Heartland Conference
File:Heartland Conference Logo.png | |
Association | NCAA |
---|---|
Commissioner | Tony Stigliano (since 1999) |
Sports fielded |
|
Division | Division II |
Region | Central United States |
Official website | heartlandsports |
Locations | |
The Heartland Conference is 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 are in Texas, with additional members in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The conference office is located in Waco, Texas.
History
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]
Member schools
Current members
Institution | Location | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Joined |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Arkansas – Fort Smith | Fort Smith, Arkansas | 1928 | 6,713 | Lions | 2009 | |
Dallas Baptist University | Dallas, Texas | 1898 | 5,500 | Patriots | 2002 | |
Lubbock Christian University | Lubbock, Texas | 1957 | 2,100 | Chaparrals & Lady Chaps | 2013 | |
Newman University | Wichita, Kansas | 1933 | 2,200 | Jets | 2006 | |
Oklahoma Christian University | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | 1950 | 2,479 | Eagles | 2012 | |
Oklahoma Panhandle State University | Goodwell, Oklahoma | 1909 | 1,200 | Aggies | 2002 | |
Rogers State University | Claremore, Oklahoma | 1909 | 4,227 | Hillcats | 2013 | |
St. Edward's University | Austin, Texas | 1885 | 5,500 | Hilltoppers | 1999 | |
St. Mary's University | San Antonio, Texas | 1852 | 4,500 | Rattlers | 1999 | |
Texas A&M International University | Laredo, Texas | 1969 | 4,298 | Dustdevils | 2006 | |
University of Texas of the Permian Basin | Odessa, Texas | 1973 | 3,600 | Falcons | 2006 |
- Reclassifying member in yellow.
- Texas–Permian Basin — will join the Lone Star Conference in 2016.[9]
Affiliate members
Institution | Location | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Joined | Sport | Primary Conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern New Mexico University | Portales, New Mexico | 1934 | 5,574 | Greyhounds | 2016 | soccer (M) | Lone Star | |
Midwestern State University | Wichita Falls, Texas | 1922 | 6,093 | Mustangs | 2016 | soccer (M) | Lone Star | |
University of Texas of the Permian Basin | Odessa, Texas | 1973 | 3,600 | Falcons | 2016 | soccer (M) | Lone Star | |
West Texas A&M University | Canyon, Texas | 1910 | 8,389 | Buffaloes | 2016 | soccer (M) | Lone Star |
- Texas–Permian Basin — was a full member from 2006–2016.
Former members
Institution | Location | Founded | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current Conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drury University | Springfield, Missouri | 1873 | Panthers | 1999 | 2005 | Great Lakes Valley |
University of the Incarnate Word | San Antonio, Texas | 1881 | Cardinals | 1999 | 2010 | Southland (NCAA D-I) |
Lincoln University (MO) | Jefferson City, Missouri | 1866 | Blue Tigers | 1999 | 2010 | Mid-America |
McMurry University | Abilene, Texas | 1923 | War Hawks | 2012 | 2014 | American Southwest (NCAA D-III) |
Montana State University Billings | Billings, Montana | 1927 | Yellowjackets | 2005 | 2007 | Great Northwest |
Rockhurst University | Kansas City, Missouri | 1910 | Hawks | 1999 | 2005 | Great Lakes Valley |
Texas Wesleyan University | Fort Worth, Texas | 1890 | Rams | 1999 | 2001 | Sooner (NAIA D-I) |
Western New Mexico University | Silver City, New Mexico | 1893 | Mustangs | 2005 | 2006 | Rocky Mountain (Lone Star in 2016) |
Membership timeline
Full member (all sports) Full member (non-football) Associate member (football-only) Associate member (sport)
Sports
Dallas Baptist's baseball team currently competes in NCAA Division I as a baseball affiliate of the Missouri Valley Conference; it returned to the MVC baseball conference starting in the 2014 season. OPSU sponsors a non-conference football team.
The Heartland Conference sponsors 13 sports, seven for women and six for men.
Sport | Men's | Women's |
---|---|---|
Baseball | ||
Basketball | ||
Cross Country | ||
Golf | ||
Soccer | ||
Softball | ||
Tennis | ||
Volleyball |
Men's sponsored sports by school
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 | ||||||
Oklahoma Panhandle State | 4 | ||||||
Rogers State | 5 | ||||||
St. Edward's | 6 | ||||||
St. Mary's | 5 | ||||||
Texas A&M International | 5 | ||||||
Texas-Permian Basin | 5 | ||||||
Totals | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 56 |
Affiliate Members | |||||||
Eastern New Mexico | 1 | ||||||
Midwestern State | 1 | ||||||
Texas-Permian Basin | 1 | ||||||
West Texas A&M | 1 |
Women's sponsored sports by school
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 | |||||||
Oklahoma Panhandle State | 5 | |||||||
Rogers State | 5 | |||||||
St. Edward's | 7 | |||||||
St. Mary's | 6 | |||||||
Texas A&M International | 6 | |||||||
Texas-Permian Basin | 6 | |||||||
Totals | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 63 |
Other sponsored sports by school
School | Men | Women | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baseball ‡ | Football | 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 | IND | GAC | IND | GAC | |||||||
Oklahoma Panhandle State | LSC | ||||||||||
Rogers State | GAC | GAC | |||||||||
Texas-Permian Basin | NSISC | NSISC |
- ‡ — D-I sport
- NSISC — New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference
National championships
Sport | School | Year(s) |
---|---|---|
Baseball | St. Mary's | 2001 |
Softball | St. Mary's | 2002 |
Men's Golf (Individual) | Jamie Amoretti, St. Mary's | 2006 |
- St. Mary's won NAIA national championships in Softball (1986) and Men's Basketball (1989) prior to joining the Heartland Conference.[10]
- The St. Mary's Men's Golf team were named the Golf Coaches Association of America 2008-2009 Academic National Champions, which St. Mary's treats as a fifth team national championship.[11]
- Dallas Baptist won the 2003 National Christian College Athletic Association Baseball national championship; DBU is a non-baseball member of the Heartland Conference.
References
- ^ - About the Heartland Conference
- ^ University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Accepts Invitation to Join Heartland Conference - arkansasbusiness.com - March 2, 2009
- ^ Lincoln returns to MIAA - St. Joseph News-Press - February 2, 2009
- ^ LSC to add Incarnate Word in 2010 - www.lonestarconference.org - January 20, 2009
- ^ NCAA accepts McMurry's application to transition to Division II - www.mcmurrysports.com - July 12, 2011
- ^ King, Kevin (February 7, 2012). "Oklahoma Christian To Seek NCAA Division II Membership". KTUL TV. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ Adame, Tony (June 23, 2012). "Newman athletics continues to make progress". Wichita Eagle. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ^ "Heartland Conference - Oklahoma Christian, Lubbock Christian, and Rogers State Earn Right to Join NCAA DII and Heartland Conference". Heartlandsports.org. 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
- ^ "UTPB to Join Lone Star Conference in 2016". University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
- ^ Rattler Athletics Timeline
- ^ "St. Mary's University Athletics". Stmarytx.edu. Retrieved 2015-08-04.