- List of NCAA conferences
-
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is divided into three divisions, based roughly on school size. Each division is made up of several conferences for regional league play.
Contents
Division I
Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference Nickname Founded Members Sports Headquarters Map Atlantic Coast Conference ACC 1953 121 25 Greensboro, North Carolina 
Big East Conference Big East 1979 162 24 Providence, Rhode Island 
Big Ten Conference Big Ten 1896 12 25 Park Ridge, Illinois 
Big 12 Conference Big 12 1996 103 21 Irving, Texas 
Conference USA C-USA 1995 12 21 Irving, Texas 
Division I FBS Independents 4 1 
Mid-American Conference MAC 1946 124 23 Cleveland, Ohio 
Mountain West Conference MW / MWC 1999 85 19 Colorado Springs, Colorado 
Pacific-12 Conference Pac-12 1915 12 22 Walnut Creek, California 
Southeastern Conference SEC 1932 126 20 Birmingham, Alabama 
Sun Belt Conference Sun Belt 1976 127 19 New Orleans, Louisiana 
Western Athletic Conference WAC 1962 88 19 Greenwood Village, Colorado 
- Notes:
- 1 - 14 schools with the addition of Pittsburgh and Syracuse (date of arrival to be determined).
- 2 - 8 schools with football programs in the Big East. 3 other schools have football programs that play outside the Big East. 13 total schools (5 football schools) with the loss of Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and West Virginia (date of departure to be determined).
- 3 - 9 schools in 2012 with departure of Texas A&M and Missouri and addition of TCU. 10 schools with addition of West Virginia (date of arrival in question).
- 4 - 13 with Temple being an affiliated football member. 14 football members in 2012 with the addition of Massachusetts' football program.
- 5 - 9 all-sports members with addition of Fresno State and Nevada, and departure of TCU in 2012. 10 football-playing members with the addition of Hawaii as a football affiliate in 2012.
- 6 - 14 schools in 2012 with addition of Texas A&M and Missouri
- 7 - Only 9 schools with football programs. 11 total members with the departure of Denver in 2012. 10 football schools with the addition of South Alabama's football program in 2013
- 8 - 10 in 2012, but only 7 with football programs, after the departure of Fresno State, Nevada, and Hawaii, and the additions of Denver, Texas-Arlington, Texas-San Antonio, Texas State, and Seattle.
Division I Football Championship Subdivision
Conference Nickname Founded Full Members Sports Headquarters Map Big Sky Conference Big Sky 1963 91 14 Ogden, Utah 
Big South Conference Big South 1983 11 18 Charlotte, North Carolina 
Colonial Athletic Association CAA 1983 122 25 Richmond, Virginia 
Division I FCS Independents 4 1 
Great West Conference Great West 2004 73 16 Elmhurst, Illinois 
Ivy League Ivy League 1954 8 33 Princeton, New Jersey 
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference MEAC 1970 13 15 Virginia Beach, Virginia 
Missouri Valley Football Conference MVFC 1985 94 1 St. Louis, Missouri 
Northeast Conference NEC 1981 125 23 Somerset, New Jersey 
Ohio Valley Conference OVC 1948 116 19 Brentwood, Tennessee 
Patriot League Patriot 1986 8 21 Center Valley, Pennsylvania 
Pioneer Football League PFL 1991 107 1 St. Louis, Missouri 
Southern Conference SoCon 1921 12 19 Spartanburg, South Carolina 
Southland Conference Southland 1963 128 16 Frisco, Texas 
Southwestern Athletic Conference SWAC 1920 10 18 Birmingham, Alabama 
- Notes:
- 1 - 11 full members in 2012 with addition of North Dakota and Southern Utah, 13 football members with addition of affiliates Cal Poly and UC Davis in 2012
- 2 - 12 full members, 11 football members; 11 football members in 2012 with departure of Massachusetts and addition of Georgia State; 10 football members in 2013 with departure of Rhode Island
- 3 - will cease sponsoring football in 2012 with loss of Cal Poly, North Dakota, South Dakota, Southern Utah, and UC Davis
- 4 - 10 members in 2012 with addition of South Dakota
- 5 - 12 full members, 9 football members. 10 football members in 2013 with addition of Rhode Island
- 6 - 11 full members, 9 football members. 12 full members in 2012 with addition of Belmont, which has no football program and no intent to start one
- 7 - 12 members in 2013 with addition of Mercer and Stetson, both of which are reviving their football programs
- 8 - 10 members in 2012 with departure of Texas-Arlington, Texas-San Antonio, Texas State and addition of Oral Roberts.
