List of NCAA conferences

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is divided into three divisions, based roughly on school size. Each division is made up of several conferences for regional league play. Unless otherwise noted, changes in conference affiliation will occur on July 1 of the given year.

Division I

Football Bowl Subdivision

ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembersSportsHeadquartersMap
American Athletic ConferenceThe American2013[lower-alpha 1]11[lower-alpha 2]22Irving,
Texas
Atlantic Coast ConferenceACC195315[lower-alpha 3]27[lower-alpha 4]Greensboro,
North Carolina
Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten
B1G
18961428Rosemont,
Illinois
Big 12 ConferenceBig 1219961023Irving,
Texas
Conference USAC-USA19951419Irving,
Texas
Division I
FBS Independents
Ind.71None
Mid-American ConferenceMAC19461224Cleveland,
Ohio
Mountain West ConferenceMW
MWC
199911[lower-alpha 5]18Colorado Springs,
Colorado
Pac-12 ConferencePac-121959[lower-alpha 6]1224[lower-alpha 7]San Francisco,
California
Southeastern ConferenceSEC19321421Birmingham,
Alabama
Sun Belt ConferenceSun Belt197612[lower-alpha 8]18New Orleans,
Louisiana
  1. Known as Big East Conference prior to 2013.
  2. 11 full members with Wichita State as a non-football member; 11 football members with Navy as a football-only affiliate.
  3. 15 members (14 football)
  4. 26 sports by NCAA count. The ACC sponsors separate championships for men's and women's fencing, which the NCAA considers to be a single sport.
  5. 11 members (12 football) with Hawaii as a football-only affiliate
  6. Pacific Coast Conference chartered in 1915; current charter formed 1959 by five former PCC members, with three others joining by 1964
  7. 23 NCAA-sanctioned sports plus men's rowing; the NCAA governs women's rowing but not men's.
  8. 12 full members with Little Rock and UT Arlington as non-football members

Football Championship Subdivision

ConferenceNicknameFoundedFull MembersSportsHeadquartersMap
Big Sky ConferenceBig Sky
BSC
196311[lower-alpha 1]16Ogden, Utah
Big South ConferenceBig South198311[lower-alpha 2]19Charlotte, North Carolina
Colonial Athletic AssociationCAA198310[lower-alpha 3]21Richmond, Virginia
Division I FCS Independents3[lower-alpha 4]1
Ivy LeagueIvy League1954[lower-alpha 5]832[lower-alpha 6]Princeton, New Jersey
Mid-Eastern Athletic ConferenceMEAC197011[lower-alpha 7]15Norfolk, Virginia
Missouri Valley Football ConferenceMVFC1985[lower-alpha 8]111St. Louis, Missouri
Northeast ConferenceNEC198110[lower-alpha 9]24Somerset, New Jersey
Ohio Valley ConferenceOVC194812[lower-alpha 10]19Brentwood, Tennessee
Patriot LeaguePatriot198610[lower-alpha 11]24Center Valley, Pennsylvania
Pioneer Football LeaguePFL19919[lower-alpha 12]1St. Louis, Missouri
Southern ConferenceSoCon192110[lower-alpha 13]21Spartanburg, South Carolina
Southland ConferenceSouthland196313[lower-alpha 14]18Frisco, Texas
Southwestern Athletic ConferenceSWAC192010[lower-alpha 15]18Birmingham, Alabama
  1. 11 full members and 13 football members
    • 10 full members and 12 football members in 2022 with loss of Southern Utah
  2. 11 full members and 8 football members
    • 12 full members, 9 football members in 2021 with addition of North Carolina A&T.
  3. 10 full members and 12 football members
  4. No independents in 2021 with Dixie State and Tarleton State adding football to their Western Athletic Conference memberships, and Presbyterian football joining the Pioneer League
  5. While the Ivy League considers its athletic conference to have been established in 1954, the history of the athletic league can be traced back decades earlier:
    • In 1901, the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League (EIBL) was formed by five schools that would later become part of the current Ivy League; the EIBL membership eventually became identical to that of the future all-sports league. The EIBL was directly absorbed into the all-sports Ivy League, which considers the EIBL to be part of its history.
    • In 1945, the Ivy Group Agreement, which governed competition and policies among the Ivy schools in football, was signed by all eight schools that eventually formed the all-sports league.
    • The official formation of the athletic Ivy League came in 1954, when the Ivy Group Agreement was extended to cover all sports.
    For more details, see the section on the history of the athletic Ivy League.
  6. The Ivy League, by NCAA count, sponsors 28 NCAA-sanctioned sports. The Ivy League awards separate men's and women's fencing championships, while the NCAA considers fencing a single coeducational sport. Additionally, the Ivy League sponsors championships in the non-NCAA sports of men's rowing plus men's and women's squash.
  7. 11 full members, 9 football members
    • 8 full members, 6 football members in 2021 with loss of Bethune–Cookman, Florida A&M, and North Carolina A&T.
  8. While the MVFC began football competition in 1985, the conference charter dates to 1982. See History of the Missouri Valley Football Conference for more details.
  9. 10 full members, 8 football members
  10. 12 full members, 9 football members (one full member, Morehead State, plays football outside the OVC in the Pioneer Football League
  11. 10 full members and 7 football members
  12. 11 members in 2021 with addition of Presbyterian and St. Thomas (MN).
  13. 10 full members, 9 football members
  14. 13 full members, 11 football members
    • 8 full members, 6 football members in 2021 with loss of Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Stephen F. Austin
  15. 12 members in 2021 with addition of Bethune–Cookman and Florida A&M.

