Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
| File:Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference logo.png | |
| Association | NAIA |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Scott Crawford (since 2007) |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Region | Kansas Region IV of the NAIA |
| Official website | http://www.kcacsports.com |
| Locations | |
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The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. It is commonly called "The Kansas Conference", and as the name implies, all members are located in Kansas. The KCAC ranks among the oldest conferences in the United States, tracing its history to 1890.
History
On February 15, 1890, the Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Association was formed; it was the first successful attempt to organize Kansas colleges for the purposes of promoting and regulating amateur intercollegiate athletics. In addition to the private universities and colleges, the conference also included Kansas State Agriculture College (now Kansas State University), the University of Kansas, and Washburn University. In November of that year, the first college football game in Kansas was played between the Kansas Jayhawks and Baker University.[1]
About 1902 the association allied with the Kansas College Athletic Conference, the first group to adopt a definite set of rules and regulations. By the 1920s the conference had changed its name to Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and had grown to include 17 regular members and 2 allied members (no longer including the University of Kansas or Kansas State). In 1923 seven colleges withdrew to form the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
On December 1, 1928, the Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was formally disbanded and replaced by a new Kansas College Athletic Conference which included 6 members and formed the present legal entity. It was commonly referred to as the "Little Six", in contrast to the Big Six Conference that eventually became the current Big 12. By 1968 the conference grew to include 12 members. It was organized into Northern and Southern divisions until 1970 when three colleges withdrew to join Missouri-based conferences. In the mid-1970s the name was changed to its current form.[2]
1905 night game
In the 1905 season, the Coleman Company set up temporary gas-powered lighting for a night game against Cooper College (now called the Sterling Warriors). It was the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River.[3] Fairmount won the game 24–0.[4]
1905 "experimental" game
On December 25, 1905, Wichita State (called "Fairmount College" at the time) played a game against the Washburn Ichabods using a set of experimental rules. The game was officiated by then Washburn head coach John H. Outland.
The experiment was considered a failure. Outland commented, "It seems to me that the distance required in three downs would almost eliminate touchdowns, except through fakes or flukes."[5] The Los Angeles Times reported that there was much kicking and that the game was considered much safer than regular play, but that the new rule was not "conducive to the sport."[6]
In his history of the sport of football, David M. Nelson concluded that "the first forward passes were thrown at the end of the 1905 season in a game between Fairmount and Washburn colleges in Kansas."[7] According to Nelson, Washburn completed three passes, and Fairmount completed two.
Membership timeline
Full members Full members (non-football) Assoc. members (football only) Assoc. member (list sports)
Member schools
The conference is currently composed of ten independent or private institutions of higher learning from within Kansas. The members (and year admitted):
Current members
| Institution | Location | Founded | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethany College | Lindsborg, Kansas | 1881 | Private | 500 | Swedes | 1902 |
| Bethel College | North Newton, Kansas | 1887 | Private | 500 | Threshers | 19021 |
| Friends University | Wichita, Kansas | 1898 | Private | 3,000 | Falcons | 19022 |
| Kansas Wesleyan University | Salina, Kansas | 1886 | Private | 1,000 | Coyotes | 1902 |
| McPherson College | McPherson, Kansas | 1887 | Private | 600 | Bulldogs | 1902 |
| Ottawa University | Ottawa, Kansas | 1865 | Private | 726 | Braves | 19023 |
| University of Saint Mary | Leavenworth, Kansas | 1859 | Private | 750 | Spires | 1999 |
| Southwestern College | Winfield, Kansas | 1885 | Private | 1,650 | Moundbuilders | 19024 |
| Sterling College | Sterling, Kansas | 1887 | Private | 750 | Warriors | 19025 |
| Tabor College | Hillsboro, Kansas | 1908 | Private | 600 | Bluejays | 1968 |
1 - Bethel withdrew from the KCAC after December 1928 of the 1928-29 season and re-joined back in the 1939-40 season.
2 - Friends withdrew from the KCAC after December 1928 of the 1928-29 season and re-joined back in the 1953-54 season.
3 - Ottawa withdrew from the KCAC after the 1969-70 season and re-joined back in the 1981-82 season.
4 - Southwestern withdrew from the KCAC after the 1922-23 season and re-joined back in the 1958-59 season.
5 - Sterling withdrew from the KCAC after December 1928 of the 1928-29 season and re-joined back in the 1958-59 season.
Former members
Sports
The KCAC sponsors athletic competition in men’s baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s football, men's and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, and women’s volleyball.
See also
- List of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference people
- 2012 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football season
- List of college athletic programs in Kansas
References
- ^ Evans, Harold (August 1940). "College Football in Kansas". Kansas Historical Quarterly. pp. 285–311. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
- ^ National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics "Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference"
- ^ "FIRST LIGHT (1900 – 1929)". Coleman Company. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ^ DeLassus, David. "Wichita State Yearly Results (1905)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
- ^ "Ten Yard Rule a Failure". New York Times. December 26, 1905.
- ^ "New Football Rules Tested". Los Angeles Times. December 26, 1905.
- ^ Nelson, David M. (1994). The Anatomy of a Game: Football, the Rules, and the Men Who Made the Game. University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-455-2., p. 128