# Dakota Athletic Conference

The Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). As the name implies, member teams were located in the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. The conference folded after the 2011–12 academic year.

## History

The Dakota Athletic Conference was formed from a merger between the North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC) and the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC), effective the 2000-01 academic year. Ten schools were a part of the conference in its history, consisting of the following:
* Formerly from the NDCAC: Dickinson State University, Jamestown College, the University of Mary, Mayville State University, Minot State University and Valley City State University
* Formerly from the SDIC: Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, Si Tanka University-Huron and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
The DAC was one of the only NAIA conferences to have a television contract; America One owned the broadcast rights to the conference, although most of the games were only carried through the network's subscription service, B2 Networks.

### Chronological timeline

* 2000 – The Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) was founded due to a merger of the North Dakota College Athletic Conference (NDCAC) and the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC). Charter members included Dickinson State University, Jamestown College, the University of Mary, Mayville State University, Minot State University and Valley City State University from the NDCAC, and Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, Si Tanka University–Huron and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology from the SDIC, beginning the 2000–01 academic year.
* 2005 – Si Tanka–Huron left the DAC after the school was declared to cease operations after the 2004–05 academic year.
* 2006 – Mary left the DAC to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) after the 2005–06 academic year.
* 2011 – On July 1, 2011 Dakota State announced they were leaving the DAC to become an NAIA Independent. Additionally, member schools Black Hills State, Minot State and South Dakota Mines also left the DAC while in the process of transitioning to NCAA Division II as NCAA D-II Independents: (Black Hills State would later join the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and Minot State would later join the NSIC during the 2012–13 academic year, while South Dakota Mines would later the RMAC during the 2014–15 academic year), all effective after the 2010–11 academic year.
* 2012 – The DAC would cease operations as an athletic conference at the end of the 2011–12 academic year; as many schools left to join their respective new home primary conferences: Dickinson State left for the Frontier Conference while Jamestown, Mayville State and Valley City State became NAIA independent schools (though they would eventually join the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA); Jamestown, Mayville State and Valley City State as part of the charter members during the 2013–14 school year, alongside former DAC conference member and NAIA Independent Dakota State; and Dickinson State followed suit during the 2014–15 school year coming from the Frontier).

## Member schools
### Final members

The DAC ended with four full members, only one was a private school:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Subsequent conference | Current conference |
| Dickinson State University | Dickinson, North Dakota | 1916 | Public | 2,572 | Blue Hawks | 2000 | 2012 | Frontier (2012–14) | North Star (NSAA) (2014–present) |
| Jamestown College | Jamestown, North Dakota | 1883 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) | 900 | Jimmies | 2000 | 2012 | NAIA Independent (2012–13) North Star (NSAA) (2013–18) | Great Plains (GPAC) (2018–present) |
| Mayville State University | Mayville, North Dakota | 1889 | Public | 780 | Comets | 2000 | 2012 | NAIA Independent (2012–13) | North Star (NSAA) (2013–present) |
| Valley City State University | Valley City, North Dakota | 1890 | Public | 1,220 | Vikings | 2000 | 2012 | NAIA Independent (2012–13) | North Star (NSAA) (2013–present) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
* 1 2 3 Part of the North Dakota University System.

### Former members

The DAC had six former full members, only two were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Subsequent conference | Current conference |
| Black Hills State University | Spearfish, South Dakota | 1881 | Public | 4,739 | Yellow Jackets | 2000 | 2011 | D-II Independent (2011–12) | Rocky Mountain (RMAC) (2012–present) |
| Dakota State University | Madison, South Dakota | 1881 | Public | 2,282 | Trojans | 2000 | 2011 | NAIA Independent (2011–13) | North Star (NSAA) (2013–present) |
| Minot State University | Minot, North Dakota | 1913 | Public | 3,851 | Beavers | 2000 | 2011 | D-II Independent (2011–12) | Northern Sun (NSIC) (2012–present) |
| Si Tanka University at Huron | Huron, South Dakota | 1883 | Nonsectarian | N/A | Screaming Eagles | 2000 | 2005 | Closed in 2005 | Closed in 2005 |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Rapid City, South Dakota | 1885 | Public | 2,345 | Hardrockers | 2000 | 2011 | D-II Independent (2011–14) | Rocky Mountain (RMAC) (2014–present) |
| University of Mary | Bismarck, North Dakota | 1959 | Catholic (Benedictines) | 2,758 | Marauders | 2000 | 2006 | Northern Sun (NSIC) (2006–present) | Northern Sun (NSIC) (2006–present) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
* 1 2 3 Part of the South Dakota Board of Regents System.
* 1 2 3 4 Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
* ↑ Part of the North Dakota University System.

### Membership timeline
## Sports

Member schools fielded men's and women's teams in cross country, basketball, track and field and golf. Men's-only sports were baseball, football and wrestling, while soccer, softball and volleyball were only offered for women.