The BIG EAST became a reality on May 31, 1979, following a meeting of athletic directors from Providence College, St. John's, Georgetown and Syracuse Universities. Seton Hall, Connecticut and Boston College completed the original seven-school alliance. After one season, Villanova was added and began play in 1980-81. Two seasons later, Pittsburgh joined the group and started competition in '82-83. More than 450 BIG EAST athletes have earned All-America recognition and dozens have won individual NCAA national championships. The BIG EAST has been well-represented in U.S. or foreign national and Olympic teams, with several athletes earning gold medals in the summer Olympiads in Sydney in 2000, Atlanta in '96, Barcelona in '92, Seoul in '88 and Los Angeles in '84.

A conference with nine member institutions: University at Albany, Binghamton University, Boston University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, Northeastern University, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont. To see how far America East has progressed, consider the conference was established in 1979 as the ECAC North. The conference at that time consisted of 10 institutions and sponsored league competition only in mens basketball, with the champion having an automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Mens basketball remained the lone league sport until the 1988-89 academic year. At that time, the Board of Directors made a new commitment to the Conference, establishing a conference office, hiring a full-time commissioner, and embarking on a building program which, within a few short years, sponsored championship competition in 21 different sports for men and women.

Formerly the Eastern 8, this conference now has the following members: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Washington University, La Salle University, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, St. Joseph's University (Philadelphia), St. Louis University, Temple University, and Xavier University. West Chester University is an associate member participating in Women's field hockey. As of 2007, the Atlantic 10 does not sponsor football. All previous football members now participate in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is a NCAA Division 1A collegiate athletic league. The member schools are Clemson University, Duke University, Florida State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, North Carolina State University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, University of Virginia and Wake Forest University.

The Atlantic Sun was founded September 19, 1978. Through nearly a quarter century in the ever-changing landscape of intercollegiate athletics, the Atlantic Sun continues to fulfill its Constitutional mission to "assist its member institutions in the maintenance of programs of intercollegiate athletics which are compatible with the highest standards of education and competitive sports." Formerly the Trans America Athletic Conference, the Atlantic Sun received its current name in June of 2001.

Dedicated to achieving the highest goals in the integration of academic and athletic endeavors, Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech combined forces on February 25, 1994, and forged the Big 12 Conference, one of the most powerful alliances in NCAA Division I competition to date. Individually, member schools have long been respected for successes both in its classrooms and its stadiums. In all, conference institutions have received numerous accolades for the quality of academic resources, programs and services offered to students. Athletically, Big 12 teams have accounted for almost 160 (159 through June, 1999) national team championships-143 NCAA and 16 wire service football titles--while its student-athletes have claimed more than 800 NCAA crowns entering the 1999-2000 academic year. The conference also has enjoyed success in the placement of the 1999 Dr Pepper Football Championship Game in San Antonio, Texas, the 2000 Phillips 66 men's and women's basketball tournaments in Kansas City, Missouri, and the 2000 Phillips 66 baseball postseason tournament in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Formed in 1979 and in 2013, institutions moved from it to form the American Athletic Conference.

With its roots established in 1963, the Big Sky Conference began with six charter members; the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Gonzaga University, the University of Montana, Montana State University and Weber State University. On July 1, 1970, the league experienced its first expansion, adding Boise State University and Northern Arizona University to the fold to create an eight-member league. On July 1, 1979, charter-member Gonzaga left the league and was replaced by the University of Nevada. In 1987, Eastern Washington was admitted to the league to create the first version of a nine-member Big Sky Conference. The University of Nevada's departure in 1992 moved the league to eight members until July 1, 1996 when Boise State and Idaho left, but the addition of Cal State Northridge, Portland State and Sacramento State moved the league into a nine-member group for the second time. Beginning in 2001-2002, the composition has changed yet again, as Cal State Northridge exits and the league is back to eight members. The name BIG SKY originated in a novel written in 1947 by the late A.B. (Bud) Guthrie of Great Falls, Mont., entitled The Big Sky. Jack Hollowell, former Montana Advertising Director, promoted the Big Sky theme for the Treasure State, and Harry Missildine of the Spokane Spokesman-Review called for the newly formed league to be named "The Big Sky Conference" in his column dated Feb. 20, 1963. Five days later, on Feb. 25, the name Big Sky was adopted by the six presidents of the newly formed league.