Non-football, multi-sport conferences
Conference Nickname Founded Members Sports Headquarters Map America East Conference America East 1979 9 19 Boston, Massachusetts 
Atlantic Sun Conference A-Sun 1978 101 17 Macon, Georgia 
Atlantic 10 Conference A-10 1975 14 21 Newport News, Virginia 
Big West Conference Big West / BWC 1969 92 20 Irvine, California 
Horizon League Horizon 1979 10 19 Indianapolis, Indiana 
Independents 3 
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference MAAC 1980 10 24 Edison, New Jersey 
Missouri Valley Conference MVC / Valley 1907 10 19 St. Louis, Missouri 
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation MPSF 1992 38 11 Woodland, California 
The Summit League The Summit 1982 103 19 Elmhurst, Illinois 
West Coast Conference WCC 1952 9 13 San Bruno, California 
- Notes:
- 1 - 9 members in 2012 with loss of Belmont
- 2 - 10 members in 2012 with addition of Hawaii
- 3 - 9 members in 2012 with losses of Southern Utah and Oral Roberts, and addition of Nebraska-Omaha
Ice hockey conferences
Conference Nickname Founded Members (Men/Women) Headquarters Map Atlantic Hockey Atlantic Hockey 1997 12 (12/none) Haverhill, Massachusetts 
Central Collegiate Hockey Association CCHA 1972 11 (11/none) Farmington Hills, Michigan 
College Hockey America CHA 2000 4 (none/4) Detroit, Michigan 
ECAC Hockey ECAC 1962 12 (12/12) Albany, New York 
Hockey East Hockey East 1984 11 (10/8) Wakefield, Massachusetts 
Western Collegiate Hockey Association WCHA 1951 13 (12/8) Denver, Colorado 
Independents 3 (1/2) 
Future ice hockey conference
Conference Nickname Founded Members (Men/Women) Headquarters Map National Collegiate Hockey Conference NCHC 2011 8 (8/none)1 Colorado Springs, Colorado 
- 1 - Members begin play in 2013: Colorado College, Denver, Miami (Ohio), Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, St. Cloud State, and Western Michigan
Other single-sport conferences
Division II
- Notes:
- 1 - 10 members in 2012 with addition of Southern Nazarene, 11 members in 2013 with addition of Northwestern Oklahoma State
- 2 - 16 members in 2012 with addition of Malone and Walsh
- 3 - 16 members in 2012 with addition of McKendree and loss of Kentucky Wesleyan
- 4 - 11 members in 2012 with addition of New Orleans, Shorter, and Union
- 5 - 15 members in 2012 with addition of Lindenwood, Nebraska-Kearney, Central Oklahoma, and Northeastern Oklahoma State, and loss of Nebraska-Omaha
- 6 - 16 members in 2012 with addition of Minot State and Sioux Falls
- 7 - 13 members in 2012 with addition of Azusa Pacific, Fresno Pacific, and Point Loma Nazarene
- 8 - 14 members in 2012 with loss of Nebraska-Kearney and addition of Black Hills State
Division III
- Notes:
- 1 - 5 members in 2012 with the departure of Birmingham–Southern, Centre, Hendrix, Millsaps, Oglethorpe, Rhodes, and Sewanee to form a new D-III conference tentatively known as the Southern Athletic Association
Defunct NCAA conferences
Conference Division Founded Folded Fate American South Conference Division I 1991 absorbed by Sun Belt Conference Atlantic Central Football Conference Division III 1997 2010 disbanded Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference Division III 1995 2007 disbanded Big Eight Conference Division I 1928 1996 previously known as Big Six and Big Seven, joined with four former Southwest Conference schools to create the Big 12 Conference Border Conference University Division 1931 1962 members split between the newly-formed WAC and independent status Dixie Conference * 1930 1942 disbanded Dixie Conference * 1948 1954 disbanded East Coast Conference Division I 1958 1994 absorbed by Mid-Continent Conference Great Midwest Conference Division I 1991 1995 merged with Metro Conference to form Conference USA Great Western Lacrosse League Division I 1993 2010 members joined the ECAC Lacrosse League Gulf Coast Conference College Division 1949 1957 disbanded Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference University Division 1908 1970 previously known as Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, disbanded Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest * 1892 1893 disbanded, precursor to the Big Ten Conference Lake Michigan Conference Division III 1974 2007 merged with the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference to form the Northern Athletics Conference Metro Conference Division I 1975 1995 merged with Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA Mountain States Conference aka (Skyline Conference) University Division 1938 1962 disbanded, members split between the newly-formed WAC and independent status New England Conference * 1938 1947 Disbanded; all members joined with other schools to form the Yankee Conference under a new charter. Effectively the earliest ancestor of today's Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) football conference. North Central Conference Division II 1922 2008 disbanded Northern California Athletic Conference Division II 1925 1996 Football-only conference, dissolved when most members decided to drop football Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference Division III ? 2007 merged with the Lake Michigan Conference to form the Northern Athletics Conference Pacific Coast Conference Division I 1915 1959 forerunner to Pac-12, disbanded due to scandal and infighting Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association * 1894 1941 disbanded with the onset of World War II Southwest Conference Division I 1914 1996 disbanded, members split into the Big 12, WAC, and C-USA Yankee Conference Division I 1947 1997 Football-only conference from 1975 until its absorption by the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1997. Also an effective ancestor of today's CAA football conference. - * - Operated before the NCAA split into divisions in 1955.
See also
- List of college athletic conferences
- List of schools reclassifying their athletic programs to NCAA Division I
National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Awards • Hall of Champions • Conferences
Division I sports
and championshipsInstitutions • Athletic Directors • Baseball (Championship, CWS) • Basketball (Men, Women) • Women's Bowling • Boxing • Cross Country (Men, Women) • Fencing (Championship) • Women's Field Hockey • Football (FBS / BCS, FCS) • Golf (Men, Women) • Gymnastics (Men, Women) • Ice Hockey (Men, Women) • Lacrosse (Men, Women) • Rifle • Rowing (Women's Championship) • Skiing • Soccer (Men, Women) • Softball (Championship, CWS) • Swimming & Diving (Men, Women) • Tennis (Men, Women) • Track & Field (Men's Indoor & Outdoor, Women's Indoor & Outdoor) • Volleyball (Men, Women) • Water Polo (Men, Women) • Wrestling (Championship)
Division II Institutions • Baseball (CWS) • Basketball (Men, Women) • Football (Championship) • Soccer (Men) • Softball (CWS)
Division III Institutions • Baseball (CWS) • Basketball (Men, Women) • Football (Championship) • Soccer (Men) • Softball (CWS)
Categories:- NCAA conferences
- College sports in the United States lists
- Notes:
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