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Contact: Michael Wajerski, Sports Information Director - Lake Forest College, wajerski@lakeforest.edu

LAKE FOREST, Illinois — The history of intercollegiate athletics at Lake Forest College athletics dates back to a pair of football games against Northwestern University in 1882. Although the final scores are unknown, the teams split those two contests with each prevailing at home.

Although Lake Forest was never an official member of the league, records show a representative of the College was present at the initial meeting of what eventually became the Big 10 Conference in 1895.

Along with four other schools in the Midwest, Lake Forest was a founding member of the Little Five Conference in January of 1911. The league crowned champions in football, basketball, baseball, track, and tennis during more than a decade of existence.

After more than two decades as an independent, Lake Forest was also a charter member of the College Conference of Illinois in 1946 and remained in the league until 1963. The Foresters captured CCI championships in football, wrestling, golf, tennis, and baseball during their 17 years of membership.

While records of women’s sports at the College date all the way back to a basketball game in 1895, Forester women’s teams began competing as varsity intercollegiate programs in the 1960s and 70s.

Lake Forest College joined the Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1974 and the Midwest Athletic Conference for Women in 1983. The two leagues merged and became the Midwest Conference in 1994.

The Forester men’s soccer team captured a share of the league title in the College’s first year of membership and has won 17 championships in 46 seasons. The most successful women’s sports have been swimming and diving and softball with 11 championships apiece. A dozen programs have contributed to the College’s 81 conference titles and Lake Forest teams earned at least one championship in 22 consecutive academic years from 1985-2007. In addition, the women’s swimming and diving team’s title last February extended the Foresters’ current streak to nine years.

In addition to MWC membership in 17 sports (football, women’s volleyball, softball, and men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, indoor track, outdoor track, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis), Lake Forest also belongs to the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (men and women), St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (men’s and women’s golf), and United States Handball Association (men and women). The Foresters will also begin competing in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference and Midwest Women’s Lacrosse Conference in 2021-22.