Founded in 1983, the Big South Conference has matured in its brief history into a competitive leader in college athletics, actively pursuing excellence, both on the field and in the classroom. The Conference was formed on August 21, 1983, when Charleston Southern (then Baptist College) Athletic Director Howard Bagwell, and Augusta President George Christenberry initially began recruiting members into the Big South. One month later, Dr. Edward M. Singleton was selected as the league's first Commissioner and continued to solicit new members. By 1984, the League's charter members included: Armstrong State, Augusta, Campbell, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Radford and Winthrop.

A meeting of seven Midwest university presidents on January 11, 1895 at the Palmer House in Chicago to discuss the regulation and control of intercollegiate athletics, was the first development of what would become one of organized sports' most successful undertakings. Those seven men, behind the leadership of James H. Smart, president of Purdue University, established the principles for which the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, more popularly known as the Big Ten Conference, would be founded. Eleven months after the presidents met, one faculty member from each of those seven universities met at the same Palmer House, and officially established the mechanics of the "Intercollegiate conference of Faculty Representatives", or "Big Ten Conference" of "Western Conference." Those seven universities were: University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Purdue University and the University of Wisconsin. Indiana University and the State University of Iowa were admitted in 1899. Ohio State joined in 1912. Chicago withdrew in 1946 and Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) was added three years later in 1949. After a 40-year period of constancy in membership, the Conference expanded to 11 members for the first time. On June 4, 1990, the Council of Presidents voted to confirm its earlier decision to integrate Pennsylvania State University into the Conference.

The Big West Conference was formed as the Pacific Coast Athletic Association on July 1, 1969. However, the unofficial history of the conference pre-dates that point of time, extending back to 1967. The PCAA began its 20th year of existence by changing its name to the Big West Conference. With the inclusion of the states of Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico into the loop, the term "Big West" more accurately represented the conference. In addition, Fresno State left the conference and was replaced by the University of Nevada, Reno, in the fall of 1992.

Originally formed as a six-team basketball alliance, the NCAA has become an icon in the world of college athletics as it has enjoyed considerable growth and success, while establishing itself as one of the nation's fastest growing conferences. Founded in 1985, the CAA is comprised of 10 institutions competing in 20 Division I sports and has ranked as the top non-Division I football league in the country for the past two seasons. The transformation from ECAC South to CAA took place on June 6, 1985 at the University of Richmond. A "Proclamation of Creation" was signed by representatives of the eight charter institutions and by members of the media assembled for the announcement. By the fall of 1986, the league gained automatic bids to NCAA Championships in men's basketball, soccer, baseball and women's basketball and formed an officials bureau. The CAA became just one of eight conferences to receive and an automatic bid to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship starting in the fall of 1996 and set a new precedent in 1999 when it became the first Division I conference to establish a soccer officials assigner.

Conference USA is still a very young conference, yet it consists of schools rich in tradition. Widely known for its basketball success, the football members are quickly making a positive name for themselves. The league also boasts great achievements in baseball, women's basketball, volleyball, soccer, track and many other sports.

Originally founded in 1979 as the Midwestern City Conference, the League was a men's only sports league, but added women's athletics in the 1986-87 season. The league features both public and private institutions, committed to fielding broad-based NCAA Division I athletics programs that develop physical fitness, academic development, and moral character in its student-athletes. Best known for its men's basketball success, the Horizon League offers a total of 18 championships (nine each for men and women). The League enjoys NCAA automatic qualification in baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's golf, men's soccer, women's soccer, softball, women's tennis and women's volleyball. Renamed from the Midwestern Collegiate Conference on June 4, 2001, the Horizon League has established goals emphasizing the overall development of the student-athlete. It pledges a renewed commitment to the values the League has emphasized since its inception: athletic performance, academic achievement, community outreach and personal responsibility and accountability.

Includes links to sport categories that provide NCAA Division I 'Independents' categories. Independents are not associated with a particular conference. Some schools are 'independent' for their entire sports program, while others are 'independent' for one or more individual sports.

The Ivy League is an athletic conference of eight colleges and universities in the Northeastern United States, founded in 1954 at Princeton University. The Ivy League is unique among American college sports conferences: its members banned athletic scholarships to reinforce their primary commitment to academics. The members of the organization-- officially the Council of Ivy Presidents-- are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. Ivy schools also compete in the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) and other conferences.

