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Conference | NCAA |
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Founded | 1999 |
Ceased | 2019 |
Commissioner | Tony Stigliano (final) |
Sports fielded |
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Division | Division II |
No. of teams | 9 (final) |
Headquarters | Waco, Texas |
Region | South Central United States |
Official website | heartlandsports |
Locations | |
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The Heartland Conference was a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level, which was founded in 1999. The majority of members were in Texas, with additional members in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The conference office was located in Waco, Texas.
The conference was formed in 1999 by founding members Drury University, University of the Incarnate Word, Lincoln University, Rockhurst University, St. Edward's University, St. Mary's University and Texas Wesleyan University. Oklahoma Panhandle State University and Dallas Baptist University joined in 2002. Founding members Drury and Rockhurst left the Heartland Conference to join the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in 2005. Western New Mexico University and Montana State University - Billings joined in 2005. However, WNMU re-joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in 2006 and MSUB joined the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2007. Newman University, Texas A&M International University and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin joined the conference in 2006, making the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II. [1] The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith joined the conference in the Fall of 2009 after transitioning from the NJCAA. [2] In the fall of 2010, Lincoln left for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association [3] and Incarnate Word left for the Lone Star Conference. [4] In July 2011, McMurry University announced that it had been accepted as candidate for D-II membership and would join the Heartland Conference in the fall of 2012. [5] In February 2012, Oklahoma Christian University announced its intention to seek membership in NCAA Division II. [6] In Spring 2012, Rogers State University, a member of the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference, applied for membership. [7] The conference confirmed in July 2012 that Oklahoma Christian's teams would play full conference schedules starting in Fall 2012 and that Rogers State and Lubbock Christian University would begin conference play in 2013-14. [8]
On August 30, 2017, the Lone Star Conference announced that eight of the nine members of the Heartland Conference would join in fall 2019; [9] the remaining member, Newman, announced it would seek other affiliation at that time. [10] On February 8, 2018, Newman announced that it would become an associate member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association beginning in the 2019–20 season. [11] On October 18, 2018 Rogers State decided to join the MIAA instead of the Lone Star. [12]
The Heartland had nine final full members, all but three were private schools:
The Heartland had four final affiliate members, all were public schools:
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Colors | Heartland sport(s) | Primary conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern New Mexico University | Portales, New Mexico | 1934 | Public | 5,574 | Greyhounds | 2016 | 2019 | men's soccer | Lone Star (LSC) (2019–present) | |
Midwestern State University | Wichita Falls, Texas | 1922 | 6,093 | Mustangs | ||||||
University of Texas of the Permian Basin [lower-alpha 1] | Odessa, Texas | 1973 | 3,600 | Falcons | ||||||
West Texas A&M University | Canyon, Texas | 1910 | 8,389 | Buffaloes |
The Heartland had ten former full members, half were public schools and another half were private schools:
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football-only) Associate member (sport)
Dallas Baptist's baseball team competed in NCAA Division I for much of its Heartland Conference tenure. At the time the league disbanded, the Patriots were single-sport members of the Missouri Valley Conference.
The Heartland Conference sponsored 13 sports, seven for women and six for men.
A divisional format was used for soccer (M). | ||
North
| South
| West
|
Sport | Men's | Women's |
---|---|---|
Baseball | ![]() | |
Basketball | ![]() | ![]() |
Cross Country | ![]() | ![]() |
Golf | ![]() | ![]() |
Soccer | ![]() | ![]() |
Softball | ![]() | |
Tennis | ![]() | ![]() |
Volleyball | ![]() |
School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Golf | Soccer | Tennis | Total HC Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas–Fort Smith | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | |
Dallas Baptist | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | |
Lubbock Christian | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | |
Newman | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 6 |
Oklahoma Christian | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | |
Rogers State | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | |
St. Edward's | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 6 |
St. Mary's | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | |
Texas A&M International | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | |
Totals | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 47 |
Affiliate members | |||||||
Eastern New Mexico | ![]() | 1 | |||||
Midwestern State | ![]() | 1 | |||||
Texas–Permian Basin | ![]() | 1 | |||||
West Texas A&M | ![]() | 1 |
School | Basketball | Cross Country | Golf | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Volleyball | Total HC Sports |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arkansas–Fort Smith | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | ||
Dallas Baptist | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | ||
Lubbock Christian | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 6 | |
Newman | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 7 |
Oklahoma Christian | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | ||
Rogers State | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 5 | ||
St. Edward's | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 7 |
St. Mary's | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 6 | |
Texas A&M International | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | 6 | |
Totals | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 52 |
School | Men | Women | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baseball ‡ | Swimming & Diving | Track & Field Indoor | Track & Field Outdoor | Wrestling | Swimming & Diving | Track & Field Indoor | Track & Field Outdoor | |||
Dallas Baptist | MVC | IND | IND | IND | IND | |||||
Newman | MIAA | |||||||||
Oklahoma Christian | RMAC | IND | GAC | RMAC | IND | GAC | ||||
Rogers State | GAC | GAC |
Sport | School | Year |
---|---|---|
Men's Basketball | Arkansas-Fort Smith | 1981 |
Baseball | St. Mary's | 2001 |
Softball | St. Mary's | 2002 |
Men's Golf (Individual) | Jamie Amoretti (StMU) | 2006 |
Women's Basketball | Lubbock Christian | 2016, 2019 |
Arkansas-Fort Smith (as Westark Junior College) won the 1981 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJACC) men's basketball national championship.
