Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference

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The Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference (NIIC) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division III level. Member schools transitioned from the NAIA ranks during the early 1980s. The conference was formed in 1969 (1969). Member institutions were located in the Midwestern United States in the states of Illinois and Iowa. After the 2005–06 academic year, the NIIC merged with the Lake Michigan Conference to form a new league called the Northern Athletics Conference (now known as the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference).[1]

Member schools

Final members

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)		 Current
conference
Aurora University[a] Aurora, Illinois 1893 Nonsectarian 2,309 Spartans 1970 2006 Northern (NACC)
(2006–present)
Benedictine University[a] Lisle, Illinois 1887 Catholic
(Benedictines)		 2,740 Eagles 1969 2006 Northern (NACC)
(2006–present)
Clarke University Dubuque, Iowa 1843 Catholic
(B.V.M.)		 1,075 Crusaders[b] 1988 2006 NAIA Independent
(2006–07; 2015–16)
Midwest (MCC)
(2007–15)		 Heart of America (HAAC)[c]
(2016–present)
Concordia University Chicago[a] River Forest, Illinois 1864 Lutheran LCMS 1,361 Cougars 1969 2006 Northern (NACC)
(2006–present)
Dominican University River Forest, Illinois 1901 Catholic
(Dominican)		 1,697 Stars 1990 2005 Lake Michigan (LMC)
(2005)		 Northern (NACC)
(2006–present)
Eureka College Eureka, Illinois 1855 Disciples
of Christ		 680 Red Devils 1996 2006 St. Louis (SLIAC)
(2006–present)
Rockford University[a] Rockford, Illinois 1847 Nonsectarian 1,272 Regents 1969 2006 Northern (NACC)
(2006–present)
Notes
  1. Charter member.
  2. Clarke is now competing as the Pride since the 2017–18 school year.
  3. Currently an NAIA athletic conference.

Former members

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)		 Current
conference
George Williams College[a] Williams Bay, Wisconsin 1890 Nondenominational N/A Indians 1970 1971 N/A[b]
Judson University[a] Elgin, Illinois 1963 Evangelical
Christian		 1,231 Eagles 1973 1996 Chicagoland (CCAC)[c]
(1996–present)
Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, Illinois 1907 Nazarene 4,579 Tigers 1974 1996 Chicagoland (CCAC)[c]
(1996–present)
Trinity International University[a] Deerfield, Illinois 1897 Evangelical
Christian		 2,688 Trojans 1969 1996 Chicagoland (CCAC)[c]
(1996–2023)		 N/A[d]
Notes
  1. Charter member.
  2. George Williams closed and was merged into Aurora University in 2000.
  3. Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
  4. Trinity International closed their residential campus after 2022–2023 school year and now it only have online modalities.

References

  1. "About the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference". Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. Retrieved 2020-11-11.