Heart of America Athletic Conference
The Heart of America Athletic Conference is a List of [college athletic conferences in the United States|college athletic conference] affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Member institutions are located in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in the United States.
History
The HAAC's earliest ancestor was the Missouri College Athletic Union, which was formed in 1924 when the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association split in two. The old MIAA's private schools formed the Athletic Union, while the state teachers' colleges stayed in the MIAA. It was reorganized as the HAAC in 1971 when it began admitting schools outside Missouri. However, the HAAC does not presently claim the Athletic Union's history as its own.In early 2014, Grand View University and William Penn University were announced as members for the 2015–16 school year. In April 2015, Clarke University and Mount Mercy University were also announced as members for the 2016–17 school year. In October 2019, Park University was approved for HAAC membership and joined in the 2020–21 school year. On February 10, 2022, long-serving Evangel University accepted its invitation to join the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, also Kansas-based, in 2023.
On July 24, 2023, William Woods University announced they would join the conference as associate members in football beginning in the 2024 fall season. The expansion made it NAIA's largest football conference with 14 teams playing in two divisions.
The current commissioner of the conference is Lori Thomas. Thomas, the first female commissioner in NAIA history, began her term in 2014, succeeding Larry Lady who retired after 22 years as commissioner.
Chronological timeline
- 1971 – The Heart of America Athletic Conference was founded. Charter members included Baker University, Central Methodist College, the College of Emporia, Graceland College, Missouri Valley College, Ottawa University, Tarkio College and William Jewell College, beginning the 1971–72 academic year.
- 1974 – The College of Emporia left the HAAC as the school announced that it would close after the 1973–74 academic year.
- 1980 – Culver–Stockton College and Nazarene University|Mid-America Nazarene College] joined the HAAC in the 1980–81 academic year.
- 1982 – Ottawa left the HAAC to rejoin the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference after the 1981–82 academic year.
- 1986 – Central Methodist left the HAAC to become an NAIA Independent after the 1985–86 academic year.
- 1987 – Evangel College joined the HAAC in the 1987–88 academic year.
- 1991 – Benedictine College joined the HAAC, both effective in the 1991–92 academic year.
- 1996 – Lindenwood College joined the HAAC in the 1996–97 academic year.
- 2000 – Avila College joined the HAAC in the 2000–01 academic year.
- 2011 – Two institutions left the HAAC and the NAIA to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, both effective after the 2010–11 academic year:
- * Lindenwood as an Division II independent schools|NCAA D-II Independent]
- * and William Jewell to the Great Lakes Valley Conference
- 2011 – Peru State College joined the HAAC in the 2011–12 academic year.
- 2015 – Grand View University and William Penn University joined the HAAC in the 2015–16 academic year.
- 2016 – Clarke University and Mount Mercy University joined the HAAC in the 2016–17 academic year.
- 2017 – Dickinson State University joined the HAAC as an affiliate member for men's wrestling in the 2017–18 academic year.
- 2018 – Avila left the HAAC to join the KCAC after the 2017–18 academic year.
- 2020 – Park University joined the HAAC in the 2020–21 academic year.
- 2020 – Three institutions joined the HAAC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2020–21 academic year:
- * Baptist University">American Baptist Churches USA">Baptist University and the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis for men's volleyball
- * and Waldorf University for men's & women's wrestling
- 2021 – Two institutions joined the HAAC as affiliate members, both effective in the 2021–22 academic year:
- * St. Ambrose University for only men's wrestling
- * and Iowa Wesleyan University for men's & women's wrestling
- 2022 – Two institutions joined the HAAC as affiliate members, both effective in the 2023 spring season :
- * Mount Vernon Nazarene University for men's lacrosse
- * and St. Ambrose for men's and women's lacrosse
- 2023 – Evangel left the HAAC to join the KCAC after the 2022–23 academic year.
- 2023 – Iowa Wesleyan left the HAAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's wrestling after the 2023–24 academic year; as the school announced that it ceased operations.
