Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
NAIA conference
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The KCAC is the oldest conference in the NAIA and the second-oldest in the United States, tracing its history to 1890.
FormerlyKansas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Kansas College Athletic Conference
Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Kansas College Athletic Conference
AssociationNAIA
Founded1890
CommissionerTed Breidenthal (since 2023)
| |
| Formerly | Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Association Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Kansas College Athletic Conference |
|---|---|
| Association | NAIA |
| Founded | 1890 |
| Commissioner | Ted Breidenthal (since 2023) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| No. of teams | 14 |
| Headquarters | Wichita, Kansas |
| Official website | kcacsports.com |
| Locations | |
 | |
History
On February 15, 1890, the Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Association was formed; it was the first successful attempt to organize Kansas colleges for the purposes of promoting and regulating amateur intercollegiate athletics. In addition to the private universities and colleges, the conference also included Kansas State Agriculture College (now Kansas State University), the University of Kansas, and Washburn University. In November of that year, the first college football game in Kansas was played between the Kansas Jayhawks and Baker University.[1]
About 1902 the association allied with the Kansas College Athletic Conference, the first group to adopt a definite set of rules and regulations. By the 1920s the conference had changed its name to Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and had grown to include 17 regular members and 2 allied members (no longer including the University of Kansas or Kansas State). In 1927, seven colleges withdrew to form the Central Intercollegiate Conference.
On December 1, 1928, the Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was formally disbanded and replaced by a new Kansas College Athletic Conference which included six members and formed the present legal entity. It was commonly referred to as the "Little Six", in contrast to the Big Six Conference that eventually became the current Big 12. By 1968 the conference grew to include 12 members. It was organized into Northern and Southern divisions until 1970 when three colleges withdrew to join Missouri-based conferences. In the mid-1970s the name was changed to its current form.[2]
1905 night game
In the 1905 season, the Coleman Company set up temporary gas-powered lighting for a night game at Association Park in Wichita, Kansas between the Cooper Barrelmakers of Copper College (now Sterling College) and the Fairmount Wheatshockers of Fairmount College (now Wichita State University). It was the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River.[3] Fairmount won the game, 24–0.[4][5]
1905 "experimental" game
On December 25, 1905, Fairmount played a game against the Washburn Ichabods using a set of experimental rules. The game was officiated by then Washburn head coach John H. Outland.
The experiment was considered a failure. Outland commented, "It seems to me that the distance required in three downs would almost eliminate touchdowns, except through fakes or flukes."[6] The Los Angeles Times reported that there was much kicking and that the game was considered much safer than regular play, but that the new rule was not "conducive to the sport."[7]
In his history of the sport of football, David M. Nelson concluded that "the first forward passes were thrown at the end of the 1905 season in a game between Fairmount and Washburn colleges in Kansas."[8] According to Nelson, Washburn completed three passes, and Fairmount completed two.
Chronological timeline
- 1902 – The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) was founded as the Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC). Charter members included Baker University, Bethany College, Bethel College, the College of Emporia (CoE), Cooper Memorial College (now Sterling College), Fairmount College (now Wichita State University), Friends University, Kansas Wesleyan University, Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia (now Emporia State University), Kansas State Teachers College of Hays (now Fort Hays State University), Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University), Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University), McPherson College, Ottawa University, St. Benedict's College (now Benedictine College), St. Mary's College (now Saint Mary's Academy and College), Southwest Kansas Conference College (now Southwestern College), Washburn College (now Washburn University) as full members (with St. John's College and Kansas City University as allied members), beginning the 1902–03 academic year.
- 1913 – Kansas State left the KIAC to join the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA) after the 1912–13 academic year.
- 1923 – Nine institutions left the KIAC to join their respective new home primary conferences: The College of Emporia, Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Southwestern (Ks.), Washburn and Wichita State to form the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIC), and Kansas City U. and St. John's (Ks.) as Independents, all effective after the 1922–23 academic year.
- 1928:
- Bethel (Ks.), Friends, Sterling and St. Benedict's (Ks.) left the KIAC to become Independents, effective in December 1928 (during the 1928–29 academic year).
- The KIAC was rebranded as the Kansas College Athletic Conference (KCAC), effective in December 1928 (during the 1928–29 academic year).
