Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

History

Founded in 1909, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is the fifth oldest active college athletic conference in the United States, the oldest in NCAA Division II, and the sixth to be founded after the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Big Ten Conference, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Ohio Athletic Conference, and the Missouri Valley Conference. For its first 30 years, the RMAC was considered a major conference, equivalent to today's NCAA Division I, before seven of its larger members left in 1938 to form the Mountain States Conference, also called the Skyline Conference.

The original name of Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference was changed to Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference (RMFAC) on May 7, 1910. The presidents assumed control of the league from the faculty in 1967 and changed the name to Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Colorado Athletic Conference dissolved in 1996, with the RMAC absorbing the remaining CAC teams. The RMAC became an NCAA member in 1992 after competing in the NAIA through 1991.

Chronological timeline

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• 1909: On 6 March 1909, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMFC) was founded as the Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference (CFAC). Charter members included the University of Colorado, Colorado Agricultural College (now Colorado State University), Colorado College and the Colorado School of Mines, beginning the
• 1910:
  • The CFAC was rebranded as the Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference (RMFAC).
  • Colorado College dropped out after a falling out with Colorado Mines.
  • The University of Denver and the University of Utah joined the RMFAC. Membership was at five schools.
• 1914: The Agricultural College of Utah (now Utah State University) joined the RMFAC, with Colorado College rejoining. Membership was brought up to seven schools.
• 1917: The Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now Montana State University) joined the RMFAC as the eighth member.
• 1918: Brigham Young University (BYU) joined the RMFAC as the ninth member.
• 1921: The University of Wyoming joined the RMFAC. Membership was brought up to ten schools.
• 1924: Western State College of Colorado (now Western Colorado University) and the State Normal School of Colorado (now the University of Northern Colorado) joined the RMFAC. Membership was brought up to 12 schools.
• 1937: Colorado, Colorado State, Brigham Young, Utah, Utah State, Wyoming and Denver left the RMFAC to form the Skyline Conference (also known as the Mountain States Conference). The five remaining members of the RMFAC were Colorado College, Colorado Mines, Montana State, Northern Colorado and Western State.
• 1948: Idaho State College (now Idaho State University) joined the RMFAC as the sixth member.
• 1956: Adams State College (now Adams State University) joined the RMFAC as the seventh member.
• 1958: Idaho State left the RMFAC. Membership was brought back down to six.
• 1959: Montana State left the RMFAC. Membership was brought back down to five.
• 1967:
  • The RMFAC was rebranded as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).
  • Colorado College left the RMAC. Membership was brought back down to five.
  • Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia (now Emporia State University, Fort Hays State College (now Fort Hays State University), Fort Lewis College, the University of Omaha (now the University of Nebraska at Omaha, but athletically branded as "Omaha"), Kansas State College at Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University), Southern Colorado State College (now Colorado State University Pueblo), the College of Southern Utah (now Southern Utah University), Regis College (now Regis University), Washburn University, Western New Mexico University and Westminster College of Utah (now Westminster University) joined the RMFAC. Membership was brought up to fifteen schools.
  • The new league was divided into two divisions: Mountains (consisting of Adams State, Colorado Mines, Fort Lewis, Regis, Southern Utah State, Western New Mexico, Western State and Westminster) and Plains (consisting of Fort Hays State, Emporia State, Pittsburg State, Nebraska-Omaha, Northern Colorado, Southern Colorado and Washburn).
• 1968: New Mexico Highlands University joined the RMAC as its 16th member.
• 1969: New Mexico Highlands left the RMAC due to financial aid restrictions. Membership was brought back down to 15.
• 1972: For economic reasons, the two divisions were split into two separate conferences. The Mountain Division kept the RMAC name while the Plains Division became known as the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The two allied conferences worked under the name of the Mountain and Plains Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MPIAA). RMAC membership stood at eight with Adams State, Colorado Mines, Fort Lewis, Regis, Southern Utah State, Western New Mexico, Western State and Westminster (Utah.). Northern Colorado ended up leaving the association to become independent (who would later join the GPAC back).
• 1974: New Mexico Highlands rejoined the RMAC as the ninth member.
• 1975: Mesa College (now Colorado Mesa University) joined the RMAC as its tenth member.
• 1976:
  • The MPIAA was dissolved for economic reasons, and the two conferences went their separate ways.
  • Colorado State–Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) joined the RMAC as its 11th member, coming from the GPAC.
• 1978: The RMAC began sponsoring women's championships.
• 1979: Westminster left the RMAC when the school dropped its athletics program as a result. Membership was brought back down to ten members.
• 1983: Regis left the RMAC to become an Independent. Membership was brought back down to nine members.
• 1986: Southern Utah left the RMAC. Membership was brought back down to eight members.
• 1988: New Mexico Highlands left the RMAC. Membership was brought back down to seven members.
• 1989: Chadron State College, Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska at Kearney), and Wayne State College joined the RMAC (with Fort Hays State rejoining). Membership was brought up to 11 members. All of them were with provisional member status.
