Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference

The Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) was an athletic conference in existence from 1927 or 1928 to 1995 affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference membership consisted entirely of colleges and universities in the state of Arkansas.

Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
FormerlyArkansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
ConferenceNAIA
Founded1927 or 1928
Ceased1995
No. of teams14
HeadquartersNorth Little Rock, Arkansas

History

Some references indicate that the league started competition in 1927 while others list a 1928 date. The league seems to have competed in baseball and basketball in 1927-28 and started football competition in 1929. Some references list football championships for 1927 and 1928 while others do not so these may have been unofficial titles that anticipated the start of the league's football competition.

In 1941, with many member institutions suffering from reduced male student populations, the AIC suspended competition in order to save gasoline and other resources necessary for the war effort. Competition was not resumed until the 1945 season.

In December 1952 the AIC schools implemented new "amateurism" rules that no scholarships or subsidies would be offered to athletes beyond those that were available to regular students. Southern Arkansas and Arkansas Tech were opposed to the new rules and did not strictly enforce them. In December 1955 several AIC schools declared that they would no longer play SAU or Tech due to unspecified violations of the rule and neither school was able to compete for titles in any sport during the 1956 and 1957 school years.[1] This situation was finally resolved in 1959 when a compromise was reached and Southern Arkansas and Tech were "restored" to the conference.[2]

In 1983, the conference sanctioned women's sports for the first time.[3] Prior to this most women's teams competed in the Arkansas Women's Extramural Sports Association (AWESA) which was founded in 1965 and later renamed as the Arkansas Women's Intercollegiate Sports Association (AWISA) in 1973.[4]

In 1993, Central Arkansas and Henderson State elected to move to the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference and were followed by the remaining public schools in 1995 which marked the end of the conference. Two of the remaining private schools, Ouachita Baptist and Harding, were accepted into the Lone Star Conference. The other private school, John Brown University, joined the Sooner Athletic Conference as the AIC dissolved.[5]

The New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference was formed after the dissolution to provide several of the old AIC school's swimming programs a chance to compete for championships.[6]

Member schools

Final members
Institution Location[lower-alpha 1] Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)		 Current
conference
Arkansas Tech University Russellville 1909 Public 12,009 Wonder Boys &
Golden Suns		 1928–29 1994–95 Gulf South (GSC) (NCAA D-II)
(1995–96 to 2010–11)		 Great American (GAC) (NCAA D-II)
(2011–12 to present)
University of Arkansas at Monticello Monticello 1909 Public 3,659 Boll Weevils &
Cotton Blossoms		 1928–29 1994–95 Gulf South (GSC) (NCAA D-II)
(1995–96 to 2010–11)		 Great American (GAC) (NCAA D-II)
(2011–12 to present)
Harding University Searcy 1924 Churches of Christ 6,009 Bisons 1960–61 1994–95 Lone Star (LSC) (NCAA D-II)
(1996–97 to 1999–2000)
Gulf South (GSC) (NCAA D-II)
(2000–01 to 2010–11)		 Great American (GAC) (NCAA D-II)
(2011–12 to present)
John Brown University Siloam Springs 1919 Interdenominational 2,708 Golden Eagles 1993–94 1994–95 Sooner (SAC)
(1995–96 to present)
Lyon College Batesville 1872 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)		 700 Scots [lower-alpha 2] 1994–95 NAIA Independent
(1995–96 to 1996–97)
TranSouth (TSAC)
(1997–98 to 2011–12)
American Midwest (AMC)
(2012–13 to 2022–23)		 St. Louis (SLIAC) (NCAA D-III)
(2023–24 to present)
Ouachita Baptist University Arkadelphia 1886 Baptist 1,569 Tigers 1931–32 1994–95 Lone Star (LSC) (NCAA D-II)
(1996–97 to 1999–2000)
Gulf South (GSC) (NCAA D-II)
(2000–01 to 2010–11)		 Great American (GAC) (NCAA D-II)
(2011–12 to present)
University of the Ozarks Clarksville 1834 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)		 630 Eagles 1947–48 1994–95 D-III Independent
(1995–96)		 American Southwest (NCAA D-III)
(1996–97 to present)
Southern Arkansas University Magnolia 1909 Public 4,138 Muleriders 1929–30 1994–95 Gulf South (GSC) (NCAA D-II)
(1995–96 to 2010–11)		 Great American (GAC) (NCAA D-II)
(2011–12 to present)
Williams Baptist College[lower-alpha 3] Walnut Ridge 1941 Baptist 700 Eagles [lower-alpha 4] 1994–95 TranSouth (TSAC)
(1995–96 to 2000–01)		 American Midwest
(2001–02 to present)
Notes
  1. All locations were within the State of Arkansas.
  2. Lyon (Arkansas College) joined the AIC before 1980–81.
  3. Currently known as Williams Baptist University since 2018.
  4. Williams Baptist joined the AIC about 1990–91.

