As the college sports season draws to a close so does Cornell College’s membership in the Iowa Conference. The Mount Vernon school is leaving the league after 15 years to return to the Midwest Conference. Athletic director John Cochrane says they are excited by the move, but at the same time there is some anxiety because it is something new.
Cornell was a founding member of the Midwest Conference back in 1921 and Cochrane says the school maintains academic relationships with most of the schools in the league. “It expands our footprint, which was significant part of it as well,” Cochrane says. He says they wanted to expand their visibility in southern Wisconsin and Illinois.
Cochrane says the will also maintain their rivalry with Coe College. The schools have been a part of the same conference for nearly a century and they will begin competing for an all sports trophy when next season begins.
Cochrane says Cornell will “officially” leave the Iowa Conference at the end of June and become a member of the Midwest Conference on August first.