- 1931 – St. Mary's (Ks.) left the KCAC as the school ceased operations after the 1930–31 academic year.
- 1933 – The College of Emporia (CoE) rejoined the KCAC in the 1933–34 academic year.
- 1939 – Bethel (Ks.) rejoined the KCAC in the 1939–40 academic year.
- 1953 – Friends rejoined the KCAC in the 1953–54 academic year.
- 1958 – Southwestern (Ks.) and Sterling rejoined the KCAC, in the 1958–59 academic year.
- 1968 – St. Mary of the Plains College and Tabor College joined the KCAC in the 1968–69 academic year.
- 1970 – The KCAC has been rebranded as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC), beginning the 1970–71 academic year.
- 1971 – Baker, the College of Emporia (CoE) and Ottawa left the KCAC to form part of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) after the 1970–71 academic year.
- 1982 – Ottawa rejoined the KCAC in the 1982–83 academic year.
- 1992 – St. Mary's of the Plains left the KCAC as the school ceased operations after the 1991–92 academic year.
- 1999 – The Saint Mary College of Leavenworth (now the University of Saint Mary) joined the KCAC in the 1999–2000 academic year.
- 2015:
- Oklahoma Wesleyan University joined the KCAC in the 2015–16 academic year.
- Six institutions joined the KCAC as associate members, all effective in the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year):
- St. Gregory's University for men's lacrosse
- Midland University and Johnson & Wales University–Colorado for women's lacrosse
- and Benedictine (formerly St. Benedict's [Ks.]), Clarke University and Missouri Valley College for men's and women's lacrosse
- 2016:
- St. Gregory's (Okla.) left the KCAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse after the school suspended it during the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
- York College (now York University) joined the KCAC (coming from the defunct Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC)) in the 2016–18 academic year.
- St. Ambrose University joined the KCAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse in the 2017 spring season (2016–17 academic year).
- 2017 – Five institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2017–18 academic year:
- Columbia College of Missouri for men's lacrosse
- St. Ambrose for women's lacrosse
- and the University of Jamestown, Midland and Missouri Valley for women's wrestling
- 2018:
- Johnson & Wales–Colorado left the KCAC as an associate member for women's lacrosse after the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year).
- Avila University joined the KCAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
- 2019 – Seven institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2019–20 academic year:
- Culver–Stockton College for women's lacrosse
- Lincoln College and Olivet Nazarene University for men's and women's swimming
- Midland for men's lacrosse and men's and women's swimming
- and Missouri Baptist University, Morningside College (now Morningside University) and William Penn University for men's and women's lacrosse
- 2020:
- Missouri Valley left the KCAC as an associate member for women's wrestling after the 2019–20 academic year.
- Five institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2020–21 academic year:
- Bethel University of Indiana and Morningside for men's and women's swimming
- Cottey College and Midland for women's flag football
- Hastings College for women's wrestling
- 2021:
- Lincoln (Ill.) left the KCAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming after the 2020–21 academic year.
- Two institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), both effective in the 2021–22 academic year:
- Columbia (Mo.) for eSports
- and Jamestown for women's swimming
- 2022:
- Seven institutions left the KCAC as associate members (and/or removed some single sports into their associate memberships), all effective after the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year):
- Culver–Stockton for women's lacrosse
- and Benedictine, Clarke, Missouri Valley, Morningside, St. Ambrose and William Penn for men's and women's lacrosse
- Four institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2022–23 academic year:
- the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) for women's lacrosse
- the College of Saint Mary for women's swimming
- Aquinas College for men's and women's swimming
- and Doane University for women's wrestling
- Seven institutions left the KCAC as associate members (and/or removed some single sports into their associate memberships), all effective after the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year):
- 2023:
- Columbia (Mo.) left the KCAC as an associate member for eSports after the 2022–23 academic year.
- Evangel University joined the KCAC in the 2023–24 academic year.
