The Indiana Wesleyan University football program was voted as a unanimous selection to join the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) as they begin their first season of play in the fall of 2018.
Indiana Wesleyan was accepted into the MSFA at their annual spring meeting. IWU announced the addition of the football program on April 1, 2016 and the declaration of league membership is the first major announcement in building the program.
“The MSFA is proud to accept Indiana Wesleyan University into our membership,” said MSFA Commissioner Gary Newsome following unanimous approval by the 13 MSFA institutions. “IWU’s strong academic and athletic programs will be a good fit in the MSFA. All of their programs achieve excellence and we are looking forward to watching their football program grow into a contender. Congratulations to (athletics director) Mark DeMichael and its entire administration and student body for taking this step forward.”
Indiana Wesleyan will be an associate member in 2018 when they compete in their first season as a varsity sport. IWU will become a full-fledged member in 2019. The Wildcats are the 30th institution to hold membership in the MSFA and will be the 14th active member when it joins in 2018.
“We are very excited to receive notification from the MSFA that our application for membership has been approved,” said Indiana Wesleyan Director of Athletics Mark DeMichael. “The MSFA is the premiere football conference in the NAIA so to have an opportunity to not only compete but be associated with quality institutions and football programs like these is something we are excited about. We would like to thank the leadership of the MSFA for allowing us to make a presentation and for approving us to be a part of their conference.”
MSFA member schools have won seven NAIA National Championships since the inception of the league in 1993. The MSFA has won four of the last five national championships.
The MSFA contains two divisions which each division champion earning an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship Series. The conference boasts programs from five different states.
The Mideast division features: Concordia in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Lindenwood-Belleville in Belleville, Illinois; Marian in Indianapolis, Indiana; Missouri Baptist in St. Louis, Missouri; Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana; Siena Heights in Adrian, Michigan; and Taylor in Upland, Indiana.
The Midwest division features: Olivet Nazarene in Bourbonnais, Illinois; Robert Morris in Chicago, Illinois; Saint Xavier in Chicago, Illinois; St. Ambrose in Davenport, Iowa; Trinity International in Deerfield, Illinois; and St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.
Indiana Wesleyan will begin to bring in student-athletes for football in the fall of 2017 with the first season of competition being the fall of 2018.