Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference

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.

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 1927, seven colleges withdrew to form the Central Intercollegiate Conference.

On December 1, 1928, the Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference was formally disbanded and replaced by a new Kansas College Athletic Conference which included six 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.

1905 night game

:See 1905 Cooper vs. Fairmount football game

In the 1905 season, the Coleman Company set up temporary gas-powered lighting for a night game at Association Park in Wichita, Kansas between the of Copper College (now Sterling College) and the of Fairmount College (now Wichita State University). It was the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River. Fairmount won the game, 24–0.

1905 "experimental" game

:See 1905 Washburn vs. Fairmount football game

On December 25, 1905, Fairmount 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." 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."

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." According to Nelson, Washburn completed three passes, and Fairmount completed two.

Chronological timeline

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• 1902 – The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) was founded as the Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC). Charter members included Baker University, Bethany College, Bethel College, the College of Emporia (CoE), Cooper Memorial College (now Sterling College), Fairmount College (now Wichita State University), Friends University, Kansas Wesleyan University, Kansas State Teachers College of Emporia (now Emporia State University), Kansas State Teachers College of Hays (now Fort Hays State University), Kansas State Teachers College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University), Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University), McPherson College, Ottawa University, St. Benedict's College (now Benedictine College), St. Mary's College (now Saint Mary's Academy and College), Southwest Kansas Conference College (now Southwestern College), Washburn College (now Washburn University) as full members (with St. John's College and Kansas City University as allied members), beginning the 1902–03 academic year.
• 1913 – Kansas State left the KIAC to join the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA) after the 1912–13 academic year.
• 1923 – Nine institutions left the KIAC to join their respective new home primary conferences: The College of Emporia, Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Southwestern (Ks.), Washburn and Wichita State to form the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIC), and Kansas City U. and St. John's (Ks.) as Independents, all effective after the 1922–23 academic year.
• 1928 – Bethel (Ks.), Friends, Sterling and St. Benedict's (Ks.) left the KIAC to become Independents, effective in December 1928 (during the 1928–29 academic year).
• 1928 – The KIAC was rebranded as the Kansas College Athletic Conference (KCAC), effective in December 1928 (during the 1928–29 academic year).
• 1931 – St. Mary's (Ks.) left the KCAC as the school ceased operations after the 1930–31 academic year.
• 1933 – The College of Emporia (CoE) rejoined the KCAC in the 1933–34 academic year.
• 1939 – Bethel (Ks.) rejoined the KCAC in the 1939–40 academic year.
• 1953 – Friends rejoined the KCAC in the 1953–54 academic year.
• 1958 – Southwestern (Ks.) and Sterling rejoined the KCAC, in the 1958–59 academic year.
• 1968 – St. Mary of the Plains College and Tabor College joined the KCAC in the 1968–69 academic year.
• 1970 – The KCAC has been rebranded as the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC), beginning the 1970–71 academic year.
• 1971 – Baker, the College of Emporia (CoE) and Ottawa left the KCAC to form part of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) after the 1970–71 academic year.
• 1982 – Ottawa rejoined the KCAC in the 1982–83 academic year.
• 1992 – St. Mary's of the Plains left the KCAC as the school ceased operations after the 1991–92 academic year.
• 1999 – The Saint Mary College of Leavenworth (now the University of Saint Mary) joined the KCAC in the 1999–2000 academic year.
• 2015 – Oklahoma Wesleyan University joined the KCAC in the 2015–16 academic year.
• 2015 – Six institutions joined the KCAC as associate members, all effective in the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year):
  • St. Gregory's University for men's lacrosse
  • Midland University and Johnson & Wales University–Colorado for women's lacrosse
  • and Benedictine (formerly St. Benedict's [Ks.]), Clarke University and Missouri Valley College for men's and women's lacrosse
• 2016 – St. Gregory's (Okla.) left the KCAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse after the school suspended it during the 2016 spring season (2015–16 academic year).
• 2016 – York College (now York University) joined the KCAC (coming from the defunct Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC)) in the 2016–18 academic year.
• 2016 – St. Ambrose University joined the KCAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse in the 2017 spring season (2016–17 academic year).
• 2017 – Five institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2017–18 academic year:
  • Columbia College of Missouri for men's lacrosse
  • St. Ambrose for women's lacrosse
  • and the University of Jamestown, Midland and Missouri Valley for women's wrestling
• 2018 – Johnson & Wales–Colorado left the KCAC as an associate member for women's lacrosse after the 2018 spring season (2017–18 academic year).
• 2018 – Avila University joined the KCAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
• 2019 – Seven institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2019–20 academic year:
  • Culver–Stockton College for women's lacrosse
  • Lincoln College and Olivet Nazarene University for men's and women's swimming
  • Midland for men's lacrosse and men's and women's swimming
  • and Missouri Baptist University, Morningside College (now Morningside University) and William Penn University for men's and women's lacrosse
• 2020 – Missouri Valley left the KCAC as an associate member for women's wrestling after the 2019–20 academic year.
• 2020 – Five institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2020–21 academic year:
  • Bethel University of Indiana and Morningside for men's and women's swimming
  • Cottey College and Midland for women's flag football
  • Hastings College for women's wrestling
• 2021 – Lincoln (Ill.) left the KCAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming after the 2020–21 academic year.
• 2021 – Two institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), both effective in the 2022–23 academic year:
  • Columbia (Mo.) for eSports
  • and Jamestown for women's swimming
• 2022 – Seven institutions left the KCAC as associate members (and/or removed some single sports into their associate memberships), all effective after the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year):
  • Culver–Stockton for women's lacrosse
  • and Benedictine, Clarke, Missouri Valley, Morningside, St. Ambrose and William Penn for men's and women's lacrosse
• 2022 – Four institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2022–23 academic year:
  • the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) for women's lacrosse
  • the College of Saint Mary for women's swimming
  • Aquinas College for men's and women's swimming
  • and Doane University for women's wrestling
• 2023 – Columbia (Mo.) left the KCAC as an associate member for eSports after the 2022–23 academic year.
• 2023 – Evangel University joined the KCAC in the 2023–24 academic year.
• 2023 – Four institutions joined the KCAC as associate members (and/or added other single sports into their associate memberships), all effective in the 2023–24 academic year:
  • Dakota Wesleyan University and Morningside for women's wrestling
  • and Baker University and Graceland University for women's flag football
• 2024 – Eight institutions left the KCAC as associate members (and/or removed some single sports into their associate memberships), all effective after the 2023–24 academic year:
  • Columbia (Mo.) for men's lacrosse
  • Missouri Baptist for men's and women's lacrosse
  • the UHSP for women's lacrosse
  • Midland for men's and women's lacrosse and women's wrestling
  • and Dakota Wesleyan, Doane, Hastings and Morningside for women's wrestling, and for men's and women's lacrosse