- Four institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2023–24 academic year:
- Dakota Wesleyan University and Morningside for women's wrestling
- and Baker University and Graceland University for women's flag football
- 2024 – Eight institutions left the KCAC as associate members (and/or removed some single sports into their associate memberships), all effective after the 2023–24 academic year:
- Columbia (Mo.) for men's lacrosse
- Missouri Baptist for men's and women's lacrosse
- the UHSP for women's lacrosse
- Midland for men's and women's lacrosse and women's wrestling
- and Dakota Wesleyan, Doane, Hastings and Morningside for women's wrestling, and for men's and women's lacrosse
Member schools
Current members
The KCAC currently has fourteen full members, all are private schools:
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Bethel (Ks.) left the KCAC in December 1928 (during the 1928–29 school year) before rejoining in the 1939–40 school year.
- Friends left the KCAC in December 1928 (during the 1928–29 school year) before rejoining in the 1953–54 school year.
- Ottawa left the KCAC after the 1970–71 school year before rejoining in the 1982–83 school year.
- Southwestern (Ks.) left the KCAC after the 1922–23 school year before rejoining in the 1958–59 school year.
- Sterling left the KCAC in December 1928 (during the 1928–29 school year) before rejoining in the 1958–59 school year.
Associate members
The KCAC currently has ten associate members, all are private schools:
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Midland competed in the KCAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse from 2019–20 to 2023–24, women's lacrosse from 2015–16 to 2023–24, and women's wrestling from 2017–18 to 2023–24.
- Morningside competed in the KCAC as an associate member for men's and women's lacrosse from 2019–20 to 2021–22, and women's wrestling during the 2023–24 school year.
Former members
The KCAC had 12 former full members, all but five were private schools:
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
- The College of Emporia previously withdrew from the KCAC from 1923–24 to 1932–33.
- The College of Emporia had various subsequent conference affiliations: the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1932–33 and the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) from 1971–72 to 1973–74.
- Currently known as Wichita State University since 1964.
- Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
- Wichita State had various subsequent conference affiliations: the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1939–40, as an NAIA Independent from 1940–41 to 1944–45, and the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)[f] from 1945–46 to 2016–17.
- Currently known as Emporia State University since 1977.
- Emporia State had various subsequent conference affiliations: the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1967–68, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 1968–69 to 1971–72, the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) from 1972–73 to 1975–76, the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) from 1976–77 to 1988–89, and as an NCAA D-II Independent from 1989–90 to 1990–91.
- Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
- Currently known as Fort Hays State University since 1977.
- Fort Hays State had various subsequent conference affiliations: the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1967–68, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference[j] (RMAC) from 1968–69 to 1971–72 (also from 1989–90 to 2005–06 in its second stint), the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) from 1972–73 to 1975–76, and the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) from 1976–77 to 1988–89.
- Currently known as Pittsburg State University since 1977.
- Pittsburg State had various subsequent conference affiliations: the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1967–68, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 1968–69 to 1971–72, the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) from 1972–73 to 1975–76, and the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) from 1976–77 to 1988–89.
- Currently known as Kansas State University since 1959.
- Kansas State had various subsequent conference affiliations: the Missouri Valley Conference[f] (MVC) from 1913–14 to 1927–28, and the Big Eight Conference[j] from 1928–29 to 1995–96.
- Currently known as Benedictine College since 1971.
- Benedictine left the KCAC in December 1928 (during the 1928–29 school year).
- Benedictine had various subsequent conference affiliations: as an Independent from January 1929 (during the 1928–29 school year) to 1936–37, the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) from 1937–38 to 1961–62, and as an NAIA Independent from 1962–63 to 1990–91.
- St. Mary's (Ks.) dropped its athletics program after the 1930–31 school year.
- Washburn had various subsequent conference affiliations: the Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1932–33 (also from 1940–41 to 1967–68 on its second stint), as an Independent from 1933–34 to 1939–40, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference[j] (RMAC) from 1968–69 to 1971–72, the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) from 1972–73 to 1975–76, and the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) from 1976–77 to 1988–89.
