North Central Conference

Last updated
North Central Conference
NorthCentralConferenceLogo.jpg
Conference NCAA
Founded1922
Ceased2008
Sports fielded
  • 18
    • men's: 9
    • women's: 9
Division Division II
No. of teams8
Headquarters Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Region Midwest
Official website http://northcentral.prestosports.com
Locations
NCCstates.PNG

The North Central Conference (NCC), also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II.

Contents

History

The NCC was formed in 1922. Charter members of the NCC were South Dakota State College (now South Dakota State University), College of St. Thomas (now the University of St. Thomas), Des Moines University, Creighton University, North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University), the University of North Dakota, Morningside College (now Morningside University), the University of South Dakota, and Nebraska Wesleyan University.

The University of Northern Iowa was a member of the NCC from 1934 until 1978. UNI currently competes in Division I in the Missouri Valley Conference; in FCS football, it competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. In 2002 Morningside College left the NCC to join the NAIA. The University of Northern Colorado left the conference in 2003, followed in 2004 by North Dakota State University and South Dakota State University. These three schools all transitioned their athletics programs from Division II to Division I; they became founding members of the Division I FCS Great West Football Conference, which started play in the fall of 2004. Since that time, Northern Colorado moved on to the Big Sky Conference in all sports in 2006. In the fall of 2006, North Dakota State and South Dakota State were admitted to The Summit League; they have also moved on to rejoin old conference mate Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

It was announced on November 29, 2006, that the 2007–08 athletic season would be the final season for the NCC and that the conference would cease operations on July 1, 2008. [1]

Chronological timeline

Member schools

Final members

The NCC had seven full members in the conference's final season, one was a private school:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftSubsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference
Augustana University [lower-alpha 1] Sioux Falls, South Dakota 1860 Lutheran ELCA 1,650 Vikings 19412008 Northern Sun (NSIC)
(2008–present)
University of Minnesota–Duluth Duluth, Minnesota 1902,
1947
Public [lower-alpha 2] 10,497 Bulldogs 20042008 Northern Sun (NSIC)
(2008–present)
Minnesota State University–Mankato Mankato, Minnesota 1868Public [lower-alpha 3] 15,649 Mavericks 1968,
1981
1976,
2008
Northern Sun (NSIC)
(2008–present)
University of Nebraska–Omaha Omaha, Nebraska 1908Public [lower-alpha 4] 14,093 Mavericks 1934
1976
1946
2008
Mid-America (MIAA)
(2008–11)
D-I Independent
(2011–12)
Summit [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 6]
(2012–present)
University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota 1883Public13,817 Fighting Sioux [lower-alpha 7] 19222008 Great West (GWC) [lower-alpha 5]
(2008–12)
Big Sky [lower-alpha 5]
(2012–18)
Summit [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 8]
(2018–present)
St. Cloud State University St. Cloud, Minnesota 1869Public [lower-alpha 3] 17,231 Huskies 19812008 Northern Sun (NSIC)
(2008–present)
University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota 1862Public8,641 Coyotes 19222008 Great West (GWC) [lower-alpha 5]
(2008–11)
Summit [lower-alpha 5] [lower-alpha 8]
(2011–present)
Notes
  1. Formerly known as Augustana College until 2015.
  2. Part of the University of Minnesota System.
  3. 1 2 Part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.
  4. Part of the University of Nebraska System.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
  6. Since joining NCAA Division I, Nebraska–Omaha hasn't sponsored football after dropping the sport their reclassifying move from NCAA Division II.
  7. North Dakota now competes as the Fighting Hawks since the 2015–16 school year.
  8. 1 2 Their football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).

Final affiliate members

The NCC had two affiliate members for football only in the conference's final season, both of which are public schools.