Member schools

Current members

The KCAC currently has fourteen full members, all are private schools:

;Notes:

Associate members

The KCAC currently has ten associate members, all are private schools:

;Notes:

Former members

The KCAC had 12 former full members, all but five were private schools:

;Notes:

Former associate members

The KCAC had four 16 associate members, all were private schools:

;Notes:

Membership timeline

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bar:1 color:Full from:1902 till:1971 text:Baker (1902–1971) bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1971 till:end text:HAAC

bar:2 color:Full from:1902 till:end text:Bethany (Ks.) (1902–present)

bar:3 color:Full from:1902 till:1928 text:Bethel (Ks.) (1902–1928) bar:3 color:AssocOS from:1928 till:1929 text: bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1929 till:1939 text:Ind. bar:3 color:Full from:1939 till:end text:(1939–present)

bar:4 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:Coll. of Emporia (1902–1923) bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1933 text:Ind. bar:4 color:Full from:1933 till:1971 text:(1933–1971) bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1971 till:1974 text:HAAC

bar:5 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:Fairmount (1902–1923) bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1940 text:CIC bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:1940 till:1945 text:Ind. bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1945 till:2017 text:MVC bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:2017 till:end text:The American

bar:6 color:Full from:1902 till:1928 text:Friends (1902–1928) bar:6 color:AssocOS from:1928 till:1929 text: bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1929 till:1953 text:Ind. bar:6 color:Full from:1953 till:end text:(1953–present)

bar:7 color:Full from:1902 till:end text:Kansas Wesleyan (1902–present)

bar:8 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:KSTC–Emporia (1924–1923) bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1968 text:CIC bar:8 color:OtherC2 from:1968 till:1972 text:RMAC bar:8 shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1972 till:1976 text:GPAC bar:8 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:1976 till:1989 text:CSIC bar:8 shift:(-30) color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:1991 text:D-II Ind. bar:8 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:end text:MIAA

bar:9 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:KSTC–Fort Hays (1902–1923) bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1968 text:CIC bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:1968 till:1972 text:RMAC bar:9 shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1972 till:1976 text:GPAC bar:9 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:1976 till:1989 text:CSIC bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:2006 text:RMAC bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:2006 till:end text:MIAA

bar:10 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:KSTC–Pittsburg (1902–1923) bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1968 text:CIC bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:1968 till:1972 text:RMAC bar:10 shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1972 till:1976 text:GPAC bar:10 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:1976 till:1989 text:CSIC bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:end text:MIAA

bar:11 color:Full from:1902 till:1913 text:Kansas Agricultural (1902–1913) bar:11 shift:(80) color:OtherC1 from:1913 till:1928 text:MVC bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:1928 till:1996 text:Big 8 bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:end text:Big 12

bar:12 color:Full from:1902 till:end text:McPherson (1902–present)

