In Spring 2012, the Great Midwest Rugby Conference (originally named the WIIL Rugby Conference) was formed by joining D2 collegiate men's teams from the Wisconsin RFU, Illinois RFU, and CARFU. This was done partially to comply with USA Rugby's directive on forming conferences as well as increasing competition and enhancing the reputation of rugby in the Midwest. The Great Midwest Conference Champion receives an automatic berth to NCR Nationals and historically the conference finalist and 3rd place teams have also advanced to Nationals based on the competitiveness of the conference. In recent years, the Great Midwest added a Small College competition, has branched out into Iowa, and continues to add new teams to elevate our competition.
Marquette Makes a Statement with Win Over UW-Platteville
In a clash between the #6 and #11-ranked DII college teams in the country, 6th-ranked Marquette put in a pretty polished performance in defeating UW-Platteville in Platteville.
Backing Up Wins in Great Midwest
Illinois State bonced back from last week's loss to beat a tough Loyola side this week in Great Midwest Conference action.
Meanwhile, Marquette won their second in a row, taking down Northern Michigan 29-17.
Will Shakeups Keep Coming in Great Midwest?
The Great Midwest Conference already had a shakeup after the first weekend of competition, and it's likely we'll see some more of that as the season progresses.
Marquette beating Wisconsin-Whitewater was, of course, the most notable result.
Great Midwest Conference Sets Schedule For Fall 2021
The Great Midwest Conference has confirmed its schedule for both its D2 league and its small college league.
More DII College Conference Champs Finalized
Ten conferences have confirmed their Men's DII College conferences, with three more to go.
Here's a rundown of what has happened so far.
(Photos by Sara Hoener, Villanova Rugby, and Kelly Williams)
