American Rivers Conference

The American Rivers Conference (ARC) is an NCAA Division III athletic conference. From 1927 until 2018, it was known as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

History

The ARC dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges got together and formed the “Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association.” Charter members were Buena Vista College, Central University of Iowa, Ellsworth College, Iowa Wesleyan College, Luther College, Morningside College, Parsons College, St. Ambrose College, Simpson College, Upper Iowa College, Western Union College and Penn College. Des Moines University was voted into the conference at that meeting as well.

The first Conference constitution was published in January 1923. Also that year, Judge Hubert Utterback of Des Moines, Iowa was named the first conference commissioner and Iowa Teachers (now known as University of Northern Iowa) was accepted as a member. Columbia College (now known as Loras College) was admitted in 1926. Ellsworth left the Conference in 1927. That spring, the Conference's name was changed to the “Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.” After a three-year ban, athletics were reinstated at the University of Dubuque in 1928–29, and it joined the conference in 1929. Wartburg College was admitted to the conference in 1936, beginning competition the following year. Morningside College dropped out in 1936 because of inactivity. William Penn was suspended from the Conference in 1949 for using ineligible players. The school was back in the Conference in 1951, though it did not compete in football until later. In 1951, St. Ambrose and Loras dropped from football competition.

The Iowa Conference reorganized in 1953, effective with the 1954–55 school year. Nine schools remained in the Conference: Buena Vista, Central, Dubuque, Iowa Wesleyan, Luther, Parsons, Simpson, Upper Iowa and Wartburg. William Penn was readmitted to the Conference in 1960, effective in the spring of 1962. Parsons left the Conference around 1963, while Iowa Wesleyan left effective June 1, 1965. Loras rejoined the Conference in 1986, increasing the Conference membership to nine schools, which continued until 1997 when Coe and Cornell left the Midwest Conference to join the IIAC. The Conference was at 11 schools until its 80th Anniversary year (2001–02) when William Penn decided to leave and switch its affiliation from the NCAA to the NAIA. The IIAC became a nine school Conference when Upper Iowa reclassified to NCAA Division II prior to the start of the 2003-04 academic year and fell back to eight schools with Cornell's return to the Midwest Conference following the 2011-2012 academic year.

The conference expanded beyond the borders of Iowa in 2016 with the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan University.^[1] In 2018, the league changed its name to the American Rivers Conference to reflect its current makeup.^[2]

Member schools

Current members

Buena Vista

Central

Coe

Dubuque

Loras

Luther

Nebraska Wesleyan

Simpson

Wartburg

Map of current members

Institution	Nickname	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Joined
Buena Vista University	Beavers	Storm Lake, Iowa	1891	Presbyterian	2,775	1922
Central College	Dutch	Pella, Iowa	1853	Reformed	1,575	1922
Coe College	Kohawks	Cedar Rapids, Iowa	1851	Presbyterian	1,355	1997
University of Dubuque	Spartans	Dubuque, Iowa	1852	Presbyterian	1,361	1929
Loras College	Duhawks	Dubuque, Iowa	1839	Catholic	1,550	1926, 1986*
Luther College	Norse	Decorah, Iowa	1861	Lutheran	2,573	1922
Nebraska Wesleyan University	Prairie Wolves	Lincoln, Nebraska	1887	Methodist	1,600	2016
Simpson College	Storm	Indianola, Iowa	1860	Methodist	1,966	1922
Wartburg College	Knights	Waverly, Iowa	1852	Lutheran	1,804	1936

Note

^* - Loras was dropped from the conference in 1954 because it was determined they were "too strong" for the other members to play against. Loras rejoined the conference in 1986.

Membership timeline

Sports

Member teams field men's and women's teams in cross country, basketball, track and field, swimming and diving, golf, soccer, tennis. Men's teams are field for baseball, football and wrestling. Women's teams are field for softball and volleyball.

Men's sponsored sports by school

School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross Country	Football	Golf	Soccer	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field (Indoor)	Track & Field (Outdoor)	Wrestling	Total ARC Sports
Buena Vista	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Central	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Coe	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Dubuque	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Loras	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Luther	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Nebraska Wesleyan	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Simpson	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Wartburg	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	10

Dubuque also sponsors a men's lacrosse team.
Loras also sponsors a men's volleyball team in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League.

Women's sponsored sports by school

School	Basketball	Cross Country	Football	Golf	Soccer	Softball	Swimming & Diving	Tennis	Track & Field (Indoor)	Track & Field (Outdoor)	Volleyball	Lacrosse	Total ARC Sports
Buena Vista	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	10
Central	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	10
Coe	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	11
Dubuque	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Loras	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	12
Luther	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	11
Nebraska Wesleyan	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	11
Simpson	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	11
Wartburg	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11

References

External links

• Official website