Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
| Conference | Independent |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983 |
| Commissioner | Dan Hovestol |
| Sports fielded |
|
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Region | Upper Midwest |
| Official website | NIAC website |
The Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is an independent college athletic conference. The NIAC is made up of ten schools in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Manitoba. The NIAC sponsors men's and women's basketball for member institutions.
The conference features five Christian colleges (Canadian Mennonite, Free Lutheran Bible, Oak Hills Christian, Providence and Trinity Bible) as well as four Native American schools: Leech Lake Tribal (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College (Three Affiliated Tribes), Sisseton Wahpeton College (Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate) and Turtle Mountain (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa).
History[edit]
Leech Lake Tribal and Red Lake Nation joined the NIAC in 2013.[1]
Canadian Mennonite[2] and Cankdeska Cikana were added to the league for the 2016–17 season.
Expansion for 2017-18 included Providence University College, Red River College and Sisseton Wahpeton College bringing the member total to ten.[3]
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College was admitted to the NIAC for the 2019–20 season.
Member schools[edit]
| Institution | Location | Founded | Enrollment | Nickname |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Mennonite University | Winnipeg, Manitoba | 1999 | 1,750 | Blazers |
| Free Lutheran Bible College | Plymouth, Minnesota | 1966 | 140 | Conquerors |
| Leech Lake Tribal College | Cass Lake, Minnesota | 1990 | 267 | Lakers |
| Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College | New Town, North Dakota | 1973 | 300 | Storm |
| Oak Hills Christian College | Bemidji, Minnesota | 1927 | 175 | Wolfpack |
| Providence University College | Otterburne, Manitoba | 1925 | 464 | Pilots |
| Red River College | Winnipeg, Manitoba | 1938 | 32,000 | Rebels |
| Sisseton Wahpeton College | Sisseton, South Dakota | 1979 | 250 | Mustangs |
| Trinity Bible College | Ellendale, North Dakota | 1948 | 333 | Lions |
| Turtle Mountain Community College | Belcourt, North Dakota | 1972 | 630 | Mighty Mikinocks |
Former members[edit]
- Cankdeska Cikana Community College (2016–18)
- Crossroads College
- Pillsbury Baptist Bible College
- Red Lake Nation College (2013–14)
- St. Cloud Technical & Community College
Champions[edit]
| Year | Men's Champion | Score | Men's Runner up | Host City | Women's Champion | Score | Women's Runner up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Providence | ||||||
| 2007 | Providence | ||||||
| 2008 | St. Cloud Technical | ||||||
| 2009 | St. Cloud Technical | St. Cloud Technical | |||||
| 2010 | St. Cloud Technical | Trinity Bible | |||||
| 2011 | Crossroads | Trinity Bible | |||||
| 2012 | Trinity Bible | Trinity Bible | |||||
| 2013 | Turtle Mountain | Trinity Bible | |||||
| 2014 | Trinity Bible | 95-81 | Turtle Mountain | Bemidji, MN | Trinity Bible | 75-57 | Turtle Mountain |
| 2015 | Trinity Bible | 87-78 | AFLBS | Ellendale, ND | Turtle Mountain | 74-33 | Leech Lake Tribal |
| 2016 | Turtle Mountain | 80-70 | Trinity Bible | Belcourt, ND | Trinity Bible | 65-57[4][5] | Turtle Mountain |
| 2017 | Trinity Bible | 98-72 | AFLBS | Bemidji, MN | Turtle Mountain | 74-67 | Trinity Bible |
| 2018 | Leech Lake Tribal | 95-81 | Providence | Fort Toten, ND | Sisseton Wahpeton | 88-86 | Canadian Mennonite |
| 2019 | Sisseton Wahpeton | 103-85 | Leech Lake Tribal | Sisseton, SD | Providence | 73-60 | Trinity Bible |
| 2020 | Red River | 91-82 | Sisseton Wahpeton | Bemidji/Cass Lake | Canadian Mennonite | 72-71 | Providence |
References[edit]
- ^ "Area tribal colleges to start hoops programs, join Oak Hills in NIAC". Bemidji Pioneer. 20 April 2013.
- ^ "Shooting Two: CMU Basketball Adds New US College Conference Affiliation". CMU Blazer Athletics. 31 May 2016.
- ^ "Providence and Red River College basketball joining NIAC in 2017-2018 Season". MCAC Athletics. 26 May 2017.
- ^ "Lions Win NIAC Conference Tournament". Trinity Bible College. 20 February 2016.
- ^ "Trinity Bible nabs NIAC awards". Aberdeen News. 26 February 2016.