The Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC or The Heart) is a

college athletic conference 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 ...

affiliated with the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA). Member institutions are located in

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, and

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

in the United States.

History

The HAAC's earliest ancestor was the

Missouri College Athletic Union The Missouri College Athletic Union (MCAU) was an intercollegiate athletic conference that existed from 1924 to 1971. It consisted primarily of private universities from the state of Missouri that departed the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Ass ...

(MCAU), which was formed in 1924 when the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association (now the

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Its fourteen me ...

or MIAA) split in two. The old MIAA's private schools formed the

Athletic Union An athletic union or athletics union (AU) usually refers to the group of student sports clubs within a university or other institute of higher education, in the United Kingdom. General information Sports clubs affiliate to their athletic union f ...

, 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 Grand View University is a private liberal arts university in Des Moines, Iowa. Founded in 1896 and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the university enrolls approximately 2,000 students and is accredited by the Highe ...

and

William Penn University William Penn University is a private university in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It was founded by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in 1873 as Penn College. In 1933, the name was changed to William Penn College, and finally to William P ...

were announced as members for the 2015–16 school year. In April 2015,

Clarke University Clarke University is a private Roman Catholic university in Dubuque, Iowa. The campus is on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and downtown Dubuque. Clarke offers a broad undergraduate curriculum in 19 academic departments with over 40 m ...

and

Mount Mercy University Mount Mercy University is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1928. Students take a core of liberal arts courses as a foundation for areas of study including English, fine arts, h ...

were also announced as members for the 2016–17 school year. In October 2019,

Park University Park University is a private university in Parkville, Missouri. It was founded in 1875. In the fall of 2017, Park had an enrollment of 11,457 students. History The school which was originally called Park College was founded in 1875 by John A ...

was approved for HAAC membership and joined in the 2020–21 school year. On February 10, 2022, long-serving

Evangel University Evangel University is a private Christian university and seminary in Springfield, Missouri. It is affiliated with the Assemblies of God Christian denomination, which is also headquartered in Springfield. The campus sits on that were originally ...

accepted its invitation to join the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, also Kansas-based, in 2023–24. 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 (HAAC) was founded. Charter members included

Baker University Baker University is a private university in Baldwin City, Kansas. Founded in 1858, it was the first four-year university in Kansas and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Baker University is made up of four schools. The College of Ar ...

, Central Methodist College (now Central Methodist University), the College of Emporia,

Graceland College Graceland University is a private university with campuses in Lamoni, Iowa, and Independence, Missouri. The university offers degree completion and master's degree programs at satellite campuses in Centerville and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Trento ...

(now Graceland University),

Missouri Valley College Missouri Valley College is a private college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Marshall, Missouri. The college was founded in 1889 and supports 40 academic majors and an enrollment close to 1,500 students. Mis ...

, Ottawa University,

Tarkio College Tarkio College was a college that operated in Tarkio, Missouri, from 1883 to 1992. The institution was supported by the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, followed by the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was closed after ...

and

William Jewell College William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri. It was founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention and endowed with $10,000 by William Jewell. It was associated with the Missouri Baptist Conventi ...

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 Culver–Stockton College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Canton, Missouri. It was founded as Christian University in 1853 as the first institution west of the Mississippi River chartered specifically for men and women. As of fal ...

and

Mid-America Nazarene College MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) is a private Nazarene (evangelical Christian) university in Olathe, Kansas in the Kansas City metropolitan area. It was established in 1966. History Mid-America Nazarene College (MANC) was founded in 1966 ...

(now MidAmerica Nazarene University) joined the HAAC in the 1980-81 academic year. * 1982 - Ottawa left the HAAC to re-join the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) 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 Evangel University is a private Christian university and seminary in Springfield, Missouri. It is affiliated with the Assemblies of God Christian denomination, which is also headquartered in Springfield. The campus sits on that were originally ...

(now Evangel University) joined the HAAC in the 1987-88 academic year. * 1991 -

Benedictine College Benedictine College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Atchison, Kansas, United States. It was established in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College (founded 1858) for men and Mount St. Scholastica College (founded 1923) for ...

joined the HAAC (with Central Methodist re-joining), both effective in the 1991-92 academic year. * 1996 -

Lindenwood College Lindenwood University is a private university in St. Charles, Missouri. Founded in 1827 by George Champlin Sibley and Mary Easton Sibley as The Lindenwood School for Girls, it is the second-oldest higher-education institution west of the M ...

(now Lindenwood University) joined the HAAC in the 1996-97 academic year. * 2000 -

Avila College , motto_translation = Daughters of the Church , established = 1965 , type = Independent, single-sex, day school , denomination = Roman Catholic , slogan = , principal = Michelle Cotter , city = Mount Waverley , st ...

(now Avila University) 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 The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

(NCAA): Lindenwood as an NCAA D-II Independent (which would later join the

(MIAA) in the 2012-13 academic year), and William Jewell to the

Great Lakes Valley Conference The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Its thirteen member institutions are located in the U.S. states of Illinois ...

(GLVC), both effective after the 2010-11 academic year. * 2011 -

Peru State College Peru State College is a public college in Peru, Nebraska. Founded by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1865, making it the first and oldest institution of higher education in Nebraska, it underwent several name changes before receiving ...

joined the HAAC in the 2011-12 academic year. * 2015 -

and

(both coming from the defunct

Midwest Collegiate Conference The Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) was a college athletic conference, consisting of colleges and universities located in Iowa and Wisconsin. Founded in 1988, the conference's member schools competed on the NAIA level in 15 different sports. ...

