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Since we don't have a SportsZone this week, we'll give you some tid-bits from this off-week in Loras athletics!

Here's a look at some of the best highlights from Loras' winter sports:

It was reported by Radio Iowa last week that the Iowa Conference is looking for a new member. Ever since the departure of Upper Iowa in 2003, the IIAC has been left with just nine schools. So far, there is no indication as to which schools are being considered, but I'll take a stab at it anyway.

1. Grinnell - The Pioneers look like the top possibility. Despite the school's location in the heart of Iowa, Grinnell plays in a Midwest Confrence void of any other Hawkeye state members. A move to bring them in would not only help with scheduling, but would maintain the conference's academic standing.

2.....Well, since there are no other DIII schools in the state, it's kind of hard to decide who else is in the mix.

Schools I wouldn't mind making the move to DIII for the IIAC:

-Grand View: The Vikings could be a much needed western school in the eastern Iowa dominated conference.

-Upper Iowa: It appears the move to DII hasn't been as successful as the Peacocks would have wanted. Maybe a move back to DIII could be the cure.

-Waldorf: Waldorf may be on the small end, but the school does have a football program (a plus over some other eastern/central Iowa colleges).

With that said, is the IIAC looking outside Iowa as well? I guess we'll have to wait and see...

January Term must seem like a black hole of fan support for winter athletes. During the especially long Loras holiday break, the Duhawks have played in a mostly vacant AWC/Graber Center the last few weeks. The basketball teams play Central tonight to cap off J-Term play.

To get you caught up...The Loras men sit at 10-6 and 5-2 in the IIAC. Coming off two amazing seasons, the Duhawks look a little more pedestrian this year. Despite tough losses to UD and BV, Loras is still in position for a high seed in the conference tournament.

January has seen a continuation of the women's up and down play. Lindsay Bava and crew captured wins against BV, Cornell, and UD, but fell victim to Wartburg and #10 Simpson. Freshman Alex Hudson continues to shine as a rebounder and scorer for the young Duhawks.

The Loras wrestling program has seen better days. Its hard to find fault for a team struggling in the Iowa Conference, a league that trumps all others in DIII, but this performance is still surprising for a school that is usually .500 or above. The Duhawks finally got off the January schnide with a dual victory over Augustana. Don't worry too much, though. Coach Steward will have his men primed come tournment time.

Lastly, the Duhawk swimmers are paddling to another top two finish in the IIAC. The women are 4-3 and the men are 3-3 on the season. They return to San Jose Pool on Friday to host Beliot.

Stick with SportsZone Extra for highlights and news as the spring semester kicks into gear January 27. Here's to February, may it get here soon so we can get back to SportsZone video coverage!