St. Mary's won NAIA national championships in Softball (1986) and Men's Basketball (1989). [13]
St. Mary's Men's Golf team was named the Golf Coaches Association of America 2008-2009 Academic National Champions, which St. Mary's treats as a fifth team national.
Dallas Baptist won the 2003 National Christian College Athletic Association Baseball national championship.
Lubbock Christian won NAIA national championships in Baseball (1983 & 2009) and Softball (2008).
The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the South Central states, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, with two members in the Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington competing as affiliates for football only.
The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Its fourteen member institutions, of which all but one are public schools, are located in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. The MIAA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Missouri.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from approximately 1910 through the late 1960s, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the western United States. Most member schools are in Colorado, with additional members in Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah.
The American Southwest Conference (ASC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference, founded in 1996, whose member schools compete in the NCAA's Division III. The schools are located in Texas and Arkansas. The conference competes in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's track and field, and women's volleyball.
The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Its fifteen member institutions are located in the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. There are also four associate members who participate in sports not sponsored by their home conference.
The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is a public university in Odessa, Texas. It is part of the University of Texas System. UTPB was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1969 and founded in 1973. UTPB is now home to over 7,000 students and 250 teaching faculty.
The Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) was an intercollegiate athletic conference that competed in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Members of the conference were located in the Midwest United States and were located in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
The Red River Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference's 14 member institutions are located in Texas, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 13 schools in a league that spans five states – Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
The Rogers State Hillcats are the athletic teams that represent Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) for most of its sports as an associate member since the 2019–20 academic year ; while its men's soccer team competes in the Great American Conference (GAC). The Hillcats previously competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2013–14 to 2018–19; and in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2007–08 to 2012–13.
The Great American Conference (GAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, with headquarters located in Russellville, Arkansas. Athletic competition began play during the 2011–12 school year. Its twelve all-sports member schools are located in Arkansas and Oklahoma in the South Central United States. The conference also has four men's soccer affiliate members, two in Kansas and two in Oklahoma.
The UT Permian Basin Falcons are the athletic teams that represent the University of Texas Permian Basin, located in Odessa, Texas, United States, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the Division II level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), primarily competing in Lone Star Conference for most of their varsity sports since the 2016–17 academic year. A UTPB Falcons football team was added for the 2016 NCAA Division II football season to bring the total number of varsity teams to 16. UTPB previously competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2006–07 to 2015–16; in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1998–99 to 2005–06; and as an NAIA Independent from 1995–96 to 1997–98.
The Lubbock Christian Chaparrals and Lady Chaps are the athletic teams that represent Lubbock Christian University, located in Lubbock, Texas, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) since the 2019–20 academic year. The Chaparrals and Lady Chaps previously had competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2013–14 to 2018–19; in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1994–95 to 2012–13; and in the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) of the NCAA Division III ranks from 1979–80 to 1981–82.
The Oklahoma Christian Eagles and Lady Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma Christian University, located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) since the 2019–20 academic year. They were also a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), primarily competing as an independent in the Central Region of the Division I level from 2012–13 to 2018–19. The Eagles and Lady Eagles previously competed in the D-II Heartland Conference from 2012–13 to 2018–19; and in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1978–79 to 2011–12; and in the Texoma Athletic Conference from 1973–74 to 1977–78.
The Central Oklahoma Bronchos football team represents the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) in college football. The team is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), which is in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Bronchos football program began in 1902 and has since compiled over 600 wins, two national championships, and 27 conference championships. As of 2022, the Bronchos are ranked fifth in NCAA Division II for wins. In 1962, the Bronchos went 11–0 on the season and defeated Lenoir–Rhyne University (NC) 28–13 in the Camellia Bowl to claim its first NAIA national championship. Twenty years later, Central Oklahoma defended its home turf and defeated Colorado Mesa University 14–11 in the NAIA national championship game to take its second title and finish the season with a 10–2 record. Despite its rich history in football, Central Oklahoma has struggled beginning in the late 2000s. The program has not participated in the NCAA Division II playoffs since 2003. The Bronchos play their home games at Chad Richison Stadium, a 12,000-seat football stadium built in 1965, and remodeled in 2022. The Bronchos have enjoyed nine undefeated home seasons and are 5–1 in playoff games at Wantland Stadium.
The UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represents the University of Texas Permian Basin in college football at the NCAA Division II level. The Falcons are members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC), fielding its team in the LSC since 2016. The Falcons play their home games at Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, Texas while Astound Broadband Stadium in the neighboring city of Midland, Texas serves as an alternate home stadium.
The Lubbock Christian Chaparrals represents Lubbock Christian University (LCU) in college baseball. The Chaparrals compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II as members of the Lone Star Conference. The Chaparrals won the NAIA World Series in 1983 and 2009, and placed runner-up in 2011. Since 1978, Lubbock Christian has played home games at Hays Field. The Chaparrals are led by head coach Nathan Blackwood.
Kris McCullough is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for the University of Texas Permian Basin, a position he has held since 2023. He was the head football coach for East Central University in 2022. He previously coached for Henderson State, Old Dominion, and Fairmont State.
The 2016 UT Permian Basin Falcons football team represented the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) in the 2016 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Lone Star Conference. The program's inaugural season, the Falcons were led by head coach Justin Carrigan; Carrigan previously served as the offensive coordinator at Tarleton State.