bar:13 color:Full from:1902 till:1971 text:Ottawa (1902–1971) bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1971 till:1982 text:HAAC bar:13 color:Full from:1982 till:end text:(1982–present)

bar:14 color:Full from:1902 till:1928 text:St. Benedict's (Ks.) (1902–1928) bar:14 color:AssocOS from:1928 till:1929 text: bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1929 till:1937 text:Ind. bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1937 till:1962 text:CIC bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1962 till:1991 text:NAIA Ind. bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:2015 text:HAAC bar:14 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:end text:(2015–present)

bar:15 color:Full from:1902 till:1931 text:St. Mary's College (1902–1931)

bar:16 color:Full from:1902 till:1928 text:Sterling (1902–1928) bar:16 color:AssocOS from:1928 till:1929 text: bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1929 till:1958 text:Ind. bar:16 color:Full from:1958 till:end text:(1958–present)

bar:17 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:Southwestern (Ks.) (1902–1923) bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1958 text:CIC bar:17 color:Full from:1958 till:end text:(1958–present)

bar:18 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:Washburn (1902–1923) bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1933 text:CIC bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:1933 till:1940 text:Ind. bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1940 till:1968 text:CIC bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:1968 till:1972 text:RMAC bar:18 shift:(10) color:OtherC1 from:1972 till:1976 text:GPAC bar:18 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:1976 till:1989 text:CSIC bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:end text:MIAA

bar:19 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:St. John's (Ks.) (1902–1923) bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1986 text:Ind.

bar:20 color:Full from:1902 till:1923 text:Kansas City (1902–1923) bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:1923 till:1933 text:Ind.

bar:21 color:Full from:1968 till:1992 text:St. Mary of the Plains (1968–1992)

bar:22 color:Full from:1968 till:end text:Tabor (Ks.) (1968–present)

bar:23 color:Full from:1999 till:end text:Saint Mary (1999–present)

bar:24 shift:(-120) color:FullxF from:2015 till:end text:Oklahoma Wesleyan (2015–present)

bar:25 shift:(-120) color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2022 text:Benedictine (2015–2022)

bar:26 shift:(-120) color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2022 text:Clarke (2015–2022)

bar:27 shift:(-120) color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2018 text:Johnson & Wales–Colorado (2015–2018)

bar:28 shift:(-120) color:AssocOS from:2015 till:end text:Midland (2015–present)

bar:29 shift:(-120) color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2022 text:Missouri Valley (2015–2022)

bar:30 shift:(-120) color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2016 text:St. Gregory's (Okla.) (2015–2016)

bar:31 shift:(-100) color:FullxF from:2016 till:end text:York (Neb.) (2016–present)

bar:32 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2016 till:2022 text:St. Ambrose (2016–2022)

bar:33 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2023 text:Columbia (Mo.) (2017–2023)

bar:34 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2025 text:Jamestown (2017–2025)

bar:35 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2017 till:2024 text:Missouri Baptist (2017–2024)

bar:36 shift:(-100) color:Full from:2018 till:end text:Avila (2018–present)

bar:37 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2022 text:Culver–Stockton (2019–2022)

bar:38 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2021 text:Lincoln (Ill.) (2019–2021)

bar:39 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end text:Morningside (2019–present)

bar:40 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2019 till:end text:Olivet Nazarene (2019–present)

bar:41 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2019 till:2022 text:William Penn (2019–2022)

bar:42 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:Bethel (Ind.) (2020–present)

bar:43 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text:Cottey (2020–present)

bar:44 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2020 till:2024 text:Hastings (2020–2024)

bar:45 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end text:Aquinas (2022–present)

bar:46 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2022 till:2024 text:Doane (2022–2024)

bar:47 shift:(-100) color:Full from:2023 till:end text:Evangel (2023–present)

bar:48 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Baker (2023–present)

bar:49 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text:Dakota Wesleyan (2023–2024)

bar:50 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Graceland (2023–present)

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1. If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) 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

References

References

1. Evans, Harold. (August 1940). "College Football in Kansas". Kansas Historical Quarterly.
2. [http://naia.cstv.com/member-services/conferences/profiles/NAIA_ConferenceProfile_Kansas.pdf National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]{{Dead link. (August 2025)
3. "First Light (1900–1929)". [[Coleman Company]].
4. . (October 7, 1905). ["Night Football Not A Success"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wichita-beacon/187671479/). *[[The Wichita Eagle*.
5. . (October 7, 1905). ["Fairmount Won From Cooper"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wichita-eagle/187670998/). *[[The Wichita Eagle*.
6. (December 26, 1905). "Ten Yard Rule a Failure". [[New York Times]].
7. (December 26, 1905). "New Football Rules Tested". [[Los Angeles Times]].
8. Nelson, David M.. (1994). "The Anatomy of a Game: Football, the Rules, and the Men Who Made the Game". University of Delaware Press.