The MAAC was founded in 1980 by six charter members; the U.S. Military Academy, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Iona College, Manhattan College and St. Peters College. Competition followed one year later in the fall of 1981 with members competing in the sports of mens cross country and mens soccer. On January 2, 1982, when Army traveled to Iona, the first MAAC mens basketball game was played and the MAAC story was just beginning to be written. In June of 1995, the MAAC continued to develop opportunities for student-athletes as the conference announced the formation of the MAAC Men's and Women's Lacrosse Leagues, with the men's league beginning competition in the Spring of 1996 and the women's league commencing in the Spring of 1997. The men's league consists of four MAAC schools -- Canisius, Manhattan, Marist, Siena -- and six associate members -- Mount St. Mary's, Providence, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, St. Joseph's University (PA) and Wagner. The women's league consists of MAAC institutions Canisius, Fairfield, Manhattan, Marist, Niagara and Siena, plus Le Moyne College. In September of 1997, the MAAC continued its mission of providing student-athletes with opportunity by forming the MAAC Ice Hockey League, which began play during the 1998-99 season. The league, one of six conferences in NCAA Division I, consists of three full-time members -- Canisius, Fairfield and Iona -- and eight associate members -- American International College, Bentley College, University of Connecticut, College of the Holy Cross, Mercyhurst University, Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University and the United States Military Academy. The MAAC Hockey League success story was perpetuated this summer as the League was awarded an automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Ice Hockey Championship.

The Mid-American Conference was founded as a five-school league in 1946 with Ohio, Butler, Cincinnati, Wayne State and Western Reserve as the charter members. In 52 years, the MAC has grown in ways that its founders could not have imagined while standing the test of time. As the nation's sixth-oldest Division I conference in the nation, the MAC has been among the trendsetters. The MAC has been in the forefront of national legislation that has enhanced the academic integrity of intercollegiate athletics. The MAC strengthened admittance standards, established an academic progress rule and set increased grade point average requirements long before the NCAA adopted or discussed implementing such academic standards. The MAC was the first and is still the only Division I-A conference to have its own Hall of Fame. Over its 52 years, the MAC has produced a long list of great athletes and administrators from all corners of the sports world. A list that includes Olympic gold medalists, Major League Baseball, NFL and NBA standouts, PGA standouts, national-caliber game officials and Hall of Fame coaches and players. Since 1988, a total of 52 individuals has been inducted.

In 1969, a bold ad hoc group of innovators long associated with intercollegiate athletics, met to discuss the feasibility of organizing a new conference based along the Atlantic coastline. Dissected from these discussants, a steering and planning committee was formed to fully investigate the idea, present a detailed report with recommendations to interested collegiate institutions; then construct a workshop to outline proposals. After adopting the program, seven of the institutions agreed to become the MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (MEAC). Its major objective was to establish, organize and supervise an intercollegiate athletic program among a compact group of educational institutions of high academic standards and with a sound philosophy of co-curricular activities.

A 10-member conference which has championships information, statistics and scores.

Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro Conference, the league began sponsoring additional sports in 1985 and changed its name to the Northeast Conference in 1988. As membership and sport sponsorship continued to grow over the next decade, the NEC expanded its base to five states and now has access to NCAA automatic bids in 12 sports. With the addition of four sports since 1998, the 12 NEC members now compete in 21 championship sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's indoor track and field, women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track and field, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball.

The OVC's proud past dates back to 1948, but seeds for the new league were actually planted in 1941. It was then that Roy Stewart, the athletics director at Murray State, Charles (Turkey) Hughes, the athletics director at Eastern Kentucky, and Kelly Thompson, the public relations director at Western Kentucky, first broached the idea of forming a new conference. Discussions were put on hold by World War II, but reemerged Feb. 27-28, 1948 at the Kentucky Hotel in Louisville as the three original institutions combined with Morehead State, Louisville and Evansville to form the OVC. In the 1950's, the OVC became a pioneer on a much more significant scale socially. During times of racial segregation, league member Morehead State became one of the first non-traditionally black mid-southern institutions to accept a black student. In 1958, Marshall Banks earned athletically-related aid at Morehead, which signed a second black athlete, Howard Murphy, a year later. (In 1961, Murphy earned football all-conference recognition at halfback.) With racial barriers broken, the rest of the institutions in the league began to provide educational and athletic opportunities to African-Americans.

