COLUMBUS, Miss. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Council of Presidents and Chancellors has accepted the application of Mississippi University for Women, also known as The W, to join the conference as an associate member in women’s and men’s tennis. A coeducational institution since 1982, the Owls will compete in the UMAC starting this spring.
 
With the addition of The W, both UMAC men’s and women’s tennis have 11 teams competing for the conference championships. The Owls will compete in the South division alongside the other four associate UMAC tennis members: the Greenville University Panthers, the Principia College Panthers, the Webster University Gorloks, and the Westminster College Blue Jays.
 
After competing in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) for the previous six years, The W became a full-fledged member of NCAA Division III at the start of the 2023-24 season this past fall. The Owls joined the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) for 15 of their 17 athletic programs, and now have a home for tennis in the UMAC.
 
Located in Columbus, Mississippi, The W has a total enrollment of 2,227 students and offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and concentrations as well as 11 graduate programs.
 
The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference is comprised of eight full members located in Minnesota and Wisconsin and five associate members for football, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis located in Illinois, Missouri, and Mississippi. Originally formed in 1972 as the Twin Rivers Conference, the league was renamed in 1983. The UMAC is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. The conference provides its member institutions with the opportunity to be recognized in the areas of academic excellence and athletic competitiveness. The UMAC awards conference championships in 18 sports.