Non-football, multi-sport conferences

ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembersSportsHeadquartersMap
America East ConferenceAmerica East
AmEast
19791018Boston, Massachusetts
Atlantic Sun ConferenceASUN19789[lower-alpha 1]19[lower-alpha 2]Atlanta, Georgia
Atlantic 10 ConferenceA-1019751421Newport News, Virginia
Big East ConferenceBig East1979[lower-alpha 3]1122New York City, New York
Big West ConferenceBig West
BWC
19691118Irvine, California
Coastal Collegiate Sports AssociationCCSA200824[lower-alpha 4]3[lower-alpha 5]Macon, Georgia
Horizon LeagueHorizon19791219Indianapolis, Indiana
Metro Atlantic Athletic ConferenceMAAC19801124[lower-alpha 6]Edison, New Jersey
Missouri Valley ConferenceMVC
The Valley
19071017St. Louis, Missouri
Mountain Pacific Sports FederationMPSF19923810Woodland, California
Summit LeagueThe Summit19829[lower-alpha 7]19Sioux Falls, South Dakota
West Coast ConferenceWCC19521014San Bruno, California
Western Athletic ConferenceWAC19629[lower-alpha 8]19[lower-alpha 9][1][2]Englewood, Colorado
  1. 12 members in 2021 with addition of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State
    • At least 5 football members in 2022 with the three 2021 arrivals and current full members Kennesaw State and North Alabama
  2. 20 sports in 2022 with addition of FCS football
  3. Although the charter of the current Big East dates only to the 2013 split of the original Big East, both the current Big East and the American Athletic Conference claim 1979 as their founding dates. The current Big East maintains the pre-split history of the original conference in all sports that it sponsors. In football and rowing, the two sports that are sponsored by The American but not the current Big East, neither conference recognizes the history of the original Big East.
  4. Total conference membership; no more than 14 schools compete in any one of the CCSA's three sports.
  5. Sponsors only men's and women's swimming & diving, plus beach volleyball.
  6. 23 NCAA-sanctioned sports plus the non-NCAA sport of men's rowing.
  7. 10 members in 2021 with addition of St. Thomas (MN).
  8. 13 members and 9 football members in 2021 with addition of Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State, and Stephen F. Austin as all-sports members and Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State for football only; joined by Dixie State and Tarleton State, current full members with football
    • 13 members and 7 football members in 2022 with addition of Southern Utah, loss of full non-football member Chicago State, and moves of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State to the newly formed ASUN football league
    • 8 football members by 2024 with addition of football by current full member UTRGV
  9. 20 sports in 2021 with reinstatement of football at the FCS level

Ice hockey conferences

ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembers (Men/Women)HeadquartersMap
Atlantic HockeyAtlantic Hockey199711 (11/none)Haverhill, Massachusetts
College Hockey AmericaCHA1999[lower-alpha 1]6 (none/6)Haverhill, Massachusetts
ECAC HockeyECAC196212 (12/12)Albany, New York
Hockey EastHockey East
HEA
198412 (11/10)Wakefield, Massachusetts
Independents2 (2/0)[lower-alpha 2]
New England Women's Hockey AllianceNEWHA2018[lower-alpha 3]6 (none/6)[lower-alpha 4]Winthrop, Massachusetts
National Collegiate Hockey ConferenceNCHC2011[lower-alpha 5]8 (8/none)Colorado Springs, Colorado
Western Collegiate Hockey AssociationWCHA195115 (10/7)[lower-alpha 6]Edina, Minnesota

Future conference

ConferenceNicknameFoundedStarting playMembers (Men/Women)HeadquartersMap
Central Collegiate Hockey AssociationCCHA2020[lower-alpha 7]20218 (8/none)TBA
  1. College Hockey America was formed in 1999 as a men's-only conference; women's play began in 2002. The men's side of CHA folded after the 2009–10 season.
  2. Both current men's independents are playing the 2020–21 season as scheduling partners of D-I hockey conferences—Arizona State with the Big Ten Conference and LIU with Atlantic Hockey.
  3. Established as a scheduling alliance in 2017, officially organized as a conference in 2018, and officially recognized by the NCAA in 2019.
  4. 7 members in 2022 with addition of Stonehill.
  5. Although founded in 2011, the NCHC did not begin play until 2013.
  6. Likely disbanding as a men's conference in 2021 with announced departure of 8 of the 10 men's members.
  7. This conference is a revival of an earlier CCHA that existed from 1971 to 2013. Bowling Green, which was a member of the original CCHA for its entire existence and is a charter member of the revived conference, maintained rights to the league name.