The roots of the Pacific-10 Conference go back nearly 86 years to December 15, 1915, when the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) was founded at a meeting at the Oregon Hotel in Portland, Ore. Original membership consisted of four schools - the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and Oregon State College (now Oregon State University). All still are charter members of the Conference. Pacific Coast Conference play began in 1916. One year later, Washington State College (now Washington State University), was accepted into the Conference, and Stanford University joined in 1918. In 1922, the PCC expanded to eight teams with the admission of the University of Southern California and the University of Idaho. Montana joined the Conference in 1924, and in 1928, the PCC grew to 10 members with the addition of UCLA. Currently, the Pac-10 sponsors 11 men's sports and 11 women's sports. Additionally, the Conference is a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) in four other men's sports and two other women's sports.

The Patriot League began as a successful Division I-AA football conference in 1986. Today, it organizes basketball, swimming and diving, baseball, lacrosse, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, and volleyball as well. Full League members include Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, and Navy. Associate members are Fairfield (field hockey), Fordham (football), Hobart (men's lacrosse), Towson (football), Ursinus (field hockey), and Villanova (women's lacrosse).

Sites related to athletics, in general, in the Southeastern Conference.

The Southern Conference is the nation's fourth oldest NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. Only the Big Ten (1896), the Missouri Valley (1907), and the Pac-10 (1915) conferences are older in terms of origination. The Southern Conference was formed on February 25, 1921 at a meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Fourteen institutions from the 30-member Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) reorganized as the Southern Conference. Those charter members included Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Washington & Lee. Athletic competition began in the fall of 1921.

On March 15, 1963 the presidents from Abilene Christian College, Arkansas State College, Arlington State College, Lamar State College of Technology and Trinity University met at the Baker Hotel in Dallas and established the expanding athletics organization known as the Southland Conference. Membership has now grown to more than twice its original number, with an all-time high membership of 11 institutions. Lamar University, one of the original five members before withdrawing in 1987, rejoined the Conference July 1, 1998. Lamar's reinstatement came one year after Southeastern Louisiana University brought the Texas-Louisiana-based Conference enrollment to 10 universities.

A 10-member conference with news items, statistics, championships details and game results.

The Sun Belt is composed of 12 universities located in nine states. They include the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Arkansas State University, the University of Denver, Florida International University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana Tech University, Middle Tennessee State University, New Mexico State University, the University of New Orleans, the University of North Texas, the University of South Alabama and Western Kentucky University. The league conducts championships in 17 sports, seven for men and ten for women. The men compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. The women take part in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball. The Sun Belt boasts a rich tradition in the sport of men's basketball over its 25-year history. The league became known as an innovator in its early stages, pioneering the shot clock and three-point field goal, standards which are followed throughout college basketball today.

