In college athletics in the United States, institutions typically join in conferences for regular play under different governing bodies.

Varsity sports

There are several national and regional associations governing the varsity teams of colleges and universities. Varsity teams are typically funded by an institution's athletic department, and under some governing bodies players are eligible for athletic scholarships.

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Main article: List of NCAA conferences

Division I

Multi-sport conferences
Football-only conferences
Ice hockey conferences
Other single-sport conferences

This list also includes conferences in sports that the NCAA does not split into divisions.

Division II

Single sport conferences

Division III

Single-sport conferences

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)

Main article: List of NAIA conferences
Football-only conference

United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA)

National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA)

Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA)

National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)

California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA)

Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC)

Independent conferences

Other collegiate sports associations

Boxing

Cycling

Fencing

Gymnastics

Lacrosse

See: Category:College lacrosse leagues in the United States

See also: Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association

Rowing

Sprint football

Volleyball

Water polo

Wrestling

List of Oldest College Sports Conferences

The following table is a sortable listing of the oldest college sports conferences (organizations of athletic teams at the collegiate level) in the United States of America. This includes U.S. collegiate sports organizations of NCAA Divisions I, II, and III; as well as various sports including Rowing, Cricket, Basketball, Hockey, Wrestling, Football, Basketball, Track, and more.

Conference Alias Founded Defunct Type Predecessor Successor
Rowing Association of American Colleges[1] RAAC 1870 1894 Rowing Intercollegiate Rowing Association
Intercollegiate Rowing Association[2] IRA 1895 Rowing Rowing Association of American Colleges
Intercollegiate Cricket Association[3] ICA 1881 1924 Cricket
Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League[4] Ivy League 1901 1955 Basketball Ivy League
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association[5] EIWA 1903 Wrestling
Ivy League[6] Ivies 1954 NCAA Rowing Association of American Colleges, Intercollegiate Cricket Association, Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League, Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association
Big Ten Conference[7] B1G 1896 NCAA Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, Western Conference, Big Nine, does not retain legacy of Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest
Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest[8] IAAN 1892 1893 Football, Baseball, Track Big Ten Conference
Southwest Conference[9] SWC 1914 1996 NCAA Southwest Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Big 12 Conference, Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA
Big 12 Conference[10] Big 12 1994* NCAA Southwest Conference, Big Eight Conference, but does not retain legacy of either*
Pac-12 Conference[11] Pac-12 1915 NCAA Pacific Coast Conference,[a] Athletic Association of Western Universities, Pacific-8, Pacific-10
Missouri Valley Conference[12] MVC / Valley 1907 NCAA Shares founding members with Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference[13] Big 8 1907 1996 NCAA Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Big Six Conference, Big Seven Conference, Big Eight Conference Big 12 Conference
Border Conference[14] 1931 1962 NCAA Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association Western Athletic Conference, Pac-12 Conference, Big 12 Conference
Skyline Conference[15] Skyline Eight 1938 1962 NCAA Mountain States Athletic Conference, Big Seven, Skyline Six Western Athletic Conference, Mountain West
Western Athletic Conference[16] WAC 1962 NCAA Border Conference, Skyline Conference, Pac-12 Conference Pac-12 Conference, Mountain West, Conference USA
Metro Conference[17] Metro 1975 1995 NCAA Conference USA, Big East, American Athletic Conference
American Athletic Conference[18] The American / AAC 1979 NCAA Big East
Big East Conference[19] Big East 1979 NCAA Atlantic 10 Conference American Athletic Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East Conference
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association[20] SIAA 1892 1947 NCAA Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, Ohio Valley Conference, Southern Athletic Association, and others
Southern Conference[21] SoCon 1921 NCAA Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Metro Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference, Coastal Athletic Association, Conference USA
Southeastern Conference[22] SEC 1932 NCAA Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Southern Conference, Big 12 Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference[23] ACC 1953 NCAA Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Southern Conference, Metro Conference, Big East
Mid-American Conference[24] MAC 1946 NCAA
Southwestern Athletic Conference[25] SWAC 1920 NCAA
Big West Conference[26] BWC 1968 NCAA Pacific Coast Athletic Association Western Athletic Conference, Mountain West
West Coast Conference[27] WCC 1952 NCAA California Basketball Association, West Coast Athletic Conference Big West Conference, Western Athletic Conference, Mountain West
Atlantic 10 Conference[28] A-10 1976 NCAA Eastern Collegiate Basketball League, Eastern Athletic Association, Eastern 8 Big East, American Athletic Conference
Yankee Conference[29] 1947[b] 1997 NCAA New England Conference Atlantic 10 Conference, CAA Football[c]
Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference[30] CAA Football 2007 NCAA New England Conference,[d] Yankee Conference,[e] Atlantic 10 Conference
Coastal Athletic Association[30] CAA 1979 NCAA ECAC
New England Conference[31] 1923 1947 NCAA New England College Conference of Intercollegiate Athletics Yankee Conference
Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[32] IIAC 1908 1970 NCAA Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Western Collegiate Hockey Association[33] WCHA 1951 Hockey Midwest Collegiate Hockey League, Western Intercollegiate Hockey League
ECAC Hockey[34] ECAC 1961 Hockey Eastern College Athletic Conference, ECAC Hockey League
North Central Conference[35] NCC 1922 2008 Division II Northern Sun, Summit
Northern California Athletic Conference[36] NCAC 1925 1996 Division II Far Western Conference
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association[37] CIAA 1912 Division II Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Conference Carolinas[38] CVAC 1930 Division II North State Conference, Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference
California Collegiate Athletic Association[39] CCAA 1938 Division II
Lone Star Conference[40] LSC 1931 Division II
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association[41] MIAA 1912 Division II Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference[42] NSIC 1932 Division II Northern Teachers Athletic Conference, State Teacher's College Conference of Minnesota, Northern Intercollegiate Conference, Northern Sun Conference
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference[43] RMAC 1909 Division II Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference, Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[44] SIAC 1913 Division II
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[45] WVIAC 1924 2013 Division II Mountain East, Great Midwest
American Rivers Conference[46] ARC 1922 Division III Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Middle Atlantic Conferences[47] MAC 1912 Division III Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletics Association, Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference
Midwest Conference[48] MWC 1921 Division III Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference, Midwest Athletic Conference for Women
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[49] MIAC 1920 Division III
Northwest Conference[50] NWC 1926 Division III
Ohio Athletic Conference[51] OAC 1902 Division III
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[52] SCIAC 1915 Division III
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[53] WIAC 1913 Division III Inter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference, Wisconsin State College Conference, Wisconsin State University Athletic Conference
  1. ^ The Pacific Coast Conference operated under a separate charter from the conference now known as the Pac-12. While the PCC dissolved in 1959, the Pac-12 claims that conference's history as its own.
  2. ^ The Yankee Conference was an all-sports conference until 1976, when it became a football-only league.
  3. ^ CAA Football is technically separate from the all-sports Coastal Athletic Association, though administered by the latter.
  4. ^ Despite significant continuity between the New England Conference and Yankee Conference, CAA Football does not recognize the former as an ancestor.
  5. ^ The all-sports CAA and CAA Football consider the latter's history to have started with the formation of the Yankee Conference.