- 2023 – Two institutions added other single sports into their HAAC affiliate memberships, both effective in the 2023–24 academic year:
- * Dickinson State for women's wrestling
- * and Missouri Baptist for football
- 2024 – Two institutions left the HAAC as affiliate members, both effective after the 2023–24 academic year:
- * Mount Vernon Nazarene for men's lacrosse
- * and Waldorf for men's and women's wrestling
- 2024 – Thirteen institutions joined the HAAC as affiliate members, all effective in the 2024–25 academic year:
- * Central Christian College of Kansas, Dordt University, Kansas Wesleyan University and Morningside University for men's volleyball
- * Columbia College for men's lacrosse
- * John Brown University and Texas Wesleyan University for men's and women's tennis
- * Midland University for men's and women's lacrosse
- * Ottawa University for men's and women's lacrosse and men's volleyball
- * Missouri Baptist for men's and women's lacrosse and men's and women's tennis
- * St. Ambrose for football
- * the USHP for women's lacrosse
- * and William Woods University for football, men's lacrosse, and men's and women's tennis
- 2025 – Missouri Baptist and William Woods joined the HAAC as full members for all sports, beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
Member schools
Current members
The HAAC currently has fifteen full members, all but one are private schools. All but one of the private schools are religiously affiliated:;Notes:
Affiliate members
The HAAC currently has eleven affiliate members, all but one are private schools:;Notes:
Former members
The HAAC has seven former full members, all were private schools:;Notes:
Former affiliate members
The HAAC has four former affiliate members; which all were private schools:| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | HAAC sport | Primary conference |
| Central Christian College of Kansas | McPherson, Kansas | 1884 | Free Methodist | 455 | Tigers | 2024 | 2025 | Men's volleyball | Sooner |
| Iowa Wesleyan University | Mount Pleasant, Iowa | 1842 | United Methodist | N/A | Tigers | 2021 | 2023 | Men's wrestling | Closed in 2023 |
| Iowa Wesleyan University | Mount Pleasant, Iowa | 1842 | United Methodist | N/A | Tigers | 2021 | 2023 | Women's wrestling | Closed in 2023 |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | Mount Vernon, Ohio | 1964 | Nazarene | 1,845 | Cougars | 2022 | 2024 | Men's lacrosse | Crossroads |
| Waldorf University | Forest City, Iowa | 1903 | For-profit | 2,657 | Warriors | 2020 | 2024 | Men's wrestling | Great Plains |
| Waldorf University | Forest City, Iowa | 1903 | For-profit | 2,657 | Warriors | 2020 | 2024 | Women's wrestling | Great Plains |
;Notes:
Membership timeline
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id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference when the other color has already been used
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width:15 textcolor:black shift: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:Full from:1971 till:end text:Baker
bar:2 color:Full from:1971 till:1986 text:Central Methodist
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1986 till:1991 text:NAIA Ind.
bar:2 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:
bar:3 color:Full from:1971 till:1974 text:College of Emporia
bar:4 color:Full from:1971 till:end text:Graceland
bar:5 color:Full from:1971 till:end text:Missouri Valley
bar:6 color:Full from:1971 till:1982 text:Ottawa
bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1982 till:end text:KCAC
bar:7 color:Full from:1971 till:1992 text:Tarkio
bar:8 color:Full from:1971 till:2011 text:William Jewell
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:end text:GLVC
bar:9 color:Full from:1980 till:end text:Culver–Stockton
bar:10 color:Full from:1980 till:end text:MidAmerica Nazarene
bar:11 color:Full from:1987 till:2023 text:Evangel
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:KCAC
bar:12 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:Benedictine
bar:13 color:Full from:1996 till:2011 text:Lindenwood
bar:13 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2012 text:D-II Ind.
bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:2019 text:MIAA
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:2019 till:2022 text:GLVC
bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:OVC
bar:14 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2001 text:Avila
bar:14 color:Full from:2001 till:2018
bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:end text:KCAC
bar:15 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Peru State
bar:16 color:Full from:2015 till:end text:Grand View
bar:17 color:Full from:2015 till:end text:William Penn
bar:18 color:FullxF from:2016 till:2018 text:Clarke
bar:18 color:Full from:2018 till:end
bar:19 color:FullxF from:2016 till:2026 text:Mount Mercy
bar:19 color:Full from:2026 till:end
bar:20 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:end text:Dickinson State
bar:21 color:FullxF from:2020 till:end text:Park
bar:22 shift: color:AssocOS from:2020 till:2023 text:Missouri Baptist
bar:22 color:AssocF from:2023 till:2025
bar:22 color:Full from:2025 till:end
bar:23 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:UHSP
bar:24 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:2024 text:Waldorf
bar:25 shift: color:AssocOS from:2021 till:2023 text:Iowa Wesleyan
bar:26 shift: color:AssocOS from:2021 till:2024 text:St. Ambrose
bar:26 color:AssocF from:2024 till:end
bar:27 shift: color:AssocOS from:2022 till:2024 text:Mount Vernon Nazarene
bar:28 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:2025 text:Central Christian
bar:29 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Columbia
bar:30 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Dordt
bar:31 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:John Brown
bar:32 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Kansas Wesleyan
bar:33 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Midland
bar:34 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Morningside
bar:35 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Ottawa
bar:36 shift: color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Texas Wesleyan
bar:37 shift: color:AssocF from:2024 till:2025 text:William Woods
bar:37 color:Full from:2025 till:end
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text:^"Heart of America Athletic Conference membership history"
- > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space.
Sports
The conference also sponsors co-ed varsity sports of dance and cheer.| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Baseball | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Bowling | ||
| Cross Country | ||
| Football | ||
| Golf | ||
| Lacrosse | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Softball | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Track & Field Indoor | ||
| Track & Field Outdoor | ||
| Volleyball | ||
| Wrestling |