NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The University of Dubuque, located in Dubuque, Iowa, will join the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) as an associate member for men’s & women’s lacrosse beginning in 2014-15, the CCIW announced on Wednesday.

The Spartans will join four current CCIW men’s lacrosse programs and five current CCIW women’s lacrosse programs in the field of competition beginning in the spring of 2015.

Dubuque’s women’s program, coached by Kendall Loggins, began play in 2013 as an independent, but will compete as a member of the Midwest Women’s Lacrosse Conference in 2014 before joining the CCIW the following year.

The men’s program begins its inaugural season in 2014 and will compete as an independent before joining the CCIW in 2015.

“We are excited to be adding Dubuque as an associate member for men’s and women’s lacrosse,” CCIW commissioner Chris Martin said. “The addition of Dubuque will help to enhance the lacrosse student-athlete experience in the CCIW.”

Five core CCIW institutions will compete in women's lacrosse by the spring of 2015 including Augustana, Carthage, Elmhurst, Illinois Wesleyan and North Central. A total of four core CCIW institutions currently compete in men's lacrosse including Augustana, Carthage, Elmhurst and Illinois Wesleyan.

Dubuque becomes the second CCIW associate member after Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, located in Terre Haute, Indiana, joined for men’s & women’s swimming in 2007.

For more information about the University of Dubuque, visit its website at dbq.edu.

The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services eight member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), 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 2012-13 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,400 academic all-conference recipients, 15 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-Americans, 30 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, 68 all-Americans and one national championship team.