See also

References

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  2. ^ "IRA Regatta". May 17, 2008. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
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  8. ^ "Welcome cfbdatawarehouse.com - BlueHost.com". www.cfbdatawarehouse.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
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  20. ^ "Prospects for Sport: The Southern Inter-Collegiate Association Organized". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 29 Dec 1892. p. 2. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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  31. ^ "New England Schools Begin Organization". Pittsburgh Daily Post. January 30, 1923. p. 12. Retrieved February 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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  34. ^ "History and Records". ecachockey.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
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  37. ^ "About The CIAA". theciaa.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  38. ^ "Conference Carolinas History & Roots". conferencecarolinas.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  39. ^ "CCAA Champions". goccaa.org. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  40. ^ "Lone Star Conference History". lonestarconference.org. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  41. ^ "About The Association". themiaa.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  42. ^ "History of the NSIC". northernsun.org. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  43. ^ "RMAC History". rmacsports.org. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  44. ^ "SIAC HISTORY". thesiac.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  45. ^ MetroNews (June 19, 2012). "A Break Up For WVIAC". WV MetroNews. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
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  50. ^ "NWC History". nwcsports.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  51. ^ "About the OAC".
  52. ^ "SCIAC".
  53. ^ "History". wiacsports.com. Retrieved February 4, 2023.

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