List of college athletic conferences in the United States


In college athletics in the United States, institutions typically join in conferences for regular play under different governing bodies.

Varsity sports

There are several national and regional associations governing the varsity teams of colleges and universities. Varsity teams are typically funded by an institution's athletic department, and under some governing bodies players are eligible for athletic scholarships.

[National Collegiate Athletic Association] (NCAA)

Division I">NCAA Division I">Division I

;Multi-sport conferences
;Football-only conferences
;Ice hockey conferences
;Other single-sport conferences
This list also includes conferences in sports that the NCAA does not split into divisions.

Division II">NCAA Division II">Division II

;Single-sport conferences

Division III">NCAA Division III">Division III

;Single-sport conferences

[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics] (NAIA)

;Football-only conference

[United States Collegiate Athletic Association] (USCAA)

[National Christian College Athletic Association] (NCCAA)

  • Central Region
  • Mid-East Region
  • Mid-West Region
  • North Region
  • North Central Region
  • South Region
  • Southwest Region
  • West Region

[Association of Christian College Athletics] (ACCA)

[National Junior College Athletic Association] (NJCAA)

[California Community College Athletic Association] (CCCAA)

[Northwest Athletic Conference] (NWAC)

  • Northern Region
  • Southern Region
  • Eastern Region
  • Western Region

Independent conferences

Other collegiate sports associations

Boxing

Cycling

  • ACCC: Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • RMCCC: Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • ECCC: Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • SCCCC: South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • MWCCC: Midwestern Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • SECCC: Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • NCCCC: North Central Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • SWCCC: Southwestern Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • NWCCC: Northwestern Collegiate Cycling Conference
  • WCCC: Western Collegiate Cycling Conference

Fencing

  • Baltimore-Washington Collegiate Fencing Conference
  • Northern California Intercollegiate Fencing League
  • Southern Atlantic Conference
  • Southwestern Intercollegiate Fencing Association

Gymnastics

Rowing

Sprint football

Volleyball

Water polo

Wrestling

  • National Collegiate Wrestling Association
  • *Mid-Atlantic – Teams from Tennessee, the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware
  • *North Central – Teams from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin
  • *Northeast – Teams from New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont
  • *Northwest – Teams from Washington and British Columbia
  • *Southeast – Teams from Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi
  • *Southwest – Teams from Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Kansas
  • *West – Teams from California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona

