Ohio Athletic Conference


The Ohio Athletic Conference was formed in 1902 and is the third oldest athletic conference in the United States. Its current commissioner is Tim Gleason. Former commissioners include Mike Cleary, who was the first General Manager of a professional basketball team to hire an African American head coach, and would later run the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. The Ohio Athletic Conference competes in the NCAA's Division III. Through the years, 31 schools have been members of the OAC. The enrollments of the current ten member institutions range from around 1,000 to 4,500. Member teams are located in Ohio.

Members

Current members

The OAC currently has 10 members.
InstitutionLocation
NicknameFoundedTypeEnrollmentJoinedColors
Baldwin Wallace UniversityBereaYellow Jackets1845Private/Non-sectarian4,1771915Brown and Gold
Capital UniversityBexleyCrusaders1830Private/Lutheran3,6281927Purple and White
Heidelberg UniversityTiffinStudent Princes1850Private/United Church of Christ1,5001907Red, Orange, & Black
John Carroll UniversityUniversity HeightsBlue Streaks1886Private/Roman Catholic3,7001932Blue and Gold
Marietta CollegeMariettaPioneers1835Private/Non-sectarian1,4301926Navy Blue and White
AlliancePurple Raiders1846Private/Non-sectarian2,2231914Purple and White
Muskingum UniversityNew ConcordFighting Muskies1837Private/Presbyterian 1,7791922Magenta and Black
Ohio Northern UniversityAdaPolar Bears1871Private/United Methodist3,5771916Orange, Black, & White
Otterbein UniversityWestervilleCardinals1847Private/United Methodist3,0801921Tan and Cardinal
Wilmington CollegeWilmingtonQuakers1870Private/Quaker9902000Green and White

;Notes

Associate members

Former members

;Notes

Membership timeline


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width:15 textcolor:black shift: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:powderblue from:1902 till:1948 text:Case Tech
bar:2 color:powderblue from:1902 till:1984 text:Kenyon
bar:3 color:powderblue from:1902 till:1984 text:Oberlin
bar:4 color:powderblue from:1902 till:1912 text:Ohio State
bar:5 color:powderblue from:1902 till:1928 text:Ohio Wesleyan
bar:5 color:powderblue from:1947 till:1984 text:
bar:6 color:powderblue from:1902 till:1932 text:Western Reserve
bar:7 color:powderblue from:1907 till:1928 text:Denison
bar:7 color:powderblue from:1933 till:1984 text:
bar:8 color:powderblue from:1907 till:end text:Heidelberg
bar:9 color:powderblue from:1907 till:1984 text:Wooster
bar:10 color:powderblue from:1909 till:1928 text:Wittenberg
bar:10 color:powderblue from:1934 till:1989 text:
bar:11 color:powderblue from:1910 till:1924 text:Cincinnati
bar:12 color:powderblue from:1910 till:1928 text:Ohio
bar:13 color:powderblue from:1911 till:1928 text:Miami
bar:14 color:powderblue from:1914 till:end text:Mount Union
bar:15 color:powderblue from:1915 till:1936 text:Akron
bar:15 color:powderblue from:1944 till:1966 text:
bar:16 color:powderblue from:1915 till:1919 text:Baldwin Wallace
bar:16 color:powderblue from:1923 till:1948 text:
bar:16 color:powderblue from:1961 till:end text:
bar:17 color:powderblue from:1916 till:1947 text:Ohio Northern
bar:17 color:powderblue from:1973 till:end text:
bar:18 color:powderblue from:1920 till:1935 text:Hiram
bar:18 color:powderblue from:1951 till:1971 text:
bar:18 color:powderblue from:1989 till:1999 text:
bar:19 color:powderblue from:1921 till:end text:Otterbein
bar:20 color:powderblue from:1921 till:1936 text:Xavier
bar:21 color:powderblue from:1922 till:end text:Muskingum
bar:22 color:powderblue from:1926 till:end text:Marietta
bar:23 color:powderblue from:1927 till:end text:Capital
bar:24 color:powderblue from:1931 till:1948 text:Ashland
bar:25 color:powderblue from:1932 till:1949 text:John Carroll
bar:25 color:powderblue from:1989 till:end text:
bar:26 color:powderblue from:1932 till:1951 text:Kent State
bar:27 color:powderblue from:1932 till:1949 text:Toledo
bar:28 color:powderblue from:1933 till:1942 text:Bowling Green State
bar:29 shift: color:powderblue from:2000 till:end text:Wilmington
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text:"OAC Membership History"

History

The Ohio Athletic Conference was found in 1902 with six charter members—Case Tech, Kenyon, Oberlin, Ohio State, Ohio Wesleyan, and Western Reserve. By 1934, the conference reached an all-time high of twenty-four members, seeing many schools come and go throughout the upcoming decades. By 2000, the conference solidified to its current form with the addition of its final school, Wilmington, to ten members.

Sports

In 2018–19, the OAC sponsors the following championships:
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Swimming & Diving
Tennis
Indoor Track
Outdoor Track
Volleyball
Wrestling

Facilities

OAC Tournament Championship History

Men's Swimming & Diving