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftSport playedCurrent
primary
conference
Current
conference
in former
NCC sport
Central Washington University Ellensburg, Washington 1891Public12,342 Wildcats 20062008football Great Northwest (GNAC)
(2001–present)
Lone Star (LSC)
(2022–present)
Western Washington University Bellingham, Washington 1893Public16,142 Vikings Dropped sport

Former members

The NCC had nine other full members during the conference's tenure, two were private schools:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftSubsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference
Creighton University Omaha, Nebraska 1878 Catholic
(Jesuit)
6,716 Bluejays 19221928 Missouri Valley (MVC) [lower-alpha 1]
(1928–48; 1976–2013)
Big East [lower-alpha 1]
(2013–present)
Des Moines University Des Moines, Iowa 1864 Baptist 330 [5] Tigers 19221926Independent
(1926–29)
Closed in 1929
Morningside University [lower-alpha 2] Sioux City, Iowa 1894 United
Methodist
1,149 Mustangs 19222002 NAIA/D-II Independent
(2002–03)
Great Plains (GPAC) [lower-alpha 3]
(2003–present)
Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, Nebraska 1887United
Methodist
1,601 Prairie Wolves 19221926 Great Plains (GPAC)
(1969–2016)
American Rivers (ARC) [lower-alpha 4]
(2016–present)
North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota 1890Public13,229 Bison 19222004 D-I Independent
(2004–08)
Summit [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 5]
(2008–present)
University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colorado 1889Public12,392 Bears 19782003 D-I Independent
(2003–06)
Big Sky [lower-alpha 1]
(2006–present)
University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa 1876Public14,070 Panthers 19341978 D-I Independent
(1978–82)
Summit [lower-alpha 1]
(1982–91)
Missouri Valley (MVC) [lower-alpha 1]
(1991–present)
University of St. Thomas St. Paul, Minnesota 1885Catholic
(Archdiocese of
Saint Paul and
Minneapolis
)
10,534 Tommies 19221928 Minnesota (MIAC) [lower-alpha 4]
(1928–2021)
Summit [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 6]
(2021–present)
South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota 1881Public12,816 Jackrabbits 19222004 D-I Independent
(2004–08)
Summit [lower-alpha 1] [lower-alpha 5]
(2008–present)
Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
  2. Formerly known as Morningside College until 2021.
  3. Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
  4. 1 2 Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  5. 1 2 Their football team competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).
  6. Their football team competes in the Pioneer Football League (PFL).

Membership timeline

Western Washington UniversityCentral Washington UniversityUniversity of Minnesota DuluthSt. Cloud StateUniversity of Northern ColoradoMinnesota State University, MankatoAugustana UniversityUniversity of Nebraska OmahaUniversity of Northern IowaSouth Dakota State UniversityUniversity of South DakotaUniversity of St. ThomasNorth Dakota State UniversityUniversity of North DakotaNebraska Wesleyan UniversityMorningside UniversityDes Moines CollegeCreighton UniversityNorth Central Conference

Sports

The NCC sponsored baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling.

Six of the seven members of the NCC sponsored Division I ice hockey, and five still do. In men's hockey, after a major conference realignment that took effect in 2013, Minnesota–Duluth, Nebraska–Omaha, North Dakota, and St. Cloud State field teams in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, while Minnesota State–Mankato is a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Before the realignment, all of these schools had been members of the WCHA for men's hockey. All of these schools, except for Omaha, have women's teams in the WCHA (Omaha women's hockey is a club sport). The women's side of the WCHA was not affected by this realignment.

Conference championships

Men's basketball

NCC Championships Per School
SchoolConferenceTournament
TitlesLast
Title
TitlesLast
Title
South Dakota State20200222002
North Dakota18199531994
South Dakota13200722007
North Dakota State1019950N/A
Northern Iowa819690N/A
Morningside519830N/A
Creighton419270N/A
St. Cloud State4200322003
Minnesota State4200812006
Nebraska-Omaha4200522008
Augustana319890N/A
Northern Colorado119890N/A

The NCC Tournament was held from 1991–1994, then it was brought back and used from 2001-2008.

NCC Regular Season Champions
NCC Tournament Champions