Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

For other uses, see IIAC.

The Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) was a college athletic conference that existed from 1908 to 1970 in the United States.

Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Formerly	Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference	NCAA
Founded	1908
Ceased	1970
Division	College Division (Small College)
No. of teams	8 (start), 4 (final), 29 (total)
Region	Midwest

At one time the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, or IIAC, was a robust league that claimed most of the Illinois institutions of higher education. It was nicknamed the "Little Nineteen," but in 1928 had a membership of 23 schools. Former Illinois State University track coach Joseph Cogdal, associated with the IIAC for 43 years of its 62-year history, noted that the league had roots in the 1870s when a number of schools banded together for oratorical contests. Their first intercollegiate football game was played in 1881 between Illinois State University and Knox College, and by 1894 a football association was established.

History

The IIAC was formed in April 1908 with eight charter members: Illinois State Normal University (now Illinois State University), Illinois Wesleyan University, Bradley Polytechnic Institute (now Bradley University), Millikin University, Monmouth College, Knox College, Lombard College and Illinois College. The first track meet was held on May 22, 1908. The group quickly expanded. Eastern Illinois State Teachers College (now Eastern Illinois University) and Western Illinois University joined in 1912 and 1914 respectively.

In 1920, the name "Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference" was adopted, providing the initials IIAC. Conference membership reached a peak of 23 member schools in 1928, when virtually all of the small colleges in Illinois were included.

Private schools withdrew during much of the 1930s, until in 1942 only the five state schools remained: Illinois State University, Eastern Illinois University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Western Illinois University. In 1950, the league name became the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, when Central Michigan University and Eastern Michigan University brought the membership to seven. In 1961-62, Eastern Michigan University and Southern Illinois University Carbondale withdrew; Northern Illinois University followed in 1965-66. The conference disbanded at the end of the 1969–70 academic year.

Member schools

Eastern Illinois

Illinois State

Bradley

Illinois College

Illinois Wesleyan

Lombard

Knox

Millikin

Monmouth

Eureka

Hedding

Lincoln

Shurtleff

William & Vashti

Augustana

Carthage

McKendree

Southern Illinois

Blackburn

Western Illinois

St. Viator

Wheaton

Lake Forest

Northern Illinois

Mount Morris

Elmhurst

North Central

Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Members (clickable map)

Final members

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Current conference	Current association
Central Michigan University	Mount Pleasant, Michigan	1892	Public	21,705	Chippewas	1950–51	1969–70	Mid-American (MAC)	Division I
Eastern Illinois University	Charleston, Illinois	1895	Public	8,626	Panthers	1912–13	1969–70	Ohio Valley (OVC)	Division I
Illinois State University	Normal, Illinois	1857	Public	20,706	Redbirds	1908–09	1969–70	Missouri Valley (MVC)	Division I
Western Illinois University	Macomb, Illinois	1899	Public	7,624	Leathernecks	1914–15	1969–70	Ohio Valley (OVC)	Division I

