Luther announces move from American Rivers Conference to Midwest Conference for 2026-27 academic year

Luther has been a member of the American Rivers Conference for more than a century.

But change is on the horizon for the Norse.

Luther announced Tuesday that it will be leaving the A-R-C and moving to the Midwest Conference for the 2026-27 academic year. Luther was one of 12 charter members for the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1922, which later became known as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the A-R-C.

“Luther College is a proud Iowa college with a regional presence and a national reputation," Luther President Brad Chamberlain said in a news release. "At Luther, athletics is about community, character, and competition. Athletics at Luther is part of our holistic approach to learning that develops mind, body, and spirit. Luther was honored to receive an invitation from the Midwest Conference, and we look forward to joining the league in 2026."

Midwest Conference consists of nine schools from Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Luther will be the 10th school, joining Cornell College and Grinnell College. The other schools are Illinois College, Knox, Lake Forest and Monmouth from Illinois and Beloit, Lawrence and Ripon in Wisconsin.

The conference Presidents’ Council voted unanimously to extend an invitation to Luther and Chamberlain accepted it on behalf of the institution and its Board of Regents.

“Luther’s interest in the Midwest Conference was met with broad-based enthusiasm by the members of the Presidents’ Council, “ Grinnell College President and Council Chair Anne Harris said. “Its mission and vision for its athletic programs perfectly complement that which we believe to be distinguishing characteristics of the Midwest Conference experience.”

A-R-C Commission Marie Stroman said in a message to The Gazette that conference leadership has been in charge of monitoring changes taking place across various levels of college athletes.

“The league has always positioned itself in a place to be insulated from membership shifts,” Stroman said in the same message. “The A-R-C constitution dictates that withdrawing institutions provide written notice to the conference by June 1 for an effective date of termination two academic years later. Members failing to meet that timetable are assessed an exit fee.”

Luther will compete in 18 Midwest Conference championships, consisting of baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, football, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s tennis and volleyball.

"We have deeply enjoyed and have greatly benefited from the community, collaboration, and competition afforded by Luther's membership in the American Rivers Conference and its predecessor," Chamberlain said. "We desire to remain connected to member institutions of the American Rivers Conference, and we would welcome opportunities for non-conference contests between our institutions."

Luther will continue to compete in men’s and women’s bowling, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s wrestling, despite not being part of the conference activities. Affiliate membership is a possibility.

“Per A-R-C bylaws, affiliate membership is allowed in some of the sports not sponsored by the Midwest Conference: men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s wrestling and women’s wrestling,” Stroman said. “The A-R-C Presidents Council oversees all matters related to affiliate membership.”

In the news release, Chamberlain noted the Associated Colleges of the Midwest membership played a factor. ACM is described as an “academic consortium of like-minded liberal arts colleges.” Eight of nine Midwest Conference schools are part of the 14-school group that spans five midwestern states.

"In the Midwest Conference, Luther finds partner institutions that share our philosophy towards athletics and that match the geographical diversity of our student body," Chamberlain said. "When we considered all of our affiliations, including athletics, we took into consideration that the Midwest Conference more closely aligns with our academic partners in the ACM, and that Luther's strengths, challenges, strategic priorities, and the geographical origins of its student body fit well with the MWC."

Cornell, who was a charter member of the Midwest Conference in 1921, left for the then Iowa Conference after the 1996-97 school year and returned in 2012.

The A-R-C did not have an official comment outside of the announcement ion its website. It will have to decide to stay at eight teams or look to replace Luther. Buena Vista, Central, Coe, Dubuque, Loras, Nebraska Wesleyan, Simpson and Wartburg remain in the league.

No automatic qualifiers in any sport are affected by Luther’s departure, according to Stroman. Six teams will continue to advance to postseason conference tournaments.

“Schedule adjustments for the 2026-27 season will affect 80 contests in basketball, football, soccer, tennis and women’s volleyball,” Stroman wrote. “The conference office will provide scheduling options for coaches and administrators of these sports, including the exploration of a playoff format or a partner conference scheduling agreement in football.”

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com