Lewis Flyers

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The Lewis Flyers are the athletic teams of Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois. They compete in NCAA Division II, mainly in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) for most sports since 1980–81. The men’s volleyball team competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) and plays at the Division I level, even though Lewis is a Division II school.

Before joining NCAA, Lewis competed in NAIA, primarily in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) from 1954–55 to 1979–80. As an NAIA member, the Flyers won the NAIA Baseball World Series in 1974, 1975 and 1976, and finished as runners-up in 1966 and 1980. The track and field, cross country and other programs have a long history of success, with many All-Americans. One notable alumnus is Isaac Jean-Paul, who won an NCAA high jump title and later became a Paralympic world champion in 2017 with a world-record jump of 2.17 meters.

The men’s volleyball program has appeared in nine Final Fours: 1996, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2021. In 2003 Lewis won the NCAA Division I/II national championship in men’s volleyball against BYU, but the title was later vacated due to eligibility issues. The team reached the NCAA Final Four again in 1998 and 2019, and won the MIVA Conference Tournament in 2019 and 2021, advancing to the NCAA tournament in those years. The program is listed as a Division I team for volleyball, even though Lewis competes as a Division II school overall, and it remains in the MIVA rather than the GLVC for volleyball.

The women’s volleyball team has qualified for 19 straight NCAA regional tournaments (2006–2024), reaching the Final Four in 2016 and 2018.

Lewis also fields a rugby team in the Chicago Area Rugby Football Union (CARFU).

The Flyers have 22 varsity teams, with 23 planned for 2026–27. The athletic director is John Planek. Home venues include Neil Carey Arena (basketball), Brennan Field (baseball), Lewis Stadium (soccer) and Lewis Pool (aquatics). The school colors are red and white, and the teams are nicknamed the Flyers.