# American Rivers Conference

The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. From 1927 until August 9, 2018, it was known officially as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) and commonly as the Iowa Conference.

## History

The A-R-C dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges 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 University, 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 the 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 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 re-admitted 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 re-joined 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 2011–12 academic year.
The conference expanded beyond the borders of Iowa in 2016 with the addition of Nebraska Wesleyan University. On August 9, 2018, the league changed its name to the American Rivers Conference to reflect its current makeup.

### Chronological timeline

* 1922 - On December 8, 1922, the American Rivers Conference was founded as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association (IIAA). Charter members included Buena Vista College (now Buena Vista University), Central University of Iowa (now Central College), Des Moines University, Ellsworth College (now Ellsworth Community College), Iowa Wesleyan College (now Iowa Wesleyan University), Luther College, Morningside College (now Morningside University), Parsons College, St. Ambrose College (now St. Ambrose University), Simpson College, Upper Iowa College (now Upper Iowa University), Western Union College (later Westmar University) and Penn College (now William Penn University) beginning the 1922-23 academic year.
* 1923 - Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) joined the IIAA in the 1923-24 academic year.
* 1926 - Columbia College of Iowa joined the IIAA in the 1926-27 academic year.
* 1927 - Ellsworth left the IIAA after the 1926-27 academic year.
* 1927 - The IIAA was renamed as the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the spring season beginning the 1927-28 academic year.
* 1929 - Des Moines U. left the IIAC as the school announced to close after the 1928-29 academic year.
* 1929 - The University of Dubuque joined the IIAC in the 1929-30 academic year.
* 1935 - Northern Iowa left the IIAC fully align with the North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NCIAC) after the 1934-35 academic year.
* 1936 - Morningside left the IIAC to fully align with the NCIAC after the 1935-36 academic year.
* 1936 - Wartburg College joined the IIAC beginning the 1937-38 academic year.
* 1949 - William Penn was suspended for two seasons by the IIAC after the 1948-49 academic year.
* 1951 - William Penn was re-instated back to the IIAC in the 1951-52 academic year.
* 1953 - Westmar left the IIAC after the 1952-53 academic year.
* 1954 - Loras, St. Ambrose and William Penn left the IIAC after the 1953-54 academic year.
* 1960 - William Penn re-joined back to the IIAC beginning the 1962-63 academic year.
* 1965 - Iowa Wesleyan left the IIAC after the 1964-65 academic year.
* 1986 - Loras re-joined back to the IIAC in the 1986-87 academic year.
* 1997 - Coe College and Cornell College joined the IIAC in the 1997-98 academic year.
* 2001 - William Penn left the IIAC for a second time to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) after the 2000-01 academic year.
* 2003 - Upper Iowa left the IIAC to join 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 2006-07 academic year) after the 2002-03 academic year.
* 2012 - Cornell left the IIAC to re-join the Midwest Conference (MWC) after the 2011-12 academic year.
* 2016 - Nebraska Wesleyan University joined the IIAC in the 2016-17 academic year.
* 2018 - On August 9, 2018, the IIAC was rebranded as the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) in the 2018-19 academic year.

## Member schools
### Current members

The A-R-C currently has nine full members; all are private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined |
| Buena Vista University | Storm Lake, Iowa | 1891 | Presbyterian | 2,775 | Beavers | 1922 |
| Central College | Pella, Iowa | 1853 | Reformed | 1,575 | Dutch | 1922 |
| Coe College | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | 1851 | Presbyterian | 1,355 | Kohawks | 1997 |
| University of Dubuque | Dubuque, Iowa | 1852 | Presbyterian | 1,361 | Spartans | 1929 |
| Loras College | Dubuque, Iowa | 1839 | Catholic (Archdiocese of Dubuque) | 1,550 | Duhawks | 1926, 1986 |
| Luther College | Decorah, Iowa | 1861 | Lutheran ELCA | 2,573 | Norse | 1922 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan University | Lincoln, Nebraska | 1887 | United Methodist | 1,600 | Prairie Wolves | 2016 |
| Simpson College | Indianola, Iowa | 1860 | United Methodist | 1,966 | Storm | 1922 |
| Wartburg College | Waverly, Iowa | 1852 | Lutheran ELCA | 1,804 | Knights | 1936 |

#### Notes

* ↑ Loras was dropped from the IIAC after the 1953–54 school year because it was determined they were "too strong" for the other members to play against. Loras re-joined the IIAC in the 1986–87 school year.