Former associate members
The KCAC had four 16 associate members, all were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Nickname | Joined[a] | Left[b] | KCAC sport |
Primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benedictine College | Atchison, Kansas | 1858 | Catholic (Benedictines) |
Ravens | 2015m.lax. 2015w.lax. |
2022m.lax. 2022w.lax. |
men's lacrosse women's lacrosse |
Heart of America (HAAC) |
| Clarke University | Dubuque, Iowa | 1843 | Catholic (B.V.M.) |
Pride | 2015m.lax. 2015w.lax. |
2022m.lax. 2022w.lax. |
men's lacrosse women's lacrosse |
Heart of America (HAAC) |
| Columbia College of Missouri | Columbia, Missouri | 1851 | Nonsectarian | Cougars | 2017m.lax. 2021eSp. |
2024m.lax. 2023eSp. |
men's lacrosse eSports |
American Midwest |
| Culver–Stockton College | Canton, Missouri | 1853 | Disciples of Christ | Wildcats | 2019 | 2022 | women's lacrosse | Heart of America (HAAC) |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell, South Dakota | 1885 | United Methodist | Tigers | 2023 | 2024 | women's wrestling | Great Plains (GPAC) |
| Hastings College | Hastings, Nebraska | 1882 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) |
Broncos | 2020 | 2024 | women's wrestling | Great Plains (GPAC) |
| University of Jamestown | Jamestown, North Dakota | 1883 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) |
Jimmies | 2017w.wres. 2021w.swim. |
2024w.wres. 2025w.swim. |
women's wrestling, women's swimming | Northern Sun (NSIC)[c] |
| Johnson & Wales University–Colorado | Denver, Colorado | 1914 | Nonsectarian | Wildcats | 2015 | 2018 | women's lacrosse | Closed in 2020 |
| Lincoln College | Lincoln, Illinois | 1865 | Nonsectarian | Lynx | 2019m.sw. 2019w.sw. |
2021m.sw. 2021w.sw. |
men's swimming women's swimming |
Closed in 2022 |
| Midland University[d] | Fremont, Nebraska | 1883 | Lutheran ELCA | Warriors | 2019m.lax. 2015w.lax. 2017w.wr. |
2024m.lax. 2024w.lax. 2024w.wr. |
men's lacrosse women's lacrosse women's wrestling |
Great Plains (GPAC) |
| Missouri Baptist University | Creve Coeur, Missouri | 1957 | Southern Baptist | Spartans | 2019m.lax. 2019w.lax. |
2024m.lax. 2024w.lax. |
men's lacrosse women's lacrosse |
American Midwest |
| Missouri Valley College | Marshall, Missouri | 1889 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) |
Vikings | 2015m.lax 2015w.lax. 2017w.wr. |
2022m.lax 2022w.lax. 2020w.wr. |
men's swimming women's lacrosse women's wrestling |
Heart of America (HAAC) |
| Morningside University[e] | Sioux City, Iowa | 1894 | United Methodist | Mustangs | 2019m.lax. 2019w.lax. 2023w.wr. |
2022m.lax. 2022w.lax. 2024w.wr. |
men's lacrosse women's lacrosse women's wrestling |
Great Plains (GPAC) |
| St. Ambrose University | Davenport, Iowa | 1882 | Catholic (Diocese of Davenport) |
Fighting Bees | 2016m.lax. 2017w.lax. |
2022m.lax. 2022w.lax. |
men's lacrosse women's lacrosse |
Chicagoland (CCAC) |
| St. Gregory's University | Shawnee, Oklahoma | 1914 | Catholic (Benedictines) |
Cavaliers | 2015 | 2016 | men's lacrosse | Closed in 2017[f] |
| William Penn University | Oskaloosa, Iowa | 1873 | Quakers | Statesmen | 2019m.lax. 2019w.lax. |
2022m.lax. 2022w.lax. |
men's lacrosse women's lacrosse |
Heart of America (HAAC) |
- Notes
- Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
- Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
- Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
- Midland remains in the KCAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming and women's flag football.
- Morningside remains in the KCAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming.
- St. Gregory's (Okla.) discontinued its athletic program once the school announced that it would close after the 2017 fall season (2017–18 school year).
Membership timeline
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (sport)
Sports
| A divisional format is used for football. | |
Dr. Ted Kessinger (South)
|
Franklin "Gene" Bissell (North)
|
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  | |
| Basketball | | |
| Cross Country | | |
| Football | | (flag) |
| Golf | | |
| Lacrosse | | |
| Soccer | | |
| Softball | | |
| Tennis | | |
| Track & Field Indoor | | |
| Track & Field Outdoor | | |
| Volleyball | | |
| Wrestling | |