Other single-sport conferences

This list includes conferences in sports that the NCAA does not fully split into divisions, such as men's volleyball and rifle. Sports in which the NCAA sponsors separate championships for men and women are officially treated by the NCAA as two separate sports.

ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembersSportsHeadquartersMap
Central Collegiate Ski AssociationCCSA20097[lower-alpha 1]1 (Skiing)?
Collegiate Water Polo AssociationCWPA1970s27[lower-alpha 2]1 (water polo)Bridgeport, Pennsylvania
East Atlantic Gymnastics LeagueEAGL199571 (gymnastics)?
Eastern Association of Rowing CollegesEARC?181 (rowing)Danbury, Connecticut
Eastern Association of Women's Rowing CollegesEAWRC?181 (rowing)Danbury, Connecticut
Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics LeagueEIGL?41 (gymnastics)Danbury, Connecticut
Eastern Intercollegiate Ski AssociationEISA?151 (Skiing)?
Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball AssociationEIVA19778[lower-alpha 3]1 (men's volleyball)Bronxville, New York
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling AssociationEIWA1905171 (wrestling)?
Eastern Women's Fencing ConferenceEWFC200071 (fencing)?
Golden Coast ConferenceGCC2013[lower-alpha 4]6 (men)
8 (women)
1 (water polo)?
Great America Rifle ConferenceGARC199891 (rifle)?
Intercollegiate Fencing Conference of Southern CaliforniaIFCSC1996?2[lower-alpha 5]1 (fencing)?
Metropolitan Swimming ConferenceMETS?18 (men)
19 (women)
1 (swimming)?
Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Fencing AssociationMACFA19528[lower-alpha 6]1 (fencing)Hackettstown, New Jersey
Mid-Atlantic Rifle ConferenceMAC19787[lower-alpha 7]1 (rifle)?
Midwest Fencing ConferenceMFC19686[lower-alpha 8]1 (fencing)University of Notre Dame (?)
Midwest Independent ConferenceMIC?61 (women's gymnastics)UIC (?)
Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball AssociationMIVA196181 (men's volleyball)Columbus, Ohio
Mountain Rim Gymnastics ConferenceMRGC201341 (women's gymnastics)
National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing AssociationNIWFA192910[lower-alpha 9]1 (fencing)?
New England Intercollegiate Fencing ConferenceNEIFC?8[lower-alpha 10]1 (fencing)?
Northeast Fencing ConferenceNFC19928[lower-alpha 11]1 (fencing)?
Patriot Rifle ConferencePRC201361 (rifle)Colorado Springs, Colorado
Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski AssociationRMISA19507[lower-alpha 12]1 (Skiing)?
Southland Bowling LeagueSBL2015[lower-alpha 13]81 (bowling)Frisco, Texas
Western Water Polo AssociationWWPA19818 (men)
8 (women)
1 (water polo)?
  1. There are 7 NCAA varsity members; the conference also has one junior college member.
  2. 9 schools have both men's & women's varsity teams, 10 have men's varsity teams only, 8 have women's varsity teams only; additionally, there are 136 men's and 86 women's club teams.
    • 26 total members and 9 with only men's varsity teams in 2021 with loss of La Salle.
  3. 9 members in 2021 with addition of St. Francis Brooklyn.
  4. Founded in 2013 as a women's-only conference; men's play added in 2016.
  5. There are 2 varsity members; the conference also has 7 college club members.
  6. There are 8 varsity members; the conference also has 7 college club members.
  7. There are 7 varsity members; the conference also has 6 college club members.
  8. There are 6 varsity members; the conference also has 13 college club members.
  9. There are 10 varsity members; the conference also has 10 college club members.
  10. There are 8 varsity members; the conference also has 13 college club members.
  11. There are 8 varsity members; the conference also has 5 college club members.
  12. There are 7 varsity members; the conference also has 4 college club members.
  13. The SBL was established during the 2014–15 school year with competition starting immediately. While the Southland Conference provides administrative support, the SBL operates separately.[3]

Division II

Current conferences

Football conferences highlighted in yellow.

ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembersw D-II
Sports
HeadquartersMap
California Collegiate Athletic AssociationCCAA19381213Walnut Creek, California
Central Atlantic Collegiate ConferenceCACC19611416New Haven, Connecticut
Central Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationCIAA191212[lower-alpha 1]15Hampton, Virginia
Conference CarolinasCC193011[lower-alpha 2]24Thomasville, North Carolina
East Coast ConferenceECC19891117Central Islip, New York
Great American ConferenceGAC20111216Russellville, Arkansas
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceGLIAC197212[lower-alpha 3]21Bay City, Michigan
Great Lakes Valley ConferenceGLVC197815[lower-alpha 4]24Indianapolis, Indiana
Great Midwest Athletic ConferenceG-MAC201112[lower-alpha 5]23[lower-alpha 6]Greenwood, Indiana
Great Northwest Athletic ConferenceGNAC200110[lower-alpha 7]16Portland, Oregon
Gulf South ConferenceGSC197013[lower-alpha 8]17Birmingham, Alabama
Division II Independents5[lower-alpha 9]
Lone Star ConferenceLSC193118[lower-alpha 10]18Richardson, Texas
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics AssociationMIAA191214[lower-alpha 11]19Kansas City, Missouri
Mountain East ConferenceMEC201212[lower-alpha 12]23Bridgeport, West Virginia
Northeast-10 ConferenceNE-10198014[lower-alpha 13]23Mansfield, Massachusetts
Northern Sun Intercollegiate ConferenceNSIC193216[lower-alpha 14]18St. Paul, Minnesota
Pacific West ConferencePacWest19921115Newport Beach, California
Peach Belt ConferencePBC199012[lower-alpha 15]15Augusta, Georgia
Pennsylvania State Athletic ConferencePSAC195118[lower-alpha 16]23Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
Rocky Mountain Athletic ConferenceRMAC190915[lower-alpha 17]23Colorado Springs, Colorado
South Atlantic ConferenceSAC197513[lower-alpha 18]20Rock Hill, South Carolina
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSIAC191315[lower-alpha 19]14Tucker, Georgia
Sunshine State ConferenceSSC19751118Melbourne, Florida
  1. 12 full members, 11 football members.
  2. 13 members in 2021 with addition of Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke.
  3. 12 full members, 9 football members.
    • 11 full members and 8 football members in 2021 with loss of Ashland.
  4. 15 full members, 8 football members.
  5. 12 members, 8 football members.
    • 13 total members and 9 football members in 2021 with addition of Ashland as an all-sports member and addition of football by current full member Trevecca Nazarene.
  6. Emerging sport wrestling included.
  7. 10 full members, 4 football members with Azusa Pacific as a football-only affiliate..
  8. 13 full members, 9 football members with North Greenville as a football-only affiliate.
  9. 5 all-sports independents. 2 football independents are full members of non-football conferences.
    • 6 all-sports independents in 2021 with addition of Emory & Henry.
    • 5 all-sports independents in 2022 with Emory & Henry joining the South Atlantic Conference.
  10. 18 full members, 8 football members.
  11. 12 full members, all with football, plus 2 non-football associates that house all of their sports in the MIAA.
  12. 12 full members with Davis & Elkins as a non-football member; 12 football members with UNC Pembroke as a football affiliate.
  13. 14 full members, 9 football members.
  14. 16 full members, 14 football members.
  15. 10 members in 2021 with loss of Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke.
  16. 18 full members, 16 football members.
  17. 15 full members, 10 football members.
  18. 13 full members, 9 football members. Football independent Barton has a scheduling agreement with the SAC for 2020 and 2021.
    • 14 total members and 10 football members in 2022 with addition of Emory & Henry.
    • 14 total members and 11 football members no later than 2024 with addition of football by current full member Anderson (SC).
  19. 15 full members, 13 football members.

Single-sport conferences

ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembersSportHeadquartersMap
Appalachian Swimming ConferenceASC?6 (men)
4 (women)
swimming?
Bluegrass Mountain ConferenceBMC20009 (men)
7 (women)
swimmingSpartanburg, South Carolina
players+ ECAC Division II Field Hockey LeagueECAC20146field hockeyDanbury, Connecticut
ECAC Division II Wrestling LeagueECAC20157wrestlingDanbury, Connecticut
New South Intercollegiate Swim ConferenceNSISC19956 (men)
6 (women)
swimming?
Pacific Collegiate Swim and Dive ConferencePCSC20034 (men)
7 (women)
swimming?

    Other sports

    These all-sports conferences sponsor sports which do not have D-II championships.

    ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembers[lower-alpha 1]SportHeadquartersMap
    Conference CarolinasCC19308[lower-alpha 2]men's volleyballThomasville, North Carolina
    Central Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationCIAA191210bowlingHampton, Virginia
    East Coast ConferenceECC19899bowlingCentral Islip, New York
    Great Lakes Valley ConferenceGLVC19788bowlingIndianapolis, Indiana
    Northeast-10 ConferenceNE-1019806men's ice hockeySouth Easton, Massachusetts
    Southern Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSIAC19136men's volleyballTucker, Georgia
    1. Number reflects membership in the sport that lacks a D-II championship, not the total conference membership.
    2. 9 men's volleyball members in 2021 with addition of Converse, a full conference member adding men's sports.

