Border Conference

The Border Conference, officially known as the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961–62 school year. Centered in the southwestern United States, the conference included nine member institutions located in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Association	NCAA
Founded	1931
Ceased	1962
Division	University Division
No. of teams	6 (final) 9 (total)
Region	Southwestern United States
Locations

History

Chronological timeline

• 1931 – The Border Conference (also known as the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association) was founded. Charter members included the University of Arizona, Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff (now Northern Arizona University), Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe (now Arizona State University), the University of New Mexico and New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (now New Mexico State University), beginning the 1931–32 academic year.
• 1932 – Texas Technological College (now Texas Tech University) joined the Border in the 1932–33 academic year.
• 1935 – The College of Mines and Metallurgy of the University of Texas (now the University of Texas at El Paso) joined the Border in the 1935–36 academic year.
• 1941 – Hardin–Simmons University and West Texas State Teachers College (now West Texas A&M University) joined the Border in the 1941–42 academic year.
• 1952 – New Mexico left the Border to join the Skyline Conference (a.k.a. the Mountain States Conference) after the 1951–52 academic year.
• 1953 – Northern Arizona left the Border to join the New Mexico Conference after the 1952–53 academic year.
• 1957 – Texas Tech left the Border to join the Southwest Conference after the 1956–57 academic year.
• 1957 - Border Conference considers expanding into California with Fresno State, University of the Pacific, San Diego State University, and San Jose State University considered.
• 1959 - Border Conference considers expanding by adding Abilene Christian University and Trinity University.
• 1960 - Border Conference considers expanding again by adding Abilene Christian University, University of New Mexico, University of North Texas, Trinity University, University of Tulsa, and Wichita State University.
• 1962 – The Border ceased operations as an athletic conference after the 1962–63 academic year; as many schools left to find new conference homes, beginning the 1963–64 academic year: Arizona and Arizona State to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC); while Hardin–Simmons, New Mexico State, UTEP and West Texas A&M began to compete as Independents.

Member schools

Border Conference Members

120km
75miles

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

   

1

Arizona

2

ASU

3

Hardin-Simmons

4

New Mexico

5

New Mexico State

6

Northern Arizona

7

Texas Tech

8

UTEP

9

West Texas A&M

Final members

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Subsequent conference(s)	Current conference(s)
University of Arizona	Tucson, Arizona	1885	Public	43,625	Wildcats	1931	1962	Western (WAC) (1962–78) Pacific-12 (Pac-12) (1978–2024)	Big 12 2024–present
Arizona State University[a]	Tempe, Arizona	1885	Public	71,946	Sun Devils	1931	1962	Western (WAC) (1962–78) Pacific-12 (Pac-12) (1978–2024)	Big 12 2024–present
Hardin–Simmons University	Abilene, Texas	1891	Baptist	2,333	Cowboys & Cowgirls	1941	1962	various[b]	American Southwest[c] (1996–present)
New Mexico State University[d]	Las Cruces, New Mexico	1888	Public	21,694	Aggies	1931	1962	various[e]	Conf. USA (C-USA) (2023–present)
University of Texas at El Paso[f]	El Paso, Texas	1914	Public	25,151	Miners	1935[g]	1962	University Division Independent (1962–67) Western (WAC) (1967–2005)	Conf. USA (C-USA) (2005–present) (Mountain West in 2026)
West Texas A&M University[h]	Canyon, Texas	1910	Public	10,169	Buffaloes	1941	1962	various[i]	Lone Star (LSC)[j] (1986–91; 1993–present)

Notes

1. Formerly known as Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe until 1958.
2. Hardin–Simmons joined the following subsequent conferences: Univ. Division Independent in 1962–63; College Division Independent from 1963–64 to 1972–73; NCAA D-III Independent from 1973–74 to 1989–90; and the Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) from 1990–91 to 1995–96.
3. Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
4. Formerly known as the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts (New Mexico A&M) until 1960.
5. New Mexico State joined the following subsequent conferences: as an NCAA University Division Independent from 1962–63 to 1969–70; the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) from 1970–71 to 1982–83; the Big West Conference from 1983–84 to 1999–2000; the Sun Belt Conference from 2000–01 to 2004–05; and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) from 2005–06 to 2022–23.
6. Formerly known as the College of Mines and Metallurgy of the University of Texas (Texas Mines), later Texas Western College until 1967.
7. The UTEP men's basketball team joined the Border a few years after it became a full member for other sports (1938–39).
8. Formerly known as West Texas State Teachers College until 1990.
9. West Texas A&M joined the following subsequent conferences: as an NCAA University Division Independent from 1962–63 to 1971–72; the Missouri Valley Conference from 1972–73 to 1985–86; and as an NCAA D-II Independent from 1991–92 to 1992–93.
10. Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.

Previous members

Institution	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Subsequent conference(s)	Current conference
Northern Arizona University[a]	Flagstaff, Arizona	1899	Public	22,791	Lumberjacks	1931[b]	1953	New Mexico/Frontier (1953–62) NAIA Independent (1962–70)	Big Sky (1970–present)
University of New Mexico	Albuquerque, New Mexico	1889	Public	25,441	Lobos	1931	1951	Skyline (1951–62) Western (WAC) (1962–99)	Mountain West (MWC) (1999–present)
Texas Tech University[c]	Lubbock, Texas	1923	Public	40,666	Red Raiders	1932	1957[d]	Southwest (SWC) (1957–96)	Big 12 (1996–present)

Notes

1. Formerly known as Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff until 1966.
2. The Northern Arizona men's basketball team joined the Border a year after it became a full member for other sports (1932–33).
3. Formerly known as Texas Technological College until 1969.
4. The Texas Tech men's basketball team competed on an Independent schedule on its final season in the Border for its transition to the Southwest Conference as a full member.

Membership timeline

Full members 
Full members (non-football) 
Independent 
Other Conference 
Other Conference 
Big 12 Conference 

Current conference affiliations of former members

The nine former football-playing members of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association are currently affiliated with the following nine conferences:

School	Current Conference	Division
Arizona	Big 12 Conference	FBS Division I
Arizona State	Big 12 Conference	FBS Division I
Hardin-Simmons	American Southwest Conference	Division III
New Mexico	Mountain West Conference	FBS Division I
New Mexico State	Conference USA	FBS Division I
Northern Arizona	Big Sky Conference	FCS Division I
Texas Tech	Big 12 Conference	FBS Division I
UTEP	Conference USA	FBS Division I
West Texas A&M	Lone Star Conference	Division II

Football champions

Main article: List of Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association football champions

Texas Tech holds the most conference championships at seven. Arizona State won six conference championships followed by Arizona (three), Hardin–Simmons (two) and both West Texas State and the Texas State School of Mines hold one each. From 1932 to 1934 and 1943 to 1945 no champion was named. There were only two seasons where the title was split and two co-champions were named; 1938, New Mexico and New Mexico A&M and in 1942 Hardin–Simmons and Texas Tech. The winner of the conference title generally received an invitation to serve as the host team for the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.^[1]

See also

• List of defunct college football conferences