Former members
Institution Location[lower-alpha 1] Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)		 Current
conference
Arkansas State University Jonesboro 1909 Public 13,891 Red Wolves 1930–31 1949–50 NAIA Independent
(1950–51 to 1956–57)
D-II Independent
(1957–58 to 1962–63)
Southland (NCAA D-I)
(1963–64 to 1986–87)
American South (NCAA D-I)
(1987–88 to 1990–91)		 Sun Belt (NCAA D-I)
(1991–92 to present)
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock 1927 Public 9,759 Trojans 1961–62 1976–77 D-I Independent
(1977–78 to 1978–79)
Trans America (TAAC) (NCAA D-I)[lower-alpha 2]
(1979–80 to 1990–91)
Sun Belt (SBC) (NCAA D-I)
(1991–92 to 2021–22)		 Ohio Valley (OVC) (NCAA D-I)
(2022–23 to present)
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Pine Bluff 1873 Public 2,498 Golden Lions 1970–71[lower-alpha 3] 1986–87[lower-alpha 3] NAIA Independent
(1987–88 to 1997–98)		 Southwestern (SWAC) (NCAA D-I)
(1998–99 to present)
University of Central Arkansas Conway 1907 Public 10,869 Bears &
Sugar Bears		 1928–29 1992–93 Gulf South (GSC) (NCAA D-II)
(1993–94 to 2005–06)
Southland (NCAA D-I)
(2006–07 to 2020–21)		 Atlantic Sun (ASUN) (NCAA D-I)
(2021–22 to present)
Henderson State University Arkadelphia 1890 Public 3,530 Reddies 1930–31 1992–93 Gulf South (GSC) (NCAA D-II)
(1993–94 to 2010–11)		 Great American (GAC) (NCAA D-II)
(2011–12 to present)
Hendrix College[lower-alpha 4] Conway 1876 United Methodist 1,400 Warriors 1929–30 1991–92 Southern (SCAC) (NCAA D-III)
(1992–93 to 2011–12)		 Southern (SAA) (NCAA D-III)
(2012–13 to present)
Notes
  1. All locations were within the State of Arkansas.
  2. Later known as the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001, currently known as the ASUN Conference since 2016.
  3. Arkansas–Pine Bluff appears to have been a member of the AIC from 1970–71 to 1971–72; and then again from 1985–86 to 1986–87.
  4. Hendrix disbanded its football program after the 1960 fall season (1960–61 school year), but continued to compete in the AIC in other sports.

Membership timeline
Sooner Athletic ConferenceJohn Brown UniversityTranSouth Athletic ConferenceWilliams Baptist CollegeTranSouth Athletic ConferenceLyon CollegeSouthwestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of Arkansas at Pine BluffSun Belt ConferenceASUN ConferenceNCAA Division I independent schoolsUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockGulf South ConferenceLone Star ConferenceHarding UniversityAmerican Southwest ConferenceUniversity of the OzarksGulf South ConferenceLone Star ConferenceOuachita Baptist UniversityGulf South ConferenceHenderson State UniversitySun Belt ConferenceAmerican South ConferenceSouthland ConferenceNCAA Division II independent schoolsNAIA independent schoolsArkansas State UniversityGulf South ConferenceSouthern Arkansas UniversitySouthern Collegiate Athletic ConferenceHendrix CollegeGulf South ConferenceUniversity of Central ArkansasGulf South ConferenceUniversity of Arkansas at MonticelloGulf South ConferenceArkansas Tech University

 Full member (all sports) 

Commissioners
  • Heber Lowery McAlister (1948–1956)
  • Cliff Shaw (1956–1971)
  • Charles Mabern Adcock (1971–1974)
  • Leroy Nix Jr. (1974–1978)
  • Sid Simpson (1978–1979)
  • Harry T. Hall (1979–1993)[7]
  • Don Cleek (1994–1995)

Football

Football champions

Shared championships are shown in italics:

Football conference championships (1927–1995)
SchoolTotal titlesOutright titlesYears
Central Arkansas22161936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1940 • 1959 • 1962 • 1965 • 1966 • 1976 • 1978 • 1980 • 1981 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992
Arkansas Tech18151928 • 1931 • 1935 • 1939 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1954 • 1958 • 1960 • 1961 • 1964 • 1968 • 1970 • 1971 • 1994
Henderson State1391930 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1950 • 1959 • 1963 • 1969 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1977 • 1985
Arkansas–Monticello1171953 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1963 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1979 • 1993
Ouachita Baptist631934 • 1941 • 1966 • 1970 • 1975 • 1982
Southern Arkansas531929 • 1948 • 1951 • 1952 • 1972
Harding301972 • 1976 • 1989

Basketball

Men's basketball champions

Following are the AIC regular-season conference champions from 1928 to 1995 (showing shared championships in italics)
NOTE: Information is incomplete.

Men's basketball regular-season championships (1928–1995)
SchoolTotal titlesOutright titlesYears
Central Arkansas16161927 • 1928 • 1929 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1956 • 1958 • 1964 • 1985 • 1986 • 1991
Arkansas Tech16161949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1958 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1985 • 1988 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995
Henderson State10101957 • 1968 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1981
Hendrix771932 • 1979 • 1984 • 1990
Southern Arkansas661934 • 1935 • 1966 • 1967 • 1971 • 1989
Ozarks211983 • 1992
Arkansas–Monticello111956
Ouachita Baptist111976

Baseball

Baseball champions

NOTE: Information is incomplete

Baseball conference championships (1927–1995)
SchoolTotal titlesOutright titlesYears
Central Arkansas20191928 • 1929 • 1930 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1948 • 1949 • 1951 • 1959 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1967 • 1970 • 1978 • 1980 • 1981
Southern Arkansas17141953 • 1954 • 1956 • 1968 • 1974 • 1975 • 1977 • 1983 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1994 • 1995
Ouachita Baptist84 1960 • 1961 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972
Arkansas Tech771950 • 1964 • 1976 • 1981 • 1985 • 1988 • 1992
Henderson State751953 • 1958 • 1965 • 1973 • 1974 • 1979 • 1982
Harding661932 • 1933 • 1938 • 1972 • 1976 • 1984
Ozarks211949 • 1956

References
  1. "The Courier - Your Messenger for the River Valley - Wonder Boys 1 1 in Rice Bowl". Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  2. "Football's Decline and the Rise of Other Sports".
  3. "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  4. "Reddie Report Fall 2004 by Henderson State - Issuu".
  5. The Oklahoman
  6. "Water Warriors tune up for SCAC with LR meet | TheCabin.net". Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  7. "The Times-News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
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