    Division III

    Current conferences

    ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembersSportsHeadquartersMap
    Allegheny Mountain Collegiate ConferenceAMCC1997916North Boston, New York
    American Rivers ConferenceARC1922922Cedar Rapids, Iowa
    American Southwest ConferenceASC199612[lower-alpha 1]16Richardson, Texas
    Atlantic East ConferenceAEC20187[lower-alpha 2]20Lancaster, Pennsylvania
    Centennial ConferenceCentennial19811124Lancaster, Pennsylvania
    City University of New York Athletic ConferenceCUNYAC1987816Flushing, Queens, New York
    Coast to Coast Athletic ConferenceC2C198911[lower-alpha 3]20Fredericksburg, Virginia
    College Conference of Illinois and WisconsinCCIW1946925Naperville, Illinois
    Colonial States Athletic ConferenceCSAC19921017Aston, Pennsylvania
    Commonwealth Coast ConferenceCCC19841017Springfield, Massachusetts
    Commonwealth Coast Football[lower-alpha 4]CCC Football1965[lower-alpha 5]81Springfield, Massachusetts
    Eastern Collegiate Football ConferenceECFC200971Wilmington, Vermont
    Empire 8E81964922Rochester, New York
    Great Northeast Athletic ConferenceGNAC19951317Boston, Massachusetts
    Heartland Collegiate Athletic ConferenceHCAC19871016Greenwood, Indiana
    Division III Independents0
    3 (basketball)
    Landmark ConferenceLandmark2006818Madison, New Jersey
    Liberty LeagueLiberty19951126Canton, New York
    Little East ConferenceLEC1986921North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
    Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic ConferenceMASCAC1971816Westfield, Massachusetts
    Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationMIAA1888922Freeland, Michigan
    Middle Atlantic ConferencesMAC191218[lower-alpha 6]27Annville, Pennsylvania
    Midwest ConferenceMidwest1921920Ripon, Wisconsin
    Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceMIAC192013[lower-alpha 7]22St. Paul, Minnesota
    New England Collegiate ConferenceNECC2008716Attleboro, Massachusetts
    New England Small College Athletic ConferenceNESCAC19711126Hadley, Massachusetts
    New England Women's and Men's Athletic ConferenceNEWMAC19981120Wellesley, Massachusetts
    New Jersey Athletic ConferenceNJAC19851021Pitman, New Jersey
    North Atlantic ConferenceNAC19961215Waterville, Maine
    North Coast Athletic ConferenceNCAC19831023Westlake, Ohio
    North Eastern Athletic ConferenceNEAC20048[lower-alpha 8]18Gansevoort, New York
    Northern Athletics Collegiate ConferenceNACC20061419Waukesha, Wisconsin
    Northwest ConferenceNWC1926920Seattle, Washington
    Ohio Athletic ConferenceOAC19021023Austintown, Ohio
    Old Dominion Athletic ConferenceODAC197615[lower-alpha 9]24Forest, Virginia
    Presidents' Athletic ConferencePAC19551023Wexford, Pennsylvania
    Skyline ConferenceSkyline19891217Lawrenceville, New Jersey
    Southern Athletic AssociationSAA2012821Atlanta, Georgia
    Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSCIAC1915921Los Angeles, California
    Southern Collegiate Athletic ConferenceSCAC1962918Lawrenceville, Georgia
    State University of New York Athletic ConferenceSUNYAC19581120Fredonia, New York
    St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSLIAC19899[lower-alpha 10]14St. Louis, Missouri
    University Athletic AssociationUAA1986822Rochester, New York
    Upper Midwest Athletic ConferenceUMAC19729[lower-alpha 11]16St. Paul, Minnesota
    USA South Athletic ConferenceUSA South196518[lower-alpha 12]14Fayetteville, North Carolina
    Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceWIAC1913822Madison, Wisconsin
    1. 11 members in 2021 with loss of Louisiana College.
    2. 6 members in 2021 with loss of Wesley.
    3. 8 members in 2021 with loss of Pine Manor, St. Mary's (MD), and Southern Virginia.
    4. Commonwealth Coast Football is operated by the Commonwealth Coast Conference, but remains a separate entity.
    5. Commonwealth Coast Football is a 2017 rebranding of the New England Football Conference, which was founded in 1965.
    6. The MAC is actually an umbrella organization of three conferences. Nine schools are members of the Commonwealth Conference and nine others are members of the Freedom Conference. Each league conducts competition in the same set of 14 sports, not including football. The third league, called the Middle Atlantic Conference, combines schools from the Commonwealth and Freedom Conferences for 13 other sports, including football.
    7. 13 members in 2021 with expulsion of St. Thomas (MN) and addition of St. Scholastica.
    8. 9 members in 2021 with addition of St. Mary's (MD).
    9. 14 members in 2021 with loss of Emory & Henry.
    10. 8 members in 2021 with loss of Iowa Wesleyan.
    11. 8 members in 2021 with loss of St. Scholastica.
    12. 19 members in 2021 with addition of Southern Virginia.

    Single-sport conferences

    ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembersSportHeadquartersMap
    Colonial Hockey ConferenceCHC20157Women's ice hockey
    Continental Volleyball ConferenceCVC20119Men's volleyballMadison, New Jersey
    Midwest Collegiate Volleyball LeagueMCVL20149Men's volleyballCedar Rapids, Iowa
    Midwest Lacrosse ConferenceMLC20098Men's lacrosseWaukesha, Wisconsin
    Midwest Women's Lacrosse ConferenceMWLC201010Women's LacrosseWaukesha, Wisconsin
    New England Hockey ConferenceNEHC201510 (men)
    13 (women)
    Ice hockeyN/A
    Northeast Women's Hockey LeagueNEWHL20177Women's ice hockey
    Northern Collegiate Hockey AssociationNCHA198110 (men)
    7 (women)
    Ice hockeyWaukesha, Wisconsin
    Ohio River Lacrosse ConferenceORLC20147 (men)
    10 (women)
    LacrosseGreenwood, Indiana
    United Volleyball ConferenceUVC20108Men's volleyballRochester, New York
    United Collegiate Hockey ConferenceUCHC20169 (men)
    10 (women)
    Ice hockeyDanbury, Connecticut

      Other sports

      These all-sports conferences sponsor sports which do not have D-III championships.

      ConferenceNicknameFoundedMembers[lower-alpha 1]SportHeadquartersMap
      Allegheny Mountain Collegiate ConferenceAMCC19978BowlingNorth Boston, New York
      College Conference of Illinois and WisconsinCCIW19468BowlingNaperville, Illinois
      Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceWIAC19138Women's gymnasticsMadison, Wisconsin
      1. Number reflects membership in the sport that lacks a D-III championship, not the total conference membership.

      Defunct NCAA conferences

      ConferenceDivisionFoundedFoldedFate
      America Sky ConferenceDivision I20072014Men's golf conference absorbed by the Big Sky Conference.[4]
      American Collegiate Athletic AssociationDivision III20172020Merged with the Capital Athletic Conference, with the merged conference renaming itself the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference shortly thereafter.
      American Lacrosse ConferenceDivision I20012014Women's lacrosse conference that folded after the 2014 season due to fallout of the early-2010s conference realignment, specifically the 2013 announcement by the Big Ten that it would add men's and women's lacrosse for the 2014–15 school year (2015 season). Four of the seven final ALC members are full Big Ten members. Johns Hopkins went independent before joining Big Ten women's lacrosse in the 2017 season. The other two members became Big East affiliates.
      American South ConferenceDivision I19871991Merged with the Sun Belt Conference. The new conference used the Sun Belt name.[5]
      Atlantic Central Football ConferenceDivision III19972010Disbanded
      Atlantic Soccer ConferenceDivision I20002012Disbanded
      Atlantic Women's Colleges ConferenceDivision III19952007Disbanded
      Big Central Soccer ConferenceDivision I19871991Men's soccer-only conference disbanded after the all-sports conferences of all but two of its members began sponsoring the sport.
      Big Eight ConferenceDivision I19071996Initially formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association, before six schools split away to form the Big Six in 1928. Disbanded to join with four former Southwest Conference schools to create the Big 12 Conference.
      Border ConferenceUniversity Division19311962Members split between the newly formed WAC and Independent statuses.
      Central Collegiate Hockey AssociationDivision I19712013The decision of the Big Ten Conference to add men's ice hockey as a sponsored sport in the 2013–14 season, taking three of the most successful members of the then-11-member league, led to a major conference realignment that ultimately consumed the CCHA. Two members joined the new National Collegiate Hockey Conference, one member joined Hockey East, and the remaining five members joined or rejoined the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The CCHA, however, is set to be revived in 2021 with eight members, four of which played in the final season of the original league.
      Central Intercollegiate Bowling ConferenceDivision III20192020Bowling-only league effectively absorbed by the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.[6]
      Continental Divide ConferenceDivision II???1992Women's-only conference that merged with the men's-only Great Northwest Conference (not to be confused with the current Great Northwest Athletic Conference) to form the Pacific West Conference.
      Deep South ConferenceDivision II19942013Men's lacrosse conference disbanded when the South Atlantic Conference and Sunshine State Conference, home to all nine of the final conference members, began sponsoring the sport.
      Dixie Conference*19301942Disbanded after most of its members suspended athletics during World War II.
      Dixie Conference*19481954Disbanded
      East Coast ConferenceDivision I19581994Absorbed by the Mid-Continent Conference, now known as The Summit League.
      Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League*19011955Basketball-only conference absorbed by the Ivy League, which claims the EIBL as part of its own history.
      Eastern Wrestling LeagueDivision I19752019Wrestling-only league absorbed by the Mid-American Conference.[7]
      ECAC Lacrosse LeagueDivision I19992014Men's lacrosse conference that disbanded after the 2014 season. The conference lost many members after the 2010 season when the original Big East launched a men's lacrosse league, and lost still more members with the Big Ten announcement. At the end of the final ECAC Lacrosse season, only one member had not announced a new lacrosse affiliation for the 2014–15 school year; that school would later join Southern Conference men's lacrosse.
      ECAC Division II Lacrosse LeagueDivision II20122016Disbanded. Six members began play in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, leaving three members to become independents.
      ECAC WestDivision III19842016Ice Hockey-only conference. Disbanded
      Freedom Football ConferenceDivision III19922003Disbanded
      Great Lakes Football ConferenceDivision II20062012Football-only conference, effectively absorbed by the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
      Great Midwest ConferenceDivision I19911995Merged with Metro Conference to form Conference USA.
      Great Northwest ConferenceDivision II???1992The second part of the merger that created the current Pacific West Conference.
      Great South Athletic ConferenceDivision III19992016Disbanded
      Great West ConferenceDivision I20042013Disbanded after all but one of its members joined more established conferences during the early-2010s conference realignment. The men's golf history and Internet presence of the Great West were maintained by the America Sky Conference (above) before the latter conference's absorption by the Big Sky.
      Great West Hockey ConferenceDivision I19851988Ice hockey-only conference formed by four Western schools, but had one of its members drop hockey after its first season. After failing to attract additional members in 1988, the league folded when one of the remaining members shut down its entire athletic program.
      Great Western Lacrosse LeagueDivision I19932010Members joined the ECAC Lacrosse League (see above).
      Gulf Coast ConferenceCollege Division19491957Disbanded
      Gulf Star ConferenceDivision I19841987Effectively absorbed by the Southland Conference.
      Heartland ConferenceDivision II19992019In August 2017, eight of the nine members announced a mass exodus to the Lone Star Conference (LSC)—a conference with which the Heartland Conference had recently discussed a potential merger[8]— effective in 2019.[9] One of the eight schools changed course and instead opted to become a de facto member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in 2019,[10] joining the remaining Heartland member in that status.[11]
      High Country Athletic ConferenceDivision I19831990Women's-only conference absorbed by the Western Athletic Conference.
      Indiana Collegiate ConferenceDivision II19501978Disbanded
      Indiana Intercollegiate Conference*19221950Disbanded
      Indiana Intercollegiate ConferenceUnknown19221950Split into two conferences, the Indiana Collegiate Conference was made of the larger schools; the Hoosier Collegiate Conference was made of the small, private schools
      Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceUniversity Division19081970Previously known as Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, disbanded.
      Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest*18921893Disbanded, precursor to the Big Ten Conference.
      Lake Michigan ConferenceDivision III19742007Merged with the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference to form the Northern Athletics Conference, now known as the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
      Metro ConferenceDivision I19751995Merged with Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA.
      Metropolitan Collegiate ConferenceUniversity Division19651969Disbanded
      Metropolitan New York ConferenceUniversity Division19331963Disbanded
      Mid-Continent Athletic AssociationDivision II, later Division I19781981Football-only conference absorbed by the Association of Mid-Continent Universities in 1982. Effectively one of the precursors to the current Missouri Valley Football Conference.
      Midwest Athletic Conference for WomenDivision III19771994Merged with the men's Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference, forming the current Midwest Conference.
      Midwest Collegiate Hockey AssociationDivision III19982013Absorbed by the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.
      Midwestern ConferenceUniversity Division19701972The five member schools were unable to find the 6th member required for NCAA recognition.
      Mountain States Conference (aka Skyline Conference)University Division19381962Disbanded, members split between the newly formed WAC and Independent statuses.
      Mountain West Athletic ConferenceDivision I19821988Women's-only conference (not to be confused with the modern Mountain West Conference) absorbed by the Big Sky Conference.
      National Lacrosse ConferenceDivision I20082012Disbanded after the Atlantic Sun Conference and Big South Conference began sponsoring women's lacrosse.
      New England Conference*19381947Disbanded; the final four members joined two other schools to form the Yankee Conference under a new charter. Effectively the earliest ancestor of today's Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) football conference.
      New England Women's Lacrosse AllianceDivision III19982012Disbanded
      New South Women's Athletic ConferenceDivision I19851991Women's-only conference initially known as the New South Conference; absorbed by the Trans America Athletic Conference, now legally known as the Atlantic Sun Conference and branded as the ASUN Conference.
      North Central ConferenceDivision II19222008Disbanded
      North East Collegiate Volleyball AssociationDivision III19952011Men's volleyball conference disbanded in 2011 due to the 2012 establishment of the NCAA Men's Division III Volleyball Championship. Most of the all-sports conferences that were home to NECVA members began sponsoring men's volleyball at that time.
      North Star ConferenceDivision I19831992Women's-only conference effectively absorbed by the Mid-Continent Conference (now The Summit League).
      Northern California Athletic ConferenceDivision II19251996Football-only conference, dissolved when most members decided to drop football
      Northern Illinois-Iowa ConferenceDivision III19692007Merged with the Lake Michigan Conference to form the Northern Athletics Conference, now known as the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
      Northern Pacific ConferenceDivision I19821986Women's-only conference. Disbanded when the Pac-10, home to five of the seven final conference members, began sponsoring women's sports.
      Northern Pacific Field Hockey ConferenceDivision I19822015Field hockey-only conference that folded after the 2014 season. After a period in which the conference expanded to span both coasts, most of the eastern teams left over time. Four of the six final members, all from California (and also the league's founding members), became America East affiliates. The remaining two members became independents; one is now a field hockey member of the Big East and the other is now a MAC field hockey member.
      Northern Sun ConferenceDivision II19791992Women's-only conference that merged with the men's Northern Intercollegiate Conference, forming the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
      Pacific Coast ConferenceUniversity Division19151959Forerunner to the Pac-12, disbanded due to scandal and infighting
      Pacific Coast Softball ConferenceDivision I20022013Softball-only; disbanded due to fallout from the early-2010s conference realignment. After the 2012 season, it lost five members when the Big Sky added the sport and a sixth to the WAC. After the 2013 season, the final seven members left when the West Coast Conference began sponsoring the sport (five were already WCC members, and the other two joined the WAC in softball).
      Pilgrim Lacrosse LeagueDivision III19862013Absorbed by the NEWMAC
      Southeast Team Handball ConferenceUnknown19972006Handball only, disbanded
      Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association*18941941Disbanded with the onset of American involvement in World War II.
      Southwest ConferenceDivision I19141996Disbanded, members split into the Big 12, WAC, and C-USA
      United Soccer ConferenceDivision I20052009Women's soccer-only, absorbed by Great West Conference
      West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceDivision II19242013Disbanded after the conference's football schools announced a split from the non-football schools. Ultimately, nine of the final schools became charter members of the Mountain East Conference, three joined the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, two joined the PSAC, and one went independent.
      Western Collegiate Athletic AssociationDivision I19811986Women's-only conference; known in its final season of 1985–86 as the Pacific West Conference (not to be confused with the current NCAA Division II conference). Disbanded when the Pac-10, home to the final five conference members, began sponsoring women's sports.
      Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse AssociationDivision II20102015Lacrosse-only conference absorbed by the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference; all final teams are members of the RMAC, including one affiliate. The RMAC had absorbed the women's side of the WILA in 2013; five of the members were RMAC members including one affiliate, one additional women's member became an independent.
      Western Wrestling ConferenceDivision I20062015Wrestling-only conference effectively absorbed by the Big 12 Conference, with all of its final members becoming single-sport Big 12 associates.
      Yankee ConferenceDivision I19471997Football-only conference from 1975 until its absorption by the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1997. Also an effective ancestor of today's CAA football conference.
      • * - Operated before the NCAA split into divisions in 1955.

      See also

      References

      1. "WAC Announces Expansion, Plans to Reinstate Football" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
      2. Blum, Sam (January 14, 2021). "As WAC announces addition of 5 schools, Frisco-based Southland Conference left in no man's land". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
      3. "New Southland Bowling League Established" (Press release). Southland Conference. January 20, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
      4. Burton, Roy (June 4, 2014). "WSU joins friends/foes as Big Sky brings back men's golf". Standard-Examiner. Ogden, UT. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
      5. "Miscellany". Los Angeles Times. April 9, 1991. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
      6. "CCIW Announces the Addition of Women's Bowling as Its 25th Sport; Three Programs Added as Associate Members" (Press release). College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. July 23, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
      7. "MAC Announces Historic Wrestling Expansion" (Press release). Mid-American Conference. March 5, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
      8. Mannis, Taylor (March 9, 2017). "Heartland Conference Looking to Expand". The Vantage. Wichita, KS. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
      9. "Lone Star Conference to Add Eight Schools in 2019" (Press release). Lone Star Conference. August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
      10. "Hillcats to join MIAA Conference for 2019-2020 season" (Press release). Rogers State Hillcats. October 18, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
      11. "Newman to Compete in MIAA as Associate Member in 2019-20" (Press release). Newman Jets. February 8, 2018. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
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