The Western Athletic Conference begins a new era this year, but one thing remains the same as the WAC begins its 38th season it will continue to feature exciting competition at some of the most diverse campuses in the nation. The tradition-laden state of Texas will join coastal-rich California, tropical Hawaii and sports-rich Oklahoma in housing the members of the WAC, who head into a new era of opportunity and optimism. The WAC provides its student-athletes the opportunity to travel to scenic destinations and gain exposure in several of the nation's largest and most accessible media markets. In addition, the academic reputation of many of the WAC schools is unparalleled, with some of the nation's most respected institutions of higher learning among the WAC ranks. Though its membership has undergone change over the last few years, several exciting developments occurred in June, 1999. The University of Nevada was added as the conference's ninth member beginning July 1, 2000. The conference signed a multi-year television deal with Fox Sports Net for coverage of football and basketball. Two new bowl games were added to the schedule with the Mobile Alabama Bowl in 1999 and the Silicon Valley Bowl in 2000. Finally, Fresno State and Tulsa were awarded the 2000 and 2001 men's and women's basketball tournaments, respectively. Among the nation's Division I-A conferences, the WAC is still in its youth. Its history traces back to only 1962, when the original six-team league was created. The concept of a Western Athletic Conference began in 1958 when Brigham Young's Edwin Kimball, Leo Harris of Oregon and Roy S. Keen of Oregon State met during the NCAA Convention in New York to discuss the "ideal conference" because problems existed in their alignments. They believed such a conference should have eight members with approximately the same goals, ideals and resources and that such a union would include the following members: Washington State, Oregon State, Oregon, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Arizona State and Brigham Young. Although the meeting did not result in any action, it established an idea that again was discussed two years later at the 1960 NCAA Convention in New York. There, Dick Clausen, athletic director at Arizona, and Pete McDavid, athletic director at New Mexico, organized a meeting which included representatives of Oregon State, Oregon, Washington State, Brigham Young, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Arizona State. Glenn "Red" Jacoby of Wyoming also was to be invited to the meeting but could not be located on short notice. BYU's Dr. Kimball was elected the chairman of the group and, over the next two years, plans were formulated as the faculty representatives and presidents became involved with the athletic directors in the deliberations. As proposals were discussed, finances became the determining factor, evidenced by the following membership criteria: large facilities or a commitment to build them; location in or near a large population center; large student body; easy access by means of large jet aircraft; demonstrated fan support; winning athletic tradition; and commitment to maintain a varied and extensive athletic program. While the membership structure was debated, Washington State, Oregon and Oregon State decided to re-align with the other Pacific Coast institutions, and the remaining university representatives were left to fill the openings. Although Wyoming, New Mexico State and Utah State applied, only Wyoming was accepted as the final charter member. By the end of 1961, a working draft of a constitution, by-laws and operating code was drafted by Thomas Hall, the faculty representative at Arizona, and Paul Brechler, the WAC's first commissioner. On July 27, 1962, the conference officially was organized by the Presidents' Council when the original charter was signed, and the name Western Athletic Conference was adopted. Charter members were Arizona, Arizona State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The two Arizona schools had been members of the Border Conference; the others were members of the Skyline. The WAC began operation with the 1962-63 academic year, and several changes have occurred since. UTEP and Colorado State became members in September 1967, while Arizona and Arizona State withdrew on June 30, 1978. Since that time, membership additions include San Diego State (July 1, 1978), Hawaii (July 1, 1979), the United States Air Force Academy (July 1, 1980), Fresno State (July 1, 1992) and UNLV, Rice, San Jose State, SMU, TCU and Tulsa (July 1, 1996). Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah and Wyoming widthrew on June 30, 1999. Paul Brechler was the WAC Commissioner from 1962-1968, Wiles Hallock from 1968-1971, Stan Bates from 1971-80, Dr. Joe Kearney from 1980-94 and Karl Benson from 1994 to the present. The WAC began competition with 10 sports, including football, basketball, track and field, baseball, wrestling, swimming, tennis, golf, cross country and gymnastics. The first championship was held in November 1962, when Arizona won the men's cross country title. New Mexico followed with the first WAC football title. Arizona finished second in the NCAA College World Series and, less than three years later, Arizona State claimed the league's first NCAA title when the Sun Devils won the College World Series trophy. Before July 1, 1990, the WAC sponsored championships only in men's sports. However, a merger with the High Country Athletic Conference formed a single conference under one administrative structure, and the 1990-91 athletic year was the first in which both men and women competed under the WAC name. Presently the WAC crowns team and individual champions in 20 sports 10 men's and 10 women's. For the men, there are championships in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. Championships for women are held in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and volleyball. Several affiliate members have been added for the 1999-2000 season including Hawaii-Hilo in baseball, Loyola Marymount and Portland State in softball and Drury College in men's soccer. The WAC office has been located in the Denver area since the conference's inception with the exception of a two-year stay in Phoenix

The West Coast Conference is made up of eight private institutions in California, Oregon and Washington which compete at the NCAA Division 1 level in 13 different sports. The league got its start in 1952 as a convenient way for five Bay Area institutions to play basketball. Those five schools -- the University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University, Saint Mary's College, San Jose State University and the University of the Pacific -- expanded the membership in 1955 to include Pepperdine University and Loyola Marymount University in Southern California. At that time, the league changed its name from "California Basketball Association" to the "West Coast Athletic Conference." The current alignment, which also includes Gonzaga University, the University of Portland and the University of San Diego, has remained unchanged since 1978. Only two other conferences (the Pacific-10 and the Ivy League) have stayed together longer. The WCC, which changed its name to the current "West Coast Conference" in 1990, sponsors six championships for men in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis and seven for women in basketball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, tennis and volleyball.