• 1990:
  • Colorado State–Pueblo, Fort Lewis, Nebraska–Kearney, Wayne State and Western New Mexico left the RMAC. Membership was brought back down to six members. Reasons: Wayne State and Nebraska–Kearney did it after staying for one season; Western New Mexico and Colorado State–Pueblo would later decide to follow suit; and Fort Lewis did the same, while it stayed on as an associate member of the conference for football, softball and wrestling.
  • New Mexico Highlands rejoined the RMAC again. Membership was brought back down to seven members.
• 1992: The RMAC became affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II ranks, after spending years in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
• 1994: Fort Lewis and Nebraska–Kearney both rejoined the RMAC as full members. Membership was brought back down to nine members.
• 1996:
  • Colorado Christian University and Metropolitan State College of Denver (now athletically branded as MSU Denver) joined the RMAC for the first time, and Colorado State–Pueblo and Regis rejoined the conference.
  • Also, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (now athletically branded as UCCS) and the University of Denver joined the RMAC as an affiliate and associate members, respectively. The RMAC, at that time comprising 13 member schools.
• 1997:
  • Denver left to move up to the Division I ranks.
  • Colorado–Colorado Springs (UCCS) upgraded for all sports. Membership was brought up to 14 members, thus it was split into two seven-team divisions.
  • San Francisco State University joined the RMAC as an associate member for wrestling only.
• 2006:
  • Fort Hays State left the RMAC to join the MIAA; although it did remain in the RMAC as an associate member for wrestling.
  • Western New Mexico rejoined the RMAC. Membership was kept at 14 members.
• 2007:
  • Grand Canyon University joined the RMAC as an associate member only for wrestling.
  • Montana State University Billings joined the RMAC as an associate member for women's golf and men's and women's tennis.
• 2008:
  • The University of Texas–Permian Basin (UTPB) and the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) joined the RMAC as associate members for swimming only.
  • Grand Canyon added men's and women's swimming to its RMAC associate membership.
• 2009: Northern State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead joined the RMAC as associate members for swimming.
• 2012:
  • Nebraska–Kearney left the RMAC to join the MIAA.
  • Black Hills State University joined the RMAC. Membership was kept at 14 members.
  • Fort Hays State left the RMAC as an associate member for wrestling; once its primary home conference (the MIAA) began sponsoring that sport.
  • Minnesota State–Moorhead and Northern State left the RMAC as associate members for women's swimming; once their primary home conference (the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, a.k.a. the NSIC) began sponsoring the sport.
• 2013:
  • California Baptist University joined the RMAC as an associate member for three sports: men's and women's swimming, plus wrestling.
  • Two schools joined for women's lacrosse only: Lindenwood University and Rockhurst University.
  • Grand Canyon and Incarnate Word ended their RMAC associate memberships and started transitions to NCAA Division I and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) & the Southland Conference (SLC), respectively.
  • UT Permian Basin moved its swimming teams to the single-sport New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference (NSISC).
• 2014: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSM&T or South Dakota Mines) joined the RMAC. Membership was brought up to 15 members.
• 2015:
  • Westminster (Utah) rejoined the RMAC. Membership was brought up to 16 members.
  • Rockhurst added men's lacrosse to its RMAC associate membership.
  • Oklahoma Baptist University joined the RMAC as an associate member for women's lacrosse, plus men's and women's swimming.
  • Montana State Billings dropped men's and women's tennis, which ended their affiliate membership.
• 2016:
  • Western New Mexico left the RMAC to join the Lone Star Conference (LSC). Membership was brought back down to 15 members.
  • Two schools joined the RMAC as associate members:
    • Dixie State University (now Utah Tech University) in football
    • and Maryville University in men's lacrosse.
• 2017:
  • Maryville left the RMAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse; once its primary home conference (the Great Lakes Valley Conference, a.k.a. the GLVC) began sponsoring the sport.
  • Oklahoma Christian University joined the RMAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming.
• 2018:
  • Dixie State upgraded for all sports. Membership was brought up to 16 members.
  • California Baptist ended its RMAC associate memberships to move to Division I; both swimming teams joined Cal Baptist's new primary home conference in the WAC, while wrestling became an independent (that sport would later be accepted by the Big 12 Conference effective in 2022).
  • Rockhurst left the RMAC as an associate member for men's lacrosse to join the school's other sports in its primary home conference (the GLVC).
  • The RMAC dropped men's tennis as a conference sport.
• 2019:
  • Lindenwood and Rockhurst left the RMAC as associate members for women's lacrosse left the RMAC to join the school's other sports in its primary home conference (the GLVC).
  • The RMAC dropped women's tennis as a conference sport.
• 2020:
  • Dixie State (Utah Tech) left the RMAC to join the NCAA Division I ranks and the WAC.
• 2022: UT Permian Basin rejoined the RMAC as an associate member for men's and women's swimming and diving.
• 2023:
  • The RMAC added women's wrestling as a conference sport, and added Simon Fraser University and Texas Woman's University as inaugural associate members for the sport. Simon Fraser also joined as an associate member for men's wrestling, as well as swimming & diving for both sexes.
  • Concordia University Irvine joined as an associate member for men's lacrosse.
• 2024:
  • Dominican University of California joined as an associate member for men's lacrosse.
  • San Francisco State left the RMAC as an associate member for men's wrestling to join the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF).
• 2025:
  • Northwest Nazarene University joined as an associate member for men's lacrosse.

