Formerly | Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1969–1992) Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference (1992–2000) |
---|---|
Association | NAIA |
Founded | 1969 |
Commissioner | Corey Westra (since 2003) |
Sports fielded |
|
No. of teams | 12 |
Headquarters | Sioux City, Iowa |
Region | Midwestern United States |
Official website | www |
Locations | |
The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The conference was founded in 1969 as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC), later becoming the Nebraska–Iowa Athletic Conference (1992) before being renamed the Great Plains Athletic Conference (2000).
The Great Plains Athletic Conference was founded on September 22, 1969, as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC). [1] The first president of the conference was Art Nicolia (NWU) while Glen Hinkle (Doane) was the vice president and Roger Olsen (Dana) was the secretary/treasure. Jack Anderson (NWU) was named the first publicist on February 28, 1970. [2] The six charter members were Concordia University, Dana College, Doane University, Hastings College, Midland University, and Nebraska Wesleyan University. [3] With the addition of Northwestern College in 1992, the NIAC was renamed the Nebraska–Iowa Athletic Conference. The NIAC became the Great Plains Athletic Conference in 2000 with the addition of Dakota Wesleyan University, Dordt University, Mount Marty University, and the University of Sioux Falls. Later, Briar Cliff University and Morningside University joined the GPAC in 2002 and 2003 respectively. The College of Saint Mary, a women's only institution, joined in 2015. In 2018, University of Jamestown joined the conference as a full-member, while Presentation College joined the conference as an associate member. All former members of the NIAC remain affiliated with the GPAC except for Dana College, which closed in 2010, the University of Sioux Falls, which left the conference in 2011, and Nebraska Wesleyan University, which left the conference in 2016. Paul Clark was the commissioner of the GPAC when it formed in 2000. Corey Westra in Sioux City, Iowa, is the current commissioner of the league. [4]
On January 17, 2023, Presentation will end its affiliate status with the GPAC as it announced that it will close, effective that spring. [5]
On September 18, 2023, the GPAC had extended an invitation to Waldorf University as their newest full member of the conference, effective beginning the 2024–25 academic year; although at that moment, the university was already an affiliate member in both men's and women's soccer. [6]
The GPAC currently has 12 full members, all are private schools:
The GPAC had four former full members, all were private schools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined [a] | Left [b] | Subsequent conference | Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dana College | Blair, Nebraska | 1884 | Lutheran ELCA | N/A | Vikings | 1969 | 2010 | Closed in 2010 | |
Nebraska Wesleyan University | Lincoln, Nebraska | 1887 | United Methodist | 1,600 | Prairie Wolves | 1969 | 2016 [c] | American Rivers (ARC) [d] (2016–present) | |
University of Jamestown | Jamestown, North Dakota | 1883 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) | 1,000 | Jimmies | 2018 | 2024 | North Star (NSAA) [e] (2024–25) | |
University of Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | 1883 | Baptist | 1,628 | Cougars | 2000 | 2011 | NAIA/D-II Independent (2011–12) | Northern Sun (NSIC) [f] (2012–present) |
The GPAC has five former affiliate members, all of which were private schools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined [a] | Left [b] | GPAC sport | Current primary conference | Conference in former GPAC sport |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Central Christian College of Kansas | McPherson, Kansas | 1884 | Free Methodist | 1,013 | Tigers | 2021 | 2024 | men's volleyball | Sooner (SAC) | Heart of America (HAAC) |
Kansas Wesleyan University | Salina, Kansas | 1886 | United Methodist | 1,000 | Coyotes | Kansas (KCAC) | ||||
Ottawa University [7] | Ottawa, Kansas | 1865 | Baptist | 726 | Braves | 2020 | ||||
Presentation College | Aberdeen, South Dakota | 1922 | Catholic (P.B.V.M.) | N/A | Saints | 2018 | 2023 | men's soccer women's soccer | Closed in 2023 [c] | |
Waldorf University | Forest City, Iowa | 1903 | For-profit | 720 | Warriors | 2023 | 2024 [d] | Great Plains (GPAC) (2024–present) |
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (sport)
School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Soccer | Tennis | Track & Field (indoor) | Track & Field (outdoor) | Wrestling | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Briar Cliff | 9 | ||||||||||
Concordia-Nebraska | 10 | ||||||||||
Dakota Wesleyan | 9 | ||||||||||
Doane | 10 | ||||||||||
Dordt | 8 | ||||||||||
Hastings | 10 | ||||||||||
Midland | 10 | ||||||||||
Morningside | 10 | ||||||||||
Mount Marty | 9 | ||||||||||
Northwestern College | 10 | ||||||||||
Waldorf | 9 | ||||||||||
Totals | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 104 |
School | Basketball | Cheer and Dance | Cross Country | Golf | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field (indoor) | Track & Field (outdoor) | Volleyball | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Briar Cliff | 8 | ||||||||||
Concordia-Nebraska | 10 | ||||||||||
Dakota Wesleyan | 9 | ||||||||||
Doane | 10 | ||||||||||
Dordt | 9 | ||||||||||
Hastings | 10 | ||||||||||
Midland | 10 | ||||||||||
Morningside | 10 | ||||||||||
Mount Marty | 10 | ||||||||||
Northwestern College | 10 | ||||||||||
College of Saint Mary | 10 | ||||||||||
Waldorf | 9 | ||||||||||
Totals | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 115 |
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