College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin — men's wrestling (7)

The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) is an all-sports Division III league with 7 listed wrestling programs in 2 states, six of them in Illinois: North Central (Naperville), Elmhurst and Wheaton (IL) in the Chicago suburbs, Augustana (IL) in the Quad Cities, Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington and Millikin in Decatur. Carthage in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sits between Milwaukee and Chicago. All seven are private, most with a church heritage, and all wrestle in the CCIW as their primary conference.

The competitive spread is wide and well documented. North Central won the 2026 CCIW championship, its fourth straight tournament title, sent six wrestlers to the 2026 NCAA Championships and had a 2026 NCAA champion. Millikin was runner-up in 2026 for the fourth straight year after winning in 2022. Elmhurst climbed to fifth in 2026 from eighth in 2024, while Carthage (6th), Augustana (7th), Illinois Wesleyan (8th) and Wheaton (9th) filled out the 2026 standings. Head-coach tenure ranges from Steve Marianetti at Elmhurst, in charge since 2002, to Ryan Birt, who took over at Millikin in 2026.

Costs and selectivity vary too. Federal average net price (College Scorecard, 2026 release) runs from about $21,000 at North Central to about $28,200 at Illinois Wesleyan, which is also the most selective member at roughly 39 percent admitted; Carthage and Wheaton admit around 87 percent. Six members list women's wrestling; Wheaton does not. 5 programs publish a recruiting form, and Millikin routes recruits through a general athletics questionnaire. Before you email, read our guide on reading a roster for weight-class depth: the deep profiles rate early lineup opportunity as limited at the two top programs and moderate elsewhere.