Member schools

Current members

The RMAC currently has 15 full members, all but three are public schools:

;Notes:

Affiliate members

The RMAC currently has eight affiliate members; half are private schools, while the other half are public schools:

;Notes:

;Notes:

Former members

The RMAC had 21 former full members, all but three were public schools:

;Notes:

Former affiliate members

The RMAC had 11 former affiliate members, with all but four being private schools.

;Notes:

Membership timeline

A total of 54 different schools have been associated with the RMAC, either through full or associate membership. Of those schools, only Colorado Mines has been with the conference every year since it was founded in 1909.

DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1909 till:2034 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5

Colors = id:line value:black id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.7,0.9,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports id:FullxF value:rgb(0.9,0.8,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football id:AssocF value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.8,0.9,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # 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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bar:1 color:Full from:1909 till:1937 text:Colorado (1909–1937)

bar:2 color:Full from:1909 till:1910 text:Colorado College (1909–1910, 1914–1967) bar:2 color:Full from:1914 till:1967

bar:3 color:Full from:1909 till:end text:Colorado Mines (1909–present)

bar:4 color:Full from:1909 till:1937 text:Colorado State (1909–1937)

bar:5 color:Full from:1910 till:1937 text:Denver (1910–1937) bar:5 color:AssocOS from:1996 till:1997 text:(1996–1997)

bar:6 color:Full from:1910 till:1937 text:Utah (1910–1937)

bar:7 color:Full from:1910 till:1937 text:Wyoming (1910–1937)

bar:8 color:Full from:1914 till:1937 text:Utah State (1914–1937)

bar:9 color:Full from:1917 till:1959 text:Montana State (1917–1959)

bar:10 color:Full from:1922 till:1937 text:BYU (1922–1937)

bar:11 color:Full from:1923 till:1972 text:Northern Colorado (1923–1972)

bar:12 color:Full from:1925 till:end text:Western Colorado (1925–present)

bar:13 color:Full from:1948 till:1958 text:Idaho State (1948–1958)

bar:14 color:Full from:1956 till:end text:Adams State (1956–present)

bar:15 color:AssocOS from:1967 till:1968 text:Colorado State–Pueblo (1967–1972, 1976–1990, 1996–present) bar:15 color:FullxF from:1968 till:1972 text: bar:15 color:Full from:1976 till:1978 bar:15 color:FullxF from:1978 till:1979 bar:15 color:Full from:1979 till:1985 bar:15 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1990 bar:15 color:FullxF from:1996 till:2008 bar:15 color:Full from:2008 till:end

bar:16 color:Full from:1967 till:1972 text:Emporia State (1967–1972)

bar:17 color:Full from:1967 till:1972 text:Fort Hays State (1967–1972) bar:17 color:FullxF from:1989 till:1991 text:(1989–2012) bar:17 color:Full from:1991 till:2006 bar:17 color:AssocOS from:2006 till:2012

bar:18 color:Full from:1967 till:1990 text:Fort Lewis (1967–present) bar:18 color:AssocOS from:1990 till:1994 bar:18 color:Full from:1994 till:end

bar:19 color:Full from:1967 till:1972 text:Nebraska–Omaha (1967–1972)

bar:20 color:Full from:1967 till:1972 text:Pittsburg State (1967–1972)

bar:21 color:FullxF from:1967 till:1983 text:Regis (1967–1983) bar:21 color:FullxF from:1996 till:end text:(1996–present)

bar:22 color:Full from:1967 till:1986 text:Southern Utah (1967–1986)

bar:23 color:Full from:1967 till:1972 text:Washburn (1967–1972)

bar:24 color:Full from:1967 till:1984 text:Western New Mexico (1967–1990) bar:24 color:FullxF from:1984 till:1985 bar:24 color:Full from:1985 till:1990 bar:24 color:Full from:2006 till:2016 text:(2006–2016)

bar:25 color:Full from:1967 till:1979 text:Westminster (Utah) (1967–1979) bar:25 color:FullxF from:2015 till:end text:(2015–present)

