."

The Bremner Cup is named after the late Baron Bremner, who served as athletics director at both schools.

Cornell hopes to recapture the same success it had in its first 76 years in the Midwest Conference. Cornell collected 67 MWC championships and has the distinction of winning the first conference track championship in 1921.

Cornell will compete in 19 varsity sports in the Midwest Conference.

"It will be exciting to see new faces and new competition," Cochrane said.

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