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).

Great Plains Athletic Conference
FormerlyNebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1969–1992)
Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference (1992–2000)
AssociationNAIA
Founded1969
CommissionerCorey Westra (since 2003)
Sports fielded
  • 21
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 10
No. of teams12
HeadquartersSioux City, Iowa
RegionMidwestern United States
Official websitewww.gpacsports.com
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

History

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Great Plains Athletic Conference
 
 
100km
62miles
 
Concordia
 
Waldorf
 
Ottawa
 
Kansas Wesleyan
 
Central Christian
 
Saint Mary
 
Morningside
 
Briar Cliff
 
Mount Marty
 
Dordt
 
Dakota Wesleyan
 
Northwestern (IA)
 
Midland
 
Hastings
 
Doane
Location of GPAC members:   current,   affiliate

The Great Plains Athletic Conference was founded on September 22, 1969, as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC).[1] 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.[2] The six charter members were Concordia University, Dana College, Doane University, Hastings College, Midland University, and Nebraska Wesleyan University.[3] 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.[4]

On January 17, 2023, Presentation will end its affiliate status with the GPAC as it announced that it will close, effective that spring.[5]

Chronological timeline

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Member schools

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Current members

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The GPAC currently has 12 full members, all are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a]
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 1,454 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[b] Omaha, Nebraska 1923 Catholic
(R.S.M.)
1,070 Flames 2015
Waldorf University Forest City, Iowa 1903 For-profit[c] 720 Warriors 2024
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ This institution is a women's college, therefore it does not compete in men's sports.
  3. ^ Formerly affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) until 2010.


Associate members

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The GPAC currently has three associate members, all are private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] GPAC
sport
Primary
conference
Central Christian College of Kansas McPherson, Kansas 1884 Free Methodist 1,013 Tigers 2020 men's volleyball Sooner (SAC)
Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, Kansas 1886 United Methodist 1,000 Coyotes 2021 men's volleyball Kansas (KCAC)
Ottawa University[6] Ottawa, Kansas 1865 Baptist 726 Braves 2020 men's volleyball Kansas (KCAC)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

Former members

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The GPAC had four former full members, all were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Subsequent
conference
Current
conference
Dana College Blair, Nebraska 1884 Lutheran ELCA N/A Vikings 1969 2010 Closed in 2010
Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, Nebraska 1887 United Methodist 1,600 Prairie Wolves 1969 2016[c] American Rivers (ARC)[d]
(2016–present)
University of Jamestown Jamestown, North Dakota 1883 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
1,000 Jimmies 2018 2024 North Star (NSAA)[e]
(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)[f]
(2012–present)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.

Former affiliate members

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The GPAC has two former affiliate members, both of which were private schools:

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] GPAC
sport
Current
primary
conference
Conference
in former
NSAA sport
Presentation College Aberdeen, South Dakota 1922 Catholic
(P.B.V.M.)
Saints 2018 2023 men's soccer
women's soccer
Closed in 2023[c]
Waldorf University Forest City, Iowa 1903 For-profit Warriors 2023 2024[d] Great Plains (GPAC)
(2024–present)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition end.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Waldorf became a full member of the GPAC effective the 2024–25 school year.

Membership timeline

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Waldorf UniversityKansas Wesleyan UniversityOttawa UniversityCentral Christian College of KansasPresentation College, South DakotaNorthern Sun Intercollegiate ConferenceNorth Star Athletic AssociationUniversity of JamestownCollege of Saint MaryMorningside UniversityBriar Cliff UniversityNorthern Sun Intercollegiate ConferenceNCAA Division II independent schoolsUniversity of Sioux FallsMount Marty UniversityDordt UniversityDakota Wesleyan UniversityNorthwestern College (Iowa)American Rivers ConferenceNebraska Wesleyan UniversityMidland UniversityHastings CollegeDoane UniversityDana CollegeConcordia University Nebraska

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

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Men's sponsored sports by school

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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

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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 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  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

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "23 Sep 1969, Page 13 – The Lincoln Star at". Newspapers.com. September 23, 1969. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "1 Mar 1970, Page 22 – The Lincoln Star at". Newspapers.com. March 1, 1970. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  3. ^ History of the GPAC
  4. ^ About Commissioner Corey Westra
  5. ^ Sand, Elisa (January 17, 2023). "Presentation College closing Aberdeen campus". Aberdeen News. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  6. ^ GPAC Announces Men's Volleyball as Conference Sport Ottawa to Join GPAC as an Affiliate Member
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