UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — John Carroll University announced Thursday that the institution will leave the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) to join the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) in fall 2025.

What You Need To Know

  • John Carroll University is set to leave the Ohio Athletic Conference to join the North Coast Athletic Conference in fall 2025

  • According to a press release, the athletic conference change is the latest step in John Carroll's three-year, $100 million strategy to bolster the student experience, grow the academic portfolio, enhance the campus and expand the institution's reach

  • The Blue Streaks will depart the Ohio Athletic Conference after being a member since the 1989-90 academic year

The athletic conference change is the latest step in John Carroll's three-year, $100 million strategy to bolster the student experience, grow the academic portfolio, enhance the campus and expand the institution's reach, according to a press release.

Membership in the NCAC aligns John Carroll's athletic programs with other liberal arts colleges and universities that share a focus on rigorous academics and high-level athletics, according to the press release. The Blue Streaks will become the 10th member of the conference which includes institutions from Ohio and Indiana that serve students well beyond the Midwest.

"Athletics has been an integral part of the student experience at John Carroll for more than a century and we are pleased to accept the invitation to join the NCAC during a pivotal time in our history," President Al Miciak said in the press release. "Our board of directors and university leadership are committed to ongoing strategic investments that will ensure that the gift of a Jesuit education from John Carroll is available for generations to come. We are pleased to align with a group of academically and athletically competitive partners in the NCAC who enjoy national reach and reputation as high-ranking liberal arts institutions."

Current NCAC full-time members include Denison University, DePauw University, Hiram College, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Wabash College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster. Affiliate members include Allegheny College, Earlham College, Transylvania University and Washington & Jefferson College.

"We are grateful to the OAC and its partner institutions for more than 30 years of incredible rivalry and competition and we look forward to maintaining our relationships with them both on and off the field," Miciak said in the release.

The Blue Streaks will depart the Ohio Athletic Conference after being a member since the 1989-90 academic year. John Carroll also competed in the OAC from 1932-49. In between, JCU was a founding member of the Presidents Athletic Conference in 1955, competing for 34 years in the PAC.

"At John Carroll, students can pursue excellence in the classroom and on the playing field without sacrificing one for the other," Brian Polian, director of athletics, said in the press release. "We work everyday to attract the type of student who wants an exceptional Jesuit education and who wants to compete at the highest level of Division III athletics. We believe today's announcement aligns John Carroll with peer institutions that share a common mission and that attract students from across the country."

The NCAC sponsors championships in 23 sports — 11 for men and 12 for women. The 12 women's sports are among the most offered by any Division III conference. The NCAC frequently enjoys success on a national stage. NCAC member institutions have collected 71 national team championships since the conference's first playing season in 1984-85.

"We are thrilled to welcome our friends at John Carroll University to the North Coast Athletic Conference family," Keri Alexander Luchowski, executive director of the conference, said in the press release. "We are excited about the new opportunities John Carroll brings to the NCAC and can't wait for competition to begin. John Carroll's commitment to all sports and its support for its student-athletes make it a first-class addition to our league. I look forward to seeing how they enhance our rich tradition and history as they move into full NCAC membership."

Since joining the OAC, the Blue Streaks have captured 190 conference championships, which include both men and women, regular season and tournament championships.

According to the press release, the decision to join the NCAC is another step in John Carroll University's Inspired Futures strategy that includes the launch of a bachelor of science in nursing program, which features two new nursing labs, and the debut of a college of health. John Carroll's investment in healthcare will also include new majors in public health, healthcare administration and master of science in nursing.

A three-year, $100 million investment in campus facilities kicked off in 2022 with renovations to the D.J. Lombardo Student Center, the Grasselli Library and Breen Learning Center and multiple residence halls, and the construction of a state-of-the-art 100,000 square foot Athletic, Wellness and Event Center, scheduled to open in 2025.

"We are thrilled with the progress to date on the implementation of our Inspired Futures strategy," Miciak said in the press release. "These investments in our student experience signal our desire to innovate and evolve with the focus always remaining on successful outcomes for our students."