(MCC)) joined the HAAC in the 2015-16 academic year. * 2016 -

and

(also both coming from the defunct Midwest Collegiate (MCC) after spending a season as NAIA Independents) joined the HAAC in the 2016-17 academic year. * 2017 -

Dickinson State University Dickinson State University (DSU) is a public university in Dickinson, North Dakota. It is part of the North Dakota University System. It was founded in 1918 as Dickinson State Normal School and granted full university status in 1987. History D ...

joined the HAAC as an affiliate member for men's wrestling, effective in the 2017-18 academic year. * 2018 - Avila left the HAAC to join the KCAC after the 2017-18 academic year. * 2020 -

joined the HAAC in the 2020-21 academic year. * 2020 - Three institutions joined the HAAC as affiliate members:

Missouri Baptist University Missouri Baptist University (MBU) is a private Southern Baptist university in Creve Coeur, Missouri. It is one of three universities of the Missouri Baptist Convention. The main campus is located on a 68-acre site near Creve Coeur and Town and C ...

and the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis (UHSP) for men's volleyball, and

Waldorf University Waldorf University is a private for-profit university in Forest City, Iowa. It was founded in 1903 and associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and its predecessors. In 2010, it was sold to Columbia Southern University and beca ...

for men's & women's wrestling, all effective in the 2020-21 academic year. * 2021 - Two institutions joined the HAAC as affiliate members:

St. Ambrose University St. Ambrose University is a private Catholic university in Davenport, Iowa. It was founded as a school of commerce for young men in 1882. History Foundation St. Ambrose was founded as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882, know ...

for only men's wrestling, and

Iowa Wesleyan University Iowa Wesleyan University is a private university in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. It is Iowa's first co-educational institution of higher learning and the oldest of its type west of the Mississippi River. The institution is affiliated with the United Me ...

for men's & women's wrestling, both effective in the 2021-22 academic year. * 2022 - Evangel announced that it will leave the HAAC after it has accepted to join the KCAC beginning the 2023-24 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

The HAAC currently has 14 full members, all but one are

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

schools: ;Notes:

Affiliate members

The HAAC currently has six affiliate members, all but one are

schools: ;Notes:

Former members

The HAAC had six former full members, all were

schools: ;Notes:

Membership timeline

DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1971 till:2027 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 PlotData = width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:Full from:1971 till:end text:

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Si ...

(1971–present) bar:2 color:Full from:1971 till:1986 text: Central Methodist (1971–1986) bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1986 till:1991 text: NAIA Ind. bar:2 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:(1991–present) bar:3 color:Full from:1971 till:1974 text: College of Emporia (1971–1974) bar:4 color:Full from:1971 till:end text:

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

(1971–present) bar:5 color:Full from:1971 till:end text: Missouri Valley (1971–present) bar:6 color:Full from:1971 till:1982 text:

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

(1971–1982) bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1982 till:end text: KCAC bar:7 color:Full from:1971 till:1992 text: Tarkio (1971–1992) bar:8 color:Full from:1971 till:2011 text: William Jewell (1971–2011) bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:end text: GLVC bar:9 color:Full from:1980 till:end text: Culver–Stockton (1980–present) bar:10 color:Full from:1980 till:end text: MidAmerica Nazarene (1980–present) bar:11 color:Full from:1987 till:2023 text:

Evangel The gospel or good news is a theological concept in several religions. In the historical Roman imperial cult and today in Christianity, the gospel is a message about salvation by a divine figure, a savior, who has brought peace or other benefit ...

(1987–2023) bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text: KCAC bar:12 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

(1991–present) bar:13 color:Full from:1996 till:2011 text: Lindenwood (1996–2011) bar:13 shift:(-20) 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 (2000–2018) 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 (2011–present) bar:16 color:Full from:2015 till:end text: Grand View (2015–present) bar:17 color:Full from:2015 till:end text:

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

(2015–present) bar:18 color:FullxF from:2016 till:2018 text:

Clarke Clarke is a surname which means "clerk". The surname is of English and Irish origin and comes from the Latin . Variants include Clerk and Clark. Clarke is also uncommonly chosen as a given name. Irish surname origin Clarke is a popular surname i ...

(2016–present) bar:18 color:Full from:2018 till:end text: bar:19 color:FullxF from:2016 till:end text: Mount Mercy (2016–present) bar:20 color:AssocOS from:2017 till:end text: Dickinson State (2017–present) bar:21 color:FullxF from:2020 till:end text:

Park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. ...

(2020–present) bar:22 shift:(-40) color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text: Missouri Baptist (2020–present) bar:23 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text: UHSP (2020–present) bar:24 color:AssocOS from:2020 till:end text: Waldorf (2020–present) bar:25 shift:(-50) color:AssocOS from:2021 till:end text: Iowa Wesleyan (2021–present) bar:26 shift:(-40) color:AssocOS from:2021 till:end text:

St. Ambrose Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promot ...

(2021–present) ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1971 TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:(0,25) tabs:(400-center) 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 (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. <#

History

Chronological timeline

Member schools

Current members

Affiliate members

Former members

Membership timeline

Sports

See also

References

External links