Great Plains Athletic Conference (1972–1976)

The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), operated in the western United States. It was aligned with the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). The two allied conferences worked under the name of the Mountain and Plains Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MPIAA).[1] It was announced on May 15, 1972. The founding schools were Fort Hays State College (now Fort Hays State University); Kansas State College of Emporia (now Emporia State University); Kansas State College of Pittsburg (now Pittsburg State University); Southern Colorado State College (now Colorado State University–Pueblo); the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Northern Colorado and Washburn University.[2] The conference only lasted four years, as Nebraska–Omaha and Northern Colorado left for the North Central Conference (NCC), Southern Colorado went back to the RMAC, and the rest of the schools started the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC), which merged into the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) effective in the 1989–90 school year.

Great Plains Athletic Conference
AssociationNAIA
Founded1972
Ceased1976
RegionMountain States

Member schools

Final members

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference
Fort Hays State College[lower-alpha 1] Hays, Kansas 1902 Public 14,658 Tigers 1972–73 1975–76 Central States (CSIC) (NAIA)
(1976–77 to 1988–89)
Rocky Mountain (RMAC) (NCAA D-II)
(1989–90 to 2005–06)
Mid-American (MIAA) (NCAA D-II)
(2006–07 to present)
Kansas State College of Emporia[lower-alpha 2] Emporia, Kansas 1863 5,887 Hornets Central States (CSIC) (NAIA)
(1976–77 to 1988–89)
D-II Independent
(1989–90 to 1990–91)
Mid-American (MIAA) (NCAA D-II)
(1991–92 to present)
Kansas State College of Pittsburg[lower-alpha 3] Pittsburg, Kansas 1903 7,102 Gorillas Central States (CSIC) (NAIA)
(1976–77 to 1988–89)
Mid-American (MIAA) (NCAA D-II)
(1989–90 to present)
University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, Nebraska 1908 15,431 Mavericks North Central (NCC) (NCAA D-II)
(1976–77 to 2007–08)
Mid-American (MIAA) (NCAA D-II)
(2008–09 to 2010–11)
D-I Independent
(2011–12)
Summit (NCAA D-I)
(2012–13 to present)
University of Northern Colorado Greeley, Colorado 1889 12,862 Bears NAIA/D-II Independent
(1976–77 to 1977–78)
North Central (NCC) (NCAA D-II)
(1978–79 to 2002–03)
D-I Independent
(2003–04 to 2005–06)
Big Sky (NCAA D-I)
(2006–07 to present)
Southern Colorado State College[lower-alpha 4] Pueblo, Colorado 1933 6,805 ThunderWolves Rocky Mountain (RMAC) (NAIA)
(1976–77 to 1989–90)
Colorado (CAC) (NAIA)
(1990–91 to 1995–96)
Rocky Mountain (RMAC) (NCAA D-II)
(1996–97 to present)
Washburn University Topeka, Kansas 1865 7,971 Ichabods Central States (CSIC) (NAIA)
(1976–77 to 1988–89)
Mid-American (MIAA) (NCAA D-II)
(1989–90 to present)
Notes
  1. Currently known as Fort Hays State University since 1977.
  2. Currently known as Emporia State University since 1977.
  3. Currently known as Pittsburg State University since 1977.
  4. Later known as the University of Southern Colorado in 1975, now currently known as Colorado State University–Pueblo since 2003.

Membership timeline

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics AssociationCentral States Intercollegiate ConferenceWashburn UniversityRocky Mountain Athletic ConferenceColorado State University PuebloNorth Central ConferenceNCAA Division II independent schoolsUniversity of Northern ColoradoNorth Central ConferenceUniversity of Nebraska OmahaMid-America Intercollegiate Athletics AssociationCentral States Intercollegiate ConferencePittsburg State UniversityMid-America Intercollegiate Athletics AssociationNCAA Division II independent schoolsCentral States Intercollegiate ConferenceEmporia State UniversityRocky Mountain Athletic ConferenceCentral States Intercollegiate ConferenceFort Hays State University

Football champions

References

  1. "Southern Colorado State College (1963-75) - Colorado State Pueblo". Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
  2. "RMAC To Convert To Allied Conferences". Denver, Colorado: The Fort Scott Tribune. 16 May 1972. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
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