Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC)
Established	1922
Association	NCAA
Division	Division III
Members	9
Sports fielded	22 (men's: 11; women's: 11)
Region	Iowa
Headquarters	Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Commissioner	Chuck Yrigoyen (since 2008)
Website	iowaconference.com
Locations

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. As the name implies, most member teams are located in the state of Iowa.

History

The Iowa Conference dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges got together and formed the “Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association.” Charter members were Buena Vista College, Central University of Iowa, Ellsworth College, Iowa Wesleyan College, Luther College, Morningside College, Parsons College, St. Ambrose College, Simpson College, Upper Iowa College, Western Union College and Penn College. Des Moines University was voted into the conference at that meeting as well.

The first Conference constitution was published in January 1923. Also that year, Judge Hubert Utterback of Des Moines, Iowa was named the first conference commissioner and Iowa Teachers (now known as University of Northern Iowa) was accepted as a member. Columbia College (now known as Loras College) was admitted in 1926. Ellsworth left the Conference in 1927. That spring the Conference’s name was changed to the “Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.” After a three-year ban, athletics were reinstated at the University of Dubuque in 1928-29, and it joined the conference in 1929. Wartburg College was admitted to the conference in 1936, beginning competition the following year. Morningside College dropped out in 1936 because of inactivity. William Penn was suspended from the Conference in 1949 for using ineligible players. The school was back in the Conference in 1951, though it did not compete in football until later. In 1951, St. Ambrose and Loras dropped from football competition.

The Iowa Conference reorganized in 1953, effective with the 1954-55 school year. Nine schools remained in the Conference: Buena Vista, Central, Dubuque, Iowa Wesleyan, Luther, Parsons, Simpson, Upper Iowa and Wartburg. William Penn was readmitted to the Conference in 1960, effective in the spring of 1962. Parsons left the Conference around 1963, while Iowa Wesleyan left effective June 1, 1965. Loras rejoined the Conference in 1986, increasing the Conference membership to nine schools, which continued until 1997 when Coe and Cornell left the Midwest Conference to join the IIAC. The Conference was at 11 schools until its 80th Anniversary year (2001–02) when William Penn decided to leave and switch its affiliation from the NCAA to the NAIA. The IIAC became a nine school Conference when Upper Iowa reclassified to NCAA Division II prior to the start of the 2003-04 academic year and fell back to eight schools with Cornell's return to the Midwest Conference following the 2011-2012 academic year.

The conference expanded beyond the borders of Iowa in 2016 with the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan University.^[1]

Member schools

Current members

Note

^* - Loras was dropped from the conference in 1954 because it was determined they were "too strong" for the other members to play against. Loras rejoined the conference in 1986.

Former members

Note

^* - William Penn was suspended from the conference from 1949 to 1951 and then removed from the conference for being "too weak" in 1953; they rejoined in 1960.

Membership timeline

Sports

Member teams field men's and women's teams in cross country, basketball, track and field, swimming and diving, golf, soccer, tennis. Men's teams are field for baseball, football and wrestling. Women's teams are field for softball and volleyball.

Men's sponsored sports by school

School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross Country	Football	Golf	Soccer	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field (Indoor)	Track & Field (Outdoor)	Wrestling	Total IIAC Sports
Buena Vista	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Central	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Coe	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Dubuque	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Loras	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Luther	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Nebraska Wesleyan	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Simpson	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Wartburg	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10

Dubuque and Loras also sponsor a men's lacrosse team.
Loras also sponsors a men's volleyball team in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League.

Women's sponsored sports by school

School	Basketball	Cross Country	Football	Golf	Soccer	Softball	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field (Indoor)	Track & Field (Outdoor)	Volleyball	Total IIAC Sports
Buena Vista	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Central	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Coe	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Dubuque	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Loras	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Luther	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Nebraska Wesleyan	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Simpson	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Wartburg	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10

Dubuque, Loras, and Wartburg also sponsor a women's lacrosse team.

References

External links

• Official website