NAPERVILLE, Ill. – As the CCIW marks its 75th Anniversary, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) announced today the addition of women’s bowling beginning with the 2020-21 academic year. The CCIW becomes just the second NCAA DIII multi-sport conference to sponsor Women’s Bowling and the only one in the Midwest.
 
“We are extremely excited to be adding Women’s Bowling in the CCIW”, shared Maureen Harty, Executive Director of the CCIW. “Girls high school bowling is very strong in Illinois and Wisconsin, and we are honored to blaze the trail for DIII women’s bowling in the Midwest."
 
Five core CCIW institutions will compete in women’s bowling next season including Augustana, Carthage, Elmhurst, Illinois Wesleyan and North Central. Elmhurst began its women’s bowling program in 2005-06, followed by Augustana and North Central in 2017-18. Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan begin play in 2020-21.
 
In addition, the CCIW welcomes three new associate members for women’s bowling including Aurora University, (Aurora, Illinois), Marian University (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) and Lakeland University, (Plymouth, Wisconsin). Women’s bowling is the second CCIW associate membership for Lakeland as the Muskie men’s wrestling program joined as an associate member in 2016.
 
With the addition of Aurora, Marian and Lakeland, the CCIW will have one over the required seven institutions to receive the NCAA AQ in the spring of 2023.
 
The addition of women’s bowling brings the CCIW’s total number of sponsored sports to 25, which puts the CCIW in the top three nationally amongst NCAA Division III conferences. This announcement marks the third time in five years that the CCIW will add to its sports sponsorship list as the conference began competing in men’s & women’s lacrosse in the spring of 2015 and men’s volleyball last season.
 
For more information about any of the CCIW Women’s Bowling programs visit their webpage below.