# Great Plains Athletic Conference

The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. The conference was founded in 1969 as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC), later becoming the Nebraska–Iowa Athletic Conference (1992) before being renamed the Great Plains Athletic Conference (2000).

## History

The Great Plains Athletic Conference was founded on September 22, 1969, as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC). The first president of the conference was Art Nicolia (NWU) while Glen Hinkle (Doane) was the vice president and Roger Olsen (Dana) was the secretary/treasure. Jack Anderson (NWU) was named the first publicist on February 28, 1970. The six charter members were Concordia University, Dana College, Doane University, Hastings College, Midland University, and Nebraska Wesleyan University. With the addition of Northwestern College in 1992, the NIAC was renamed the Nebraska–Iowa Athletic Conference. The NIAC became the Great Plains Athletic Conference in 2000 with the addition of Dakota Wesleyan University, Dordt University, Mount Marty University, and the University of Sioux Falls. Later, Briar Cliff University and Morningside University joined the GPAC in 2002 and 2003 respectively. The College of Saint Mary, a women's only institution, joined in 2015. In 2018, University of Jamestown joined the conference as a full-member, while Presentation College joined the conference as an associate member. All former members of the NIAC remain affiliated with the GPAC except for Dana College, which closed in 2010, the University of Sioux Falls, which left the conference in 2011, and Nebraska Wesleyan University, which left the conference in 2016. Paul Clark was the commissioner of the GPAC when it formed in 2000. Corey Westra in Sioux City, Iowa, is the current commissioner of the league.
On January 17, 2023, Presentation will end its affiliate status with the GPAC as it announced that it will close, effective that spring.
On September 18, 2023, the GPAC had extended an invitation to Waldorf University as their newest full member of the conference, effective beginning the 2024–25 academic year; although at that moment, the university was already an affiliate member in both men's and women's soccer.

### Chronological timeline

* 1969 – On September 22, 1969, the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) was founded as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC). Charter members included Concordia Teachers College (now Concordia University of Nebraska), Dana College, Doane College (now Doane University), Hastings College, Midland Lutheran College (now Midland University) and Nebraska Wesleyan University, beginning the 1969–70 academic year.
* 1992 – Northwestern College of Iowa joined the NIAC. Therefore, the NIAC has been rebranded as the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference (NIAC), beginning the 1992–93 academic year.
* 2000 – Dakota Wesleyan University, Dordt College (now Dordt University), Mount Marty College (now Mount Marty University) and the University of Sioux Falls joined the NIAC. Therefore, the NIAC has been rebranded as the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), beginning the 2000–01 academic year.
* 2002 – Briar Cliff College (now Briar Cliff University) joined the GPAC in the 2002–03 academic year.
* 2003 – Morningside College (now Morningside University) joined the GPAC in the 2003–04 academic year.
* 2010 – Dana left the GPAC as the school announced that it would close after the 2009–10 academic year.
* 2011 – Sioux Falls left the GPAC and the NAIA for the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-II Independent (which would later join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), beginning the 2012–13 school year) after the 2010–11 academic year.
* 2015 – The College of Saint Mary joined the GPAC in the 2015–16 academic year.
* 2016 – Nebraska Wesleyan left the GPAC and the NAIA to fully align in the NCAA Division III ranks (during that time, they held dual membership with both the NAIA and the NCAA), primarily competing as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC; now known as the American Rivers Conference) after the 2015–16 academic year.
* 2018 – The University of Jamestown joined the GPAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
* 2018 – Presentation College joined the GPAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's soccer in the 2018 fall season (2018–19 academic year).
* 2020 – Ottawa University joined the GPAC as an affiliate member for men's volleyball in the 2021 fall season (2020–21 academic year).
* 2021 – Central Christian College of Kansas and Kansas Wesleyan University joined the GPAC as affiliate members for men's volleyball in the 2022 fall season (2021–22 academic year).
* 2023 – Presentation left the GPAC as an affiliate member for men's and women's soccer as the school ceased operations after the 2022–23 academic year.
* 2023 – Waldorf University joined the GPAC as an affiliate member in both men's and women's soccer in the 2023–24 academic year.
* 2024 – Jamestown was removed from the GPAC after the 2023–24 academic year due to their pursuit of a move to the NCAA Division II ranks; which subsequently rejoined the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) (which they were members prior to joining the GPAC) for the 2024–25 school year.
* 2024 – Central Christian (Ks.), Kansas Wesleyan and Ottawa left the GPAC as affiliate members for men's volleyball after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year); as the conference announced that it had discontinued the sport, while replacing it with women's wrestling.
* 2024 – Waldorf joined the GPAC as a full member for all sports in the 2024–25 academic year.