Former members

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Current conference	Current association
Augustana College	Rock Island, Illinois	1860	Private	2,513	Vikings	1912–13	1936–37	Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)	Division III
Blackburn College	Carlinville, Illinois	1837	Private	590	Beavers	1914–15	1922–23	St. Louis (SLIAC)	Division III
Bradley University	Peoria, Illinois	1897	Private	5,451	Braves	1908–09	1936–37	Missouri Valley (MVC)	Division I
Carthage College	Carthage, Illinois	1847	Private	2,374	Redmen[a]	1912–13	1940–41	Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)	Division III
Eastern Michigan University	Ypsilanti, Michigan	1849	Public	18,838	Hurons[b]	1950–51	1961–62	Mid-American (MAC)	Division I
Elmhurst College[c]	Elmhurst, Illinois	1871	Private	2,748	Pirates[d]	1929–30	1940–41	Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)	Division III
Eureka College	Eureka, Illinois	1855	Private	680	Red Devils	1910–11	1941–42	St. Louis (SLIAC)	Division III
Hedding College[e]	Abingdon, Illinois	1855	Private	N/A	Orangemen	1910–11	1925–26	N/A	N/A
Illinois College	Jacksonville, Illinois	1829	Private	1,105	Blueboys & Lady Blues	1908–09	1936–37	Midwest (MWC)	Division III
Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington, Illinois	1850	Private	2,113	Titans	1908–09	1936–37	Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)	Division III
Knox College	Galesburg, Illinois	1837	Private	1,399	Prairie Fire	1908–09	1936–37	Midwest (MWC)	Division III
Lake Forest College	Lake Forest, Illinois	1857	Private	1,395	Foresters	1919–20	1936–37	Midwest (MWC)	Division III
Lincoln College[e]	Lincoln, Illinois	1865	Private	800	Lynx	1910–11	1927–28	N/A	N/A
Lombard College[e]	Galesburg, Illinois	1853	Private	N/A	Golden Tornado, Olive	1908–09	1928–29	N/A	N/A
McKendree College[f]	Lebanon, Illinois	1828	Private	1,702	Bearcats	1912–13	1937–38	Great Lakes Valley (GLVC)	Division II
Millikin University	Decatur, Illinois	1901	Private	2,118	Big Blue	1908–09	1936–37	Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)	Division III
Monmouth College	Monmouth, Illinois	1853	Private	1,300	Fighting Scots	1908–09	1936–37	Midwest (MWC)	Division III
Mount Morris College[e]	Mount Morris, Illinois	1839	Private	N/A	Mountaineers, Mounders	1922–23	1930–31	N/A	N/A
North Central College	Naperville, Illinois	1861	Private	2,490	Cardinals	1927–28	1936–37	Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)	Division III
Northern Illinois University	DeKalb, Illinois	1895	Public	17,169	Huskies	1920–21	1965–66	Mid-American (MAC)	Division I
Shurtleff College[e]	Alton, Illinois	1827	Private	N/A	Pioneers, Bison	1910–11	1936–37	N/A	N/A
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	Carbondale, Illinois	1869	Public	11,695	Maroons, Salukis	1913–14	1961–62	Missouri Valley (MVC)	Division I
St. Viator College[e]	Bourbonnais, Illinois	1865	Private	N/A	Irish, Green	1916–17	1937–38	N/A	N/A
Wheaton College	Wheaton, Illinois	1860	Private	2,282	Crusaders[g]	1919–20	1936–37	Illinois–Wisconsin (CCIW)	Division III
William & Vashti College[e]	Aledo, Illinois	1908	Private	N/A	unknown	1910–11	1916–17	N/A	N/A

Notes

1. Carthage changed its nickname from Redmen to Firebirds in 2021.
2. Eastern Michigan changed its nickname from Hurons to Eagles in 1991.
3. Currently known as Elmhurst University since 2020.
4. Elmhurst changed its nickname from Pirates to Bluejays in 2000.
5. Defunct institution.
6. Currently known as McKendree University since 2007.
7. Wheaton changed its nickname from Crusaders to Thunder in 2000.

Membership timeline

Football champions

Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

1910 – Illinois Wesleyan[1] 1911 – Millikin 1912 – Eastern Illinois, Carthage, and William & Vashti 1913 – Eastern Illinois and William & Vashti 1914 – Eastern Illinois[2] 1915 – Illinois College 1916 – Millikin 1917 – Lombard (IL) 1918 – No champion 1919 – Millikin[3] 1920 – Millikin, North Central, and Wheaton 1921 – Lombard 1922 – Lombard[4] 1923 – Lombard

1924 – Knox (IL) and Lombard 1925 – Bradley and Monmouth (IL) 1926 – Bradley and Monmouth (IL) 1927 – Bradley[5] 1928 – Eastern Illinois and Millikin 1929 – Knox (IL) and Lombard 1930 – Millikin, Mount Morris, and Southern Illinois[6] 1931 – Monmouth (IL) 1932 – Illinois Wesleyan and McKendree 1933 – Illinois Wesleyan 1934 – Augustana (IL) and Millikin 1935 – Millikin and Monmouth (IL) 1936 – Illinois Wesleyan and St. Viator

1937 – Bradley, Illinois College, and Illinois State Normal 1938 – Northern Illinois State 1939 – Western Illinois 1940 – Illinois State Normal 1941 – Illinois State Normal and Northern Illinois State 1942 – Western Illinois 1943 – No champion 1944 – Northern Illinois State 1945 – Illinois State Normal 1946 – Northern Illinois State 1947 – Southern Illinois 1948 – Western Illinois 1949 – Western Illinois

Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

1950 – Illinois State Normal 1951 – Northern Illinois State 1952 – Central Michigan[7] 1953 – Central Michigan 1954 – Central Michigan and Michigan State Normal 1955 – Central Michigan and Michigan State Normal[8] 1956 – Central Michigan

1957 – Eastern Michigan 1958 – Western Illinois 1959 – Western Illinois[9] 1960 – Southern Illinois 1961 – Southern Illinois 1962 – Central Michigan 1963 – Northern Illinois

1964 – Northern Illinois and Western Illinois 1965 – Northern Illinois 1966 – Central Michigan 1967 – Central Michigan and Illinois State 1968 – Central Michigan and Illinois State 1969 – Western Illinois

See also

• List of Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
• List of defunct college football conferences
• Mid-American Conference
• Missouri Valley Football Conference
• Ohio Valley Conference
• College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin