Viterbo Athletics Joins Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Viterbo University and the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference announced on Tuesday that Viterbo will join the CCAC as a full member beginning in the 2024-25 academic year.

"Viterbo University is honored and excited to join such a prestigious athletic conference as the CCAC," said Viterbo President Rick Trietley. "The universities in the CCAC are outstanding academic institutions who are mission-aligned and similar in many ways to Viterbo.  Ultimately, it is our student athletes who will benefit most through reduced travel time and missed classes, as well as opportunities to experience new cities and geographical areas.  We thank the CCAC and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship."

The CCAC, which consists of 12 full time members across Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, began in 1949 as a baseball league made up of four teams. The men's basketball coaches met in 1972 to form their conference sport that started in the 1973-74 season, and cross country and tennis were added in the mid-1970s. in 1982, women's sports were introduced to the league, including volleyball, tennis, softball, and basketball. Over 33 schools have been a part of the CCAC over the years, which still stands in one of the largest conferences in the NAIA.

"The CCAC is a great fit for our university and our athletics department," said Viterbo Athletics Director Barry Fried. "It's a well-known NAIA conference with many schools similar to Viterbo in terms of mission, size and overall profile.  Sport offerings, long-term stability, and student-athlete experience were also key factors in pursuing membership."

Official conference sponsors sports include baseball, softball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and men's and women's volleyball. In addition to Viterbo, six other conference schools have men's bowling, seven have women's bowling, six sponsor competitive dance, and six have Esports.

Viterbo has been an associate member of the CCAC in men's volleyball since 2019, and men's and women's soccer starting in 2023.

"I'd like to personally thank the CCAC Presidents and Commissioner Schimmelpfennig for having confidence in Viterbo University and accepting our teams into the conference," continued Fried. "I'm looking forward to getting to know the athletics directors and coaches and working with them as we join the conference."

Since 2015, Viterbo has been a full-time member of the North Star Athletic Association, where they competed in women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer (2015-17), men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's golf, baseball, and softball.

As a member of the NSAA, the V-Hawks won seven regular season conference titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) and eight conference tournament championships (2015-2022) in volleyball, two conference titles in women's cross country (2020, 2022), one regular season and conference tournament title in women's soccer (2015) and one regular season title in men's basketball (2021-22).

For the full release from the conference, click here.