bar:26 color:Full from:1968 till:1969 text:New Mexico Highlands (1968–1969, 1974–1988, 1990–present) bar:26 color:FullxF from:1974 till:1976 bar:26 color:Full from:1976 till:1988 bar:26 color:FullxF from:1990 till:1992 bar:26 color:Full from:1992 till:end

bar:27 color:Full from:1975 till:end text:Colorado Mesa (1975–present)

bar:28 color:FullxF from:1989 till:1991 text:Chadron State (1989–present) bar:28 color:Full from:1991 till:end

bar:29 color:FullxF from:1989 till:1990 text:Wayne State (1989–1990)

bar:30 color:FullxF from:1989 till:1990 text:Nebraska–Kearney (1989–1990, 1994–2012, 2014–present [aff.]) bar:30 color:FullxF from:1994 till:1996 bar:30 color:Full from:1996 till:2012 bar:30 color:AssocOS from:2014 till:end

bar:31 color:FullxF from:1996 till:end text:Colorado Christian (1996–present)

bar:32 color:FullxF from:1996 till:end text:Metro State (1996–present)

bar:33 color:AssocOS from:1996 till:1997 text:UCCS (1996–present) bar:33 color:FullxF from:1997 till:end

bar:34 color:AssocOS from:1997 till:2024 text:San Francisco State (1997–2024)

bar:35 color:AssocOS from:2007 till:2013 text:Grand Canyon (2007–2013)

bar:36 color:AssocOS from:2007 till:2015 text:Montana State–Billings (2007–2015)

bar:37 color:AssocOS from:2008 till:2013 text:Incarnate Word (2008–2013)

bar:38 color:AssocOS from:2008 till:2013 text:UTPB (2008–2013, 2022–present) bar:38 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:end

bar:39 shift:(-20) color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2012 text:Minnesota State–Moorhead (2009–2012)

bar:40 color:AssocOS from:2009 till:2012 text:Northern State (2009–2012)

bar:41 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:Black Hills State (2012–present)

bar:42 color:AssocOS from:2013 till:2018 text:California Baptist (2013–2018)

bar:43 color:AssocOS from:2013 till:2019 text:Lindenwood (2013–2019)

bar:44 color:AssocOS from:2013 till:2019 text:Rockhurst (2013–2019)

bar:45 shift:(-35) color:AssocOS from:2014 till:2015 text:South Dakota Mines (2014–present) bar:45 color:FullxF from:2015 till:2016 bar:45 color:Full from:2016 till:end

bar:46 color:AssocF from:2016 till:2018 text:Dixie State (2016–2020) bar:46 color:Full from:2018 till:2020

bar:47 color:AssocOS from:2016 till:2017 text:Maryville (2016–2017)

bar:48 shift:(-60) color:AssocOS from:2016 till:2020 text:Oklahoma Baptist (2016–2020)

bar:49 shift:(-60) color:AssocOS from:2017 till:end text:Oklahoma Christian (2017–present)

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

bar:51 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Simon Fraser (2023–present)

bar:52 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:Texas Woman's (2023–present)

bar:53 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2024 till:end text:Dominican (Cal.) (2024–present)

bar:54 shift:(-100) color:AssocOS from:2025 till:end text:Northwest Nazarene (2025–present)

bar:N color:yellow from:1909 till:1910 text: bar:N color:blue from:1910 till:1967 text:RMFAC bar:N color:yellow from:1967 till:1972 text:RMAC bar:N color:blue from:1972 till:1976 text:MPIAA bar:N shift:(15) color:yellow from:1976 till:end text:RMAC

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1910

TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:(0,20) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference membership history"

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.

Sponsored sports

Men's sponsored sports by school

Women's sponsored sports by school

Other sponsored sports by school

• ‡ — De facto D-I sport

Conference facilities

Football champions

Main article: List of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football champions

Basketball champions

Main article: RMAC Men's Basketball Shootout

References

References

1. [http://www.rmacsports.org/sports/2013/6/10/history.aspx? RMAC History]
2. [http://www.gothunderwolves.com/recruits/USC University of Southern Colorado (1975-2003)]
3. (January 20, 2014). "Western State Colorado University - SDSM&T approved as 15th member of the RMAC". Gomountaineers.com.
4. Morton, Aaron (February 11, 2014). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20140812150920/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865596191/Westminster-looks-to-make-move-to-the-NCAA-Division-II-ranks.html?pg=all Westminster looks to make move to the NCAA Division II ranks]". ''Deseret News''.
5. Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. "[http://www.rmacsports.org/news/2015/8/4/GEN_0804151023.aspx Westminster approved to become member of NCAA Division II]". August 4, 2015.
6. (November 26, 2025). "Simon Fraser University to pursue U SPORTS membership". Simon Fraser University.