Northland College to Close After 2024-2025 School Year, What it Means for UWSP Athletics and WIAC
After 133 years, Northland College is closing its doors for good. What does this mean for UW-Stevens Point Athletics and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) as a whole?
Lyric LaRock photo
A Northland College spokesperson announced via social media that the university is closing following the end of the 2024-25 academic school year. WIAC Hockey stands to take the biggest “hit” as a result of the closure.
Northland College’s Lumberjacks had been competing as an affiliate member in the conference since 2019 (failing to secure any accolades in that time). However, it was because of Northland’s membership that the WIAC received a coveted National Collegiate Athletic Association “auto bid,” an automatic ticket to the postseason for any team that won the conference championship.
The NCAA defines the requirements for a conference to be eligible for an automatic qualifier as “having six teams AND having existed for at least 2 years.” At six teams (soon to be five), the WIAC is already tied for the smallest hockey conference in the nation; with Northland’s closure, they will be the smallest.
The WIAC is suddenly going to be on the outside of the March hockey tournament with no easy path in.
There’s still light at the end of the tunnel, however. This could be the push the WIAC needs to incorporate more teams into the conference or nudge more non-hockey schools into creating a program. UW-Lacrosse already has a hockey team, just not one sponsored by the school.
The Lacrosse Falcons men’s team plays in the ACHA (club hockey) M2 division and could make the leap to the NCAA level, not an uncommon occurrence among college athletic programs. Last year, Augustana climbed from club hockey to Division 1, and beginning this season UW-River Falls will begin fielding a baseball team after their club team won the NCBA World Series.
Otherwise, the conference could look outside to other established hockey programs to extend an invitation. Schools like St. Norbert or Saint Mary’s have plenty of experience playing WIAC teams; it’s not crazy to say they would be a good fit.
Some UWSP players support both of these ideas.
“Lacrosse, definitely,” said Peyton Hart, a forward on the men’s hockey team when asked about what WIAC school he’d want to see join. “Them or St. Norbert.”
“St. Norbert, for sure. It’s always a good game when we play those guys,” said Alex Proctor, a goaltender for the Pointers.
Northland fell in the WIAC tournament first round, getting swept in both games by Eau Claire. They have likely played their last games in blue and orange for good.
Liam Statz
Sports Contributor | The Pointer