List of oldest college sports conferences

The following table is a sortable listing of the oldest college sports conferences in the United States of America. This includes U.S. collegiate sports organizations of NCAA Divisions I, II, and III; as well as various sports including Rowing, Cricket, Basketball, Hockey, Wrestling, Football, Basketball, Track, and more.
ConferenceAliasFoundedDefunctTypePredecessorSuccessor
Rowing Association of American CollegesRAAC18701894RowingIntercollegiate Rowing Association
Intercollegiate Rowing AssociationIRA1895RowingRowing Association of American Colleges
Intercollegiate Cricket AssociationICA18811924Cricket
Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball LeagueIvy League19011955BasketballIvy League
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling AssociationEIWA1903Wrestling
Ivy LeagueIvies1954NCAARowing Association of American Colleges, Intercollegiate Cricket Association, Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League, Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association
Big Ten ConferenceB1G1896NCAAIntercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, Western Conference, Big Nine, does not retain legacy of Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the Northwest
Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the NorthwestIAAN18921893Football, Baseball, TrackBig Ten Conference
Southwest ConferenceSWC19141996NCAASouthwest Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceBig 12 Conference, Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA
Big 12 ConferenceBig 121994*NCAASouthwest Conference, Big Eight Conference, but does not retain legacy of either*
Pac-12 ConferencePac-121915NCAAPacific Coast Conference, Athletic Association of Western Universities, Pacific-8, Pacific-10
Missouri Valley ConferenceMVC / Valley1907NCAAShares founding members with Big Eight Conference
Big Eight ConferenceBig 819071996NCAAMissouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Big Six Conference, Big Seven Conference, Big Eight ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Border Conference19311962NCAABorder Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationWestern Athletic Conference, Pac-12 Conference, Big 12 Conference
Skyline ConferenceSkyline Eight19381962NCAAMountain States Athletic Conference, Big Seven, Skyline SixWestern Athletic Conference, Mountain West
Western Athletic ConferenceWAC1962NCAABorder Conference, Skyline Conference, Pac-12 ConferencePac-12 Conference, Mountain West, Conference USA
Metro ConferenceMetro19751995NCAAConference USA, Big East, American Conference
American ConferenceAmerican1979NCAABig East
Big East ConferenceBig East1979NCAAAtlantic 10 ConferenceAmerican Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East Conference
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationSIAA18921947NCAASoutheastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 12 Conference, Conference USA, Ohio Valley Conference, Southern Athletic Association, and others
Southern ConferenceSoCon1921NCAASouthern Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationSoutheastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Metro Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference, Coastal Athletic Association, Conference USA
Southeastern ConferenceSEC1932NCAASouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Southern Conference, Big 12 Conference
Atlantic Coast ConferenceACC1953NCAASouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Southern Conference, Metro Conference, Big East
Mid-American ConferenceMAC1946NCAA
Southwestern Athletic ConferenceSWAC1920NCAA
Big West ConferenceBWC1968NCAAPacific Coast Athletic AssociationWestern Athletic Conference, Mountain West
West Coast ConferenceWCC1952NCAACalifornia Basketball Association, West Coast Athletic ConferenceBig West Conference, Western Athletic Conference, Mountain West
Atlantic 10 ConferenceA-101976NCAAEastern Collegiate Basketball League, Eastern Athletic Association, Eastern 8Big East, American Athletic Conference
Yankee Conference19471997NCAANew England ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference, CAA Football
Coastal Athletic Association Football ConferenceCAA Football2007NCAANew England Conference, Yankee Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference
Coastal Athletic AssociationCAA1979NCAAECAC
New England Conference19231947NCAANew England College Conference of Intercollegiate AthleticsYankee Conference
Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceIIAC19081970NCAAIllinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Western Collegiate Hockey AssociationWCHA1951HockeyMidwest Collegiate Hockey League, Western Intercollegiate Hockey League
ECAC HockeyECAC1961HockeyEastern College Athletic Conference, ECAC Hockey League
North Central ConferenceNCC19222008Division IINorthern Sun, Summit
Northern California Athletic ConferenceNCAC19251996Division IIFar Western Conference
Central Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationCIAA1912Division IIColored Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Conference CarolinasCVAC1930Division IINorth State Conference, Carolinas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference
California Collegiate Athletic AssociationCCAA1938Division II
Lone Star ConferenceLSC1931Division II
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics AssociationMIAA1912Division IIMissouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Northern Sun Intercollegiate ConferenceNSIC1932Division IINorthern Teachers Athletic Conference, State Teacher's College Conference of Minnesota, Northern Intercollegiate Conference, Northern Sun Conference
Rocky Mountain Athletic ConferenceRMAC1909Division IIColorado Faculty Athletic Conference, Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSIAC1913Division II
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceWVIAC19242013Division IIMountain East, Great Midwest
American Rivers ConferenceA-R-C1922Division IIIIowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Middle Atlantic ConferencesMAC1912Division IIIMiddle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletics Association, Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference
Midwest ConferenceMWC1921Division IIIMidwest Collegiate Athletic Conference, Midwest Athletic Conference for Women
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceMIAC1920Division III
Northwest ConferenceNWC1926Division III
Ohio Athletic ConferenceOAC1902Division III
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSCIAC1915Division III
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceWIAC1913Division IIIInter-Normal Athletic Conference of Wisconsin, Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference, Wisconsin State College Conference, Wisconsin State University Athletic Conference