NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin announced today conference tournament field expansion in the sports of volleyball, men’s & women’s basketball and baseball beginning with the 2018-19 academic year.
 
Following the addition of Carroll, and after a yearlong review by head coaches, athletics administrators and member institution presidents, the CCIW announced the expansion of these four conference tournaments from four to six teams starting next year.
 
“The CCIW is pleased to announce the expansion of the conference volleyball, men’s & women’s basketball and baseball tournaments,” CCIW commissioner Chris Martin said. “This expansion will enhance the conference tournament experience for our student-athletes and provide additional participation opportunities for postseason competition.”
 
For volleyball, the 2018 conference tournament will be played on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday leading up to the NCAA’s tournament field announcement. This schedule will be used only for 2018 to account for previously scheduled contests on Tuesday, October 30 and the status of non-conference schedules prior to the tournament dates. Beginning in 2019 and beyond, the tournament will take place the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday leading up to the NCAA’s announcement. For 2018, the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds will host the Nos. 6 and 5 seeds respectively, on Thursday, with the winners advancing to the site of the No. 1 seed on Friday. The lowest remaining seed will face the No. 1 seed, while the highest remaining seed will play the No. 2 seed. Friday’s winners will play for the tournament championship on Saturday at the site of the No. 1 seed. For 2019 and beyond, the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds will host the Nos. 6 and 5 seeds respectively, on Tuesday. The highest remaining seed after Tuesday will then travel to the site of the No. 2 seed, while the lowest remaining seed after Tuesday will travel to the site of the No. 1 seed on Thursday. Thursday’s winners will then play for the tournament championship on Saturday at the highest remaining seed. [SAMPLE SCHEDULE]
 
For men’s & women’s basketball, beginning in February of 2019, the conference tournament will be played on the Tuesday, Friday and Saturday leading up to the NCAA’s tournament field announcement. The Nos. 3 and 4 seeds will host the Nos. 6 and 5 seeds respectively, on Tuesday, with the winners advancing to the site of the No. 1 seed on Friday. The lowest remaining seed will face the No. 1 seed, while the highest remaining seed will play the No. 2 seed. Friday’s winners will play for the tournament championship on Saturday at the site of the No. 1 seed. [SAMPLE SCHEDULE]
 
For baseball, beginning in the spring of 2019, the double elimination tournament will take place over a three-day period in the week leading up to the NCAA’s tournament announcement. Four games will be played on Day 1, followed by four games on Day 2, and either two or three games on Day 3. All three days will be played at the site of the No. 1 seed for schools with lights. If the No. 1 seed does not have lights, games will be split on Day 1 and Day 2 between the No. 1 seed’s field and a second local site. All Day 3 games will be played at the No. 1 seed site. [SAMPLE SCHEDULE]
 
Tournament winners will earn the conference’s automatic bid to their respective NCAA Division III Championship.
 
The CCIW Men’s Basketball Tournament was established in 2006, while the CCIW Women’s Basketball Tournament began in 2003. The CCIW Volleyball Tournament’s current four-team format started in 2005, while the CCIW Baseball Tournament began in 1985.
 
Twitter & Instagram: CCIW_Athletics
 
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2016-17 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,900 academic all-conference recipients, 10 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 33 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, one CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and over 100 all-Americans.