GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) officially welcomed Roosevelt University as its 11th member on Monday, July 1. The institution, located in downtown Chicago, will begin competition in the fall 2024.
"This is an exciting day for the GLIAC, as we welcome Roosevelt University to the conference,” said GLIAC Commissioner Kris Dunbar. “RU's outstanding academic profile and athletic program are a valuable addition to our league. Thank you to President Malekzadeh and Athletic Director Cassidy for their strong leadership and continued diligence in facilitating a smooth transition. We are thrilled to expand the GLIAC's footprint to the Chicagoland area and we look forward to the rivalries that are sure to be developed with Roosevelt in the years to come."
Roosevelt participates in 17 sports sponsored by the GLIAC, including baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.
“This is a great day for Roosevelt Athletics as joining the GLIAC, a conference widely considered to be best in all of NCAA Division II, is another milestone in the continued growth of our department,” said Roosevelt Vice President of Athletics and Student Success Mike Cassidy. “While this move will be a step up in competition for our athletic programs, it is also an opportunity to collaborate and connect with fellow conference coaches and administrators to ensure we are optimizing the experience of our student-athletes.
“I am grateful for the support provided already by GLIAC leadership, and specifically thank Commissioner Kris Dunbar and Associate Commissioner Michael Pierce for their guidance the last year-plus as we pursued the marker reached today. In my initial interactions with current GLIAC members, I could not have felt more welcomed. I look forward to starting our competitions as proud GLIAC members this fall.”
Roosevelt University, a private institution founded in 1945 on the principles of inclusion and social justice, has more than 4,300 students with campuses in downtown Chicago and Schaumburg, Ill. Roosevelt offers 65 undergraduate and 50 graduate and doctoral programs across five colleges, including arts and sciences, business, performing arts, education, culinary, health sciences and pharmacy.
“Our competition in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference begins this fall,” said Roosevelt President, Ali R. Malekzadeh. “This move reflects our commitment to excellence both on and off the field, and we are excited about the new opportunities it will bring to our student-athletes and the entire Roosevelt community.”
With the addition of Roosevelt, the GLIAC becomes the only NCAA Division II conference whose footprint includes the two largest media markets and metropolitan areas in the Midwest region -- Detroit and Chicago.
About The GLIAC
Founded in 1972, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is a nationally-recognized leader in the advancement and promotion of intercollegiate athletics for men and women. Spanning the states of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, the current membership includes 11 institutions: Davenport University, Ferris State University (charter member), Grand Valley State University, Lake Superior State University (charter member), Michigan Technological University, Northern Michigan University, Purdue University Northwest, Roosevelt University, Saginaw Valley State University (charter member), Wayne State University and the University of Wisconsin Parkside. The conference has grown to offer championships in 21 sports while rising to prominence on the national level as GLIAC teams and student-athletes have achieved unmatched success both in the classroom and on the fields of play.
