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.
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.
The University of North Dakota and the University of South Dakota both announced in 2006 that they would reclassify its athletic programs to Division I, and both left the North Central Conference after the 2007–08 academic year. Both have since joined North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and Northern Iowa as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference in football, and the Summit League in other sports together with NDSU, SDSU and UNO. Augustana College, the University of Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota State University, Mankato and St. Cloud State University were admitted to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference beginning July 1, 2008. The University of Nebraska at Omaha joined the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association starting July 1, 2008. UNO has since moved to Division I and is now in The Summit League with many of its former conference members. Central Washington University and Western Washington University, both football-only affiliates of the NCC, joined up with football independents Western Oregon, Humboldt State, and Dixie State (now known as Utah Tech) and restarted football in their full-time home of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Central Washington has since moved their program to the Lone Star Conference, while Western Washington ceased sponsoring football after the 2008 season.
Chronological timeline In 1922, the North Central Conference (also known as the North Central Intercollegiate Conference) was founded with nine charter members: College of St. Thomas, Creighton University, Des Moines University, Morningside College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, North Dakota Agricultural College, University of North Dakota, South Dakota State College of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts, and the University of South Dakota. St. Thomas left after the 1922 season. In 1926, Des Moines University left the NCC, and the school eventually would close its doors in 1929. Nebraska Wesleyan also left, joining the Nebraska Conference. St. Thomas rejoined the conference after a brief stint as an independent. In 1928, Creighton University and the College of St. Thomas (now University of St. Thomas) left the NCC. St. Thomas became a full member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while Creighton left to join the Missouri Valley Conference. The NCC was left with five members. In 1934, Iowa State Teachers College joined the NCC from the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Also, Omaha University joined the NCC to bring membership back up to seven schools. In 1942, Augustana College left the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference to join the North Central Conference as its eighth member. In 1946, Omaha University left the NCC to join the Central Intercollegiate Conference. The NCC was left with seven members. In 1960, North Dakota Agricultural College was renamed North Dakota State University. In 1961, the Iowa State Teachers College was renamed the State College of Iowa. In 1964, South Dakota State College was renamed South Dakota State University. In 1967, State College of Iowa was renamed to the University of Northern Iowa. In 1968, Mankato State College joined the NCC from the Northern Intercollegiate Conference, bringing league membership up to eight teams. In 1975, Mankato State College was renamed Mankato State University. In 1976, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (Omaha University was renamed to UNO in 1968) rejoined the NCC, while Mankato State University left the NCC due to not fielding a team in the 1976 season. Membership in the NCC remained at eight schools. In 1978, the University of Northern Colorado left the Great Plains Athletic Conference to join the North Central Conference. In the same year, the University of Northern Iowa left the NCC to move to the Association of Mid-Continent Universities. Membership remained at eight schools. In 1981, Mankato State University and St. Cloud State University joined the NCC from the Northern Intercollegiate Conference, giving the NCC its largest membership total in history at 10 schools and it would remain at this level for the next 21 years. Membership at this time included: Augustana, Mankato State, Morningside, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and St. Cloud State. In 1998, Mankato State University was officially renamed to Minnesota State University, Mankato. In 2002, Morningside College, one of the North Central Conference's charter members, left the league and moved out of NCAA Division II to the NAIA level. The NCC was left with nine members. In 2003, the University of Northern Colorado moved up to NCAA Division I, leaving the NCC with eight members. In 2004, charter members North Dakota State and South Dakota State also announced plans to move to Division I and leave the NCC. SDSU, NDSU and Northern Colorado founded the FCS Great West Football Conference. The University of Minnesota-Duluth left the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference to join the NCC as its seventh member. In 2006, Central Washington University and Western Washington University of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference joined the North Central Conference as affiliate members in the sport of football only to give the conference nine football schools. In 2008, the two remaining charter members of the NCC, the University of South Dakota and the University of North Dakota, announced plans to leave the conference and move up to Division I. This move led to the rest of the league members making a move. Central Washington and Western Washington joined up with other schools in the Pacific Northwest to form a football league in the GNAC. Augustana, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State remained in NCAA Division II by joining the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Finally, Nebraska-Omaha also remained in Division II by joining the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) before moving to Division I a year later. These moves resulted in the dissolution of the North Central Conference after having existed for 86 years.
Member schools Final members The NCC had seven full members in the conference's final season, one was a private school:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequentconference(s) Currentconference Augustana University Sioux Falls, South Dakota 1860 Lutheran ELCA 1,650 Vikings 1941 2008 Northern Sun (NSIC)(2008–present) University of Minnesota–Duluth Duluth, Minnesota 1902,1947 Public 10,497 Bulldogs 2004 2008 Northern Sun (NSIC)(2008–present) Minnesota State University–Mankato Mankato, Minnesota 1868 Public 15,649 Mavericks 1968,1981 1976,2008 Northern Sun (NSIC)(2008–present) University of Nebraska–Omaha Omaha, Nebraska 1908 Public 14,093 Mavericks 19341976 19462008 Mid-America (MIAA)(2008–11)D-I Independent(2011–12) Summit(2012–present) University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota 1883 Public 13,817 Fighting Sioux 1922 2008 Great West (GWC)(2008–12)Big Sky (BSC)(2012–18) Summit(2018–present) St. Cloud State University St. Cloud, Minnesota 1869 Public 17,231 Huskies 1981 2008 Northern Sun (NSIC)(2008–present) University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota 1862 Public 8,641 Coyotes 1922 2008 Great West (GWC)(2008–11) Summit(2011–present)
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Final affiliate members The NCC had two affiliate members for football only in the conference's final season, both of which are public schools.
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left NCCsport(s)played Currentprimaryconference Currentconferencein formerNCC sport Central Washington University Ellensburg, Washington 1891 Public 12,342 Wildcats 2006 2008 football Great Northwest (GNAC)(2001–present) Lone Star (LSC)(2022–present) Western Washington University Bellingham, Washington 1893 Public 16,142 Vikings Dropped sport
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Former members The NCC had nine other full members during the conference's tenure, two were private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequentconference(s) Currentconference Creighton University Omaha, Nebraska 1878 Catholic 6,716 Bluejays 1922 1928 various Big East(2013–present) Des Moines University Des Moines, Iowa 1864 Baptist 330 Tigers 1922 1926 Independent(1926–29) Closed in 1929 Morningside University Sioux City, Iowa 1894 UnitedMethodist 1,149 Mustangs 1922 2002 NAIA/D-II Independent(2002–03) Great Plains (GPAC)(2003–present) Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, Nebraska 1887 UnitedMethodist 1,601 Prairie Wolves 1922 1926 Great Plains (GPAC)(1969–2016) American Rivers (ARC)(2016–present) North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota 1890 Public 13,229 Bison 1922 2004 D-I Independent(2004–07) Summit(2008–present) University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colorado 1889 Public 12,392 Bears 1978 2003 D-I Independent(2003–06) Big Sky (BSC)(2006–present) University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, Iowa 1876 Public 14,070 Panthers 1934 1978 D-I Independent(1978–82)Summit(1982–91) Missouri Valley (MVC)(1991–present) University of St. Thomas St. Paul, Minnesota 1885 Catholic 10,534 Tommies 1922 1928 Minnesota (MIAC)(1928–2021) Summit(2021–present) South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota 1881 Public 12,816 Jackrabbits 1922 2004 D-I Independent(2004–07) Summit(2008–present)
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Membership timeline
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.