## Member schools
### Current members

The GPAC currently has 12 full members, all are private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined |
| Briar Cliff University | Sioux City, Iowa | 1930 | Catholic (Franciscan) | 1,150 | Chargers | 2002 |
| Concordia University, Nebraska | Seward, Nebraska | 1894 | Lutheran LCMS | 2,200 | Bulldogs | 1969 |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell, South Dakota | 1885 | United Methodist | 895 | Tigers | 2000 |
| Doane University | Crete, Nebraska | 1872 | United Church of Christ | 1,000 | Tigers | 1969 |
| Dordt University | Sioux Center, Iowa | 1955 | Christian Reformed | 1,581 | Defenders | 2000 |
| Hastings College | Hastings, Nebraska | 1882 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) | 1,150 | Broncos | 1969 |
| Midland University | Fremont, Nebraska | 1883 | Lutheran ELCA | 1,394 | Warriors | 1969 |
| Morningside University | Sioux City, Iowa | 1894 | United Methodist | 2,824 | Mustangs | 2003 |
| Mount Marty University | Yankton, South Dakota | 1936 | Catholic (Benedictines) | 1,100 | Lancers | 2000 |
| Northwestern College | Orange City, Iowa | 1882 | Reformed | 1,099 | Red Raiders | 1992 |
| College of Saint Mary | Omaha, Nebraska | 1923 | Catholic (R.S.M.) | 1,070 | Flames | 2015 |
| Waldorf University | Forest City, Iowa | 1903 | For-profit | 720 | Warriors | 2024 |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
* ↑ Waldorf previously competed in the GPAC as an affiliate member in both men's and women's soccer during the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year).
* ↑ Formerly affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) until 2010.

### Former members

The GPAC had four former full members, all were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Subsequent conference | Current conference |
| Dana College | Blair, Nebraska | 1884 | Lutheran ELCA | N/A | Vikings | 1969 | 2010 | Closed in 2010 | Closed in 2010 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan University | Lincoln, Nebraska | 1887 | United Methodist | 1,600 | Prairie Wolves | 1969 | 2016 | American Rivers (ARC) (2016–present) | American Rivers (ARC) (2016–present) |
| University of Jamestown | Jamestown, North Dakota | 1883 | Presbyterian (PCUSA) | 1,000 | Jimmies | 2018 | 2024 | North Star (NSAA) (2024–25) | North Star (NSAA) (2024–25) |
| University of Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | 1883 | Baptist | 1,628 | Cougars | 2000 | 2011 | NAIA/D-II Independent (2011–12) | Northern Sun (NSIC) (2012–present) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
* ↑ Nebraska Wesleyan was also an NCAA D-III Independent from 1982–83 to 2015–16, therefore it help dual membership with the NAIA and the NCAA.
* ↑ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
* ↑ Jamestown will leave the North Star after the 2024–25 academic year and begin their transition to NCAA Division II and join the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.
* ↑ Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.

### Former affiliate members

The GPAC has five former affiliate members, all of which were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | GPAC sport | Current primary conference | Conference in former GPAC sport |
| Central Christian College of Kansas | McPherson, Kansas | 1884 | Free Methodist | 1,013 | Tigers | 2021 | 2024 | men's volleyball | Sooner (SAC) | Heart of America (HAAC) |
| Kansas Wesleyan University | Salina, Kansas | 1886 | United Methodist | 1,000 | Coyotes | 2021 | 2024 | men's volleyball | Kansas (KCAC) | Heart of America (HAAC) |
| Ottawa University | Ottawa, Kansas | 1865 | Baptist | 726 | Braves | 2020 | 2024 | men's volleyball | Kansas (KCAC) | Heart of America (HAAC) |
| Presentation College | Aberdeen, South Dakota | 1922 | Catholic (P.B.V.M.) | N/A | Saints | 2018 | 2023 | men's soccer women's soccer | Closed in 2023 | Closed in 2023 |
| Waldorf University | Forest City, Iowa | 1903 | For-profit | 720 | Warriors | 2023 | 2024 | men's soccer women's soccer | Great Plains (GPAC) (2024–present) | Great Plains (GPAC) (2024–present) |

#### Notes

* ↑ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
* ↑ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition end.
* ↑ At the time of the school's tenure as an affiliate member within the GPAC, Presentation competed as a full member of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) from 2013–14 to 2022–23.
* ↑ Waldorf became a full member of the GPAC effective the 2024–25 school year.

### Membership timeline

Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (sport)

## Sponsored sports
### Men's sponsored sports by school

| School | Base­ball | Basket­ball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Soccer | Tennis | Track & Field (indoor) | Track & Field (outdoor) | Wrest­ling | Total |
| Briar Cliff | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Concordia-Nebraska | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Dakota Wesleyan | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Doane | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Dordt | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | 8 |
| Hastings | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Midland | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Morningside | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Mount Marty | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | 9 |
| Northwestern College | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Waldorf | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Totals | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 104 |

### Women's sponsored sports by school

| School | Basket­ball | Cheer and Dance | Cross Country | Golf | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field (indoor) | Track & Field (outdoor) | Volleyball | Total |
| Briar Cliff | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 8 |
| Concordia-Nebraska | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Dakota Wesleyan | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Doane | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Dordt | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Hastings | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Midland | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Morningside | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Mount Marty | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Northwestern College | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| College of Saint Mary | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 10 |
| Waldorf | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | 9 |
| Totals | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 115 |