### Former members

The A-R-C had 11 former full members, all but one were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current conference |
| Cornell College | Mount Vernon | 1853 | United Methodist | 1,155 | Rams | 1997–98 | 2011–12 | Midwest (MWC) |
| Des Moines University | Des Moines | 1898 | Not-for-profit | N/A | N/A | 1922–23 | 1928–29 | Closed in 1929 |
| Ellsworth College | Iowa Falls | 1890 | Public | 1,000 | Panthers | 1922–23 | 1926–27 | Iowa (ICCAC) |
| Iowa State Teachers College | Cedar Falls | 1876 | Public | 12,607 | Panthers | 1923–24 | 1934–35 | Missouri Valley (MVC) |
| Iowa Wesleyan College | Mount Pleasant | 1842 | United Methodist | 850 | Tigers | 1922–23 | 1964–65 | Closed in 2023 |
| Morningside College | Sioux City | 1894 | United Methodist | 1,149 | Mustangs | 1922–23 | 1935–36 | Great Plains (GPAC) |
| Parsons College | Fairfield | 1875 | Presbyterian | 1,500 | Wildcats | 1922–23 | 1962–63 | Closed in 1973 |
| St. Ambrose College | Davenport | 1882 | Catholic | 2,829 | Fighting Bees | 1922–23 | 1953–54 | Chicagoland (CCAC) |
| Upper Iowa University | Fayette | 1857 | Nonsectarian | 6,000 | Peacocks | 1922–23 | 2002–03 | Northern Sun (NSIC) |
| Westmar College | Le Mars | 1887 | United Methodist | 1,000 | Eagles | 1922–23 | 1952–53 | Closed in 1997 |
| William Penn University | Oskaloosa | 1873 | Society of Friends | 1,795 | Statesmen | 1922–23, 1962–63 | 1953–54, 2000–01 | Heart of America (HAAC) |

#### Notes

* ↑ All cities were located in the State of Iowa.
* ↑ Currently known as Ellsworth Community College since 1968.
* ↑ Currently an NJCAA athletic conference.
* ↑ Currently known as the University of Northern Iowa since 1967.
* ↑ Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
* ↑ Currently known as Iowa Wesleyan University since 2015.
* ↑ Currently known as Morningside University since 2021.
* 1 2 3 Currently an NAIA athletic conference.
* ↑ Currently known as St. Ambrose University since 1987.
* ↑ Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
* ↑ Later known as Westmar University from 1995 until its closure in late 1997.
* ↑ Formerly known as William Penn College until 2000.
* ↑ William Penn was suspended from the conference from 1949–50 to 1950–51 and then removed from the IIAC for being "too weak" after the 1953–54 school year; William Penn would later re-join the IIAC from the 1962 spring season (1961–62 school year) to 2000–01.

### Membership timeline
## Sports

Conference sports :
| Sport | Men's | Women's |
| Baseball | Y | |
| Basketball | Y | Y |
| Cheer & Dance | | Y |
| Cross country | Y | Y |
| Football | Y | |
| Golf | Y | Y |
| Soccer | Y | Y |
| Softball | | Y |
| Swimming & Diving | Y | Y |
| Tennis | Y | Y |
| Track & field (indoor) | Y | Y |
| Track & field (outdoor) | Y | Y |
| Volleyball | | Y |
| Wrestling | Y | Y |

### Notes

* 1 2 3 4 The American Rivers Conference has a policy in which sports may be sponsored as an invited if petitioned by a group of schools. Cheer & Dance, Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving, and Women's Wrestling have all successfully petitioned to be sponsored through an invitational.

### 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 A-R-C 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 |

#### Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the American Rivers Conference that are played by American Rivers schools

| School | Gymnastics | Lacrosse | Shooting Sports | Volleyball |
| Coe | | | NCSSAA | |
| Dubuque | | MLC | | |
| Loras | | | | CCIW |
| Simpson | EIGL | | NCSSAA | Independent |
| Wartburg | | | SCTP | |

##### Notes

* ↑ Not sponsored by the NCAA.

### Women's sponsored sports by school

| School | Basketball | Cheer & Dance | Cross Country | Golf | Soccer | Softball | Swimming & Diving | Tennis | Track & Field (Indoor) | Track & Field (Outdoor) | Volleyball | Wrestling | Total A-R-C Sports |
| Buena Vista | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| Central | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |
| 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 | Y | 12 |
| Wartburg | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | 11 |

#### Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the American Rivers Conference that are played by American Rivers schools

| School | Gymnastics | Shooting Sports | Triathlon |
| Central | | | Independent |
| Coe | | NCSSAA | Independent |
| Simpson | Independent | NCSSAA | |
| Wartburg | | SCTP | |
* 1 2 Not sponsored by the NCAA.
* 1 2 Part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women.