 | |
| Association | NCAA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Commissioner | Dr. Dick Kaiser |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | Division III |
| No. of teams | 10 (9 in 2025) |
| Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Region | Midwest and South |
| Official website | sliac.org |
| Locations | |
 | |
The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) is an NCAA Division III collegiate athletic conference in the Midwestern and Southern United States. There are 10 full member institutions as of the 2023–24 academic year.
History
Chronological timeline
Source: [1]
- September 1989: The SLIAC chartered with Blackburn, Fontbonne, Maryville, Parks, Principia, and Webster the original members.
- September 1990: The SLIAC's first year gets underway. MacMurray and Westminster join the charter members.
- February 1991: The first SLIAC men's basketball tournament is held.
- February 1995: Westminster wins the men's basketball tournament title to earn the SLIAC's first automatic bid to an NCAA Division III national championship event.
- September 1995: Greenville begins its first year as a member of the conference, bringing SLIAC membership to nine schools.
- March 1996: MacMurray wins the women's basketball tournament title to earn the conference's first automatic bid to an NCAA Division III women's national championship event.
- April 1996: Parks competes in its final conference event. Parks closed after the 1995-96 year and its academic programs were moved to the Saint Louis University campus.
- November 1996: Blackburn, MacMurray, and Westminster share the first-ever SLIAC football title.
- September 1999: The SLIAC begins its tenth year of operation.
- November 1999: The fourth and final (until 2008) conference football title is awarded (six teams needed for conference to sponsor a sport).
- September 2006: Eureka and Lincoln Christian begin play as the ninth and tenth members of the conference.
- March 2007: Huntingdon and LaGrange admitted to the SLIAC as affiliate members in the sport of football. The SLIAC announces football will return in the fall of 2008 after a nine-year hiatus.
- May 2007: William Wolper hired as the Conference's first full-time Commissioner (officially started in July).
- November 2007: With the completion of the fall season, Lincoln Christian departs the SLIAC.
- September 2008: Football begins play as the 13th conference sport after a nine-year hiatus.
- September 2008: Spalding University admitted to the SLIAC to begin play during the 2009–10 academic year.
- April 2009: The SLIAC announced it would cease its sponsorship of football; five football-playing schools join the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) as associate members for the sport. Huntingdon and LaGrange end football affiliation with the conference. [2]
- June 2010: University of Dallas admitted to the SLIAC as an affiliate member in the sports of men's golf, men's and women's cross country.
- September 2010: University of Dallas is accepted as a full member into the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) and drops its affiliate membership with the SLIAC after the spring men's golf season.
- December 2011: Iowa Wesleyan College admitted to the SLIAC as a full member to begin play during the 2013–14 academic year.
- March 2020: MacMurray College announced it would close in May 2020 due to financial struggles.
- June 2020: Iowa Wesleyan announced that it would leave the NCAA and return to the NAIA after the 2020–21 academic year. [3]
- June 2021: Mississippi University for Women admitted to the SLIAC as a full member beginning the 2023–24 academic year. [4]
- August 2022: Lyon College admitted to the SLIAC as a full member beginning the 2023–24 academic year. [5]
- March 2024: Fontbonne University announced its closure in 2025.
Member schools
Current members
The SLIAC currently has ten full members; nine are private schools and one is public:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Varsity teams |
Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn College | Carlinville, Illinois | 1837 |
Presbyterian (PCUSA) |
382 | Beavers | 12 | 1989 [a] |
| Eureka College | Eureka, Illinois | 1855 | Disciples of Christ | 559 | Red Devils | 16 | 2006 |
| Fontbonne University | Clayton, Missouri | 1923 |
Catholic ( C.S.J.) |
944 | Griffins | 10 | 1989 [a] |
| Greenville University | Greenville, Illinois | 1892 | Free Methodist | 1,088 | Panthers | 14 | 1995 |
| Lyon College | Batesville, Arkansas | 1872 |
Presbyterian (PCUSA) |
496 | Scots | 21 | 2023 |
| Mississippi University for Women | Columbus, Mississippi | 1884 | Public | 2,339 | Owls | 17 | 2023 |
| Principia College | Elsah, Illinois | 1912 | Scientist | 323 | Panthers | 12 | 1989 [a] |
| Spalding University | Louisville, Kentucky | 1814 | Catholic ( S.C.N.) |
1,692 | Golden Eagles | 11 | 2009 |
| Webster University | Webster Groves, Missouri | 1915 | Catholic ( Sisters of Loretto) |
5,000 | Gorloks | 11 | 1989 [a] |
| Westminster College | Fulton, Missouri | 1851 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) |
610 | Blue Jays | 8 | 1990 |
- Notes
Former members
The SLIAC had five former full members, all were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Varsity teams |
Joined | Left | Current conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Wesleyan University | Mount Pleasant, Iowa | 1842 | United Methodist | 571 | Tigers | 12 | 2013 | 2021 | Closed in 2023 |
| Lincoln Christian University | Lincoln, Illinois | 1944 |
Christian Churches and Churches of Christ |
1,000 | Red Lions [a] | 10 | 2006 | 2008 [b] | Closed in 2024 |
| MacMurray College | Jacksonville, Illinois | 1846 | United Methodist | 683 | Highlanders | 10 | 1990 | 2020 | Closed in 2020 |
| Maryville University | Town and Country, Missouri | 1872 |
Catholic ( R.S.C.J.) |
2,500 | Saints | 14 | 1989 [c] | 2009 |
Great Lakes Valley (GLVC) ( NCAA D-II) |
| Parks College | Cahokia, Illinois [d] | 1927 | Catholic ( Jesuit) |
N/A | Falcons | N/A | 1989 [c] | 1996 | N/A [e] |
- Notes
- ^ Lincoln Christian's former athletic nickname were the Preachers (men's) and the Angels (women's).
- ^ Lincoln Christian left the SLIAC after the end of the 2007 fall season without completing the rest of the 2007–08 school year.
- ^ a b Charter member. But SLIAC competition for all sports began effective in the 1990–91 school year.
- ^ Parks College's academic programs were moved to Saint Louis University main campus in August 1996.
- ^ Parks discontinued its athletics program after the 1995–96 school year.
Former associate members
The SLIAC had three former associate members, all were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Primary conference |
SLIAC sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Dallas | Irving, Texas | 1956 | Catholic | 3,500 | Crusaders | 2010–11m.x.c.; 2010–11w.x.c.; 2010–11m.gf. |
2011–12m.x.c., 2011–12w.x.c.; 2011–12m.gf. |
Southern (SCAC) | men's cross country; women's cross country; men's golf |
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery, Alabama | 1854 | United Methodist | 900 | Hawks | 2008–09 | 2008–09 | USA South | football |
| LaGrange College | LaGrange, Georgia | 1831 | 1137 | Panthers |
Membership timeline
References
- ^ "Key Dates In SLIAC History". SLIAC. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ^ "SLIAC drops sponsorship of football". LaGrange Football. April 16, 2009. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
- ^ "IW Tiger Athletics Update" (Press release). Iowa Wesleyan Tigers. June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
- ^ "SLIAC Accepts MUW as Member" (Press release). Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ "Lyon Accepted to Join SLIAC" (Press release). Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.