The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Founded as the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC) in 1987, it reincorporated under its current name in 1998 with the addition of several schools from Ohio.
Original members of the HCAC included Anderson, Bluffton, Franklin, Hanover, Manchester, Mount St. Joseph, Wabash, and Wilmington. Of the ten current members, six were founding members of the former ICAC.
Former members include DePauw (1987–1998), Taylor (1988–1991), Wabash (1987–1999), Wilmington (1998–2000), and Defiance (2000–2024). Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology (1988–1998) re-joined as of July 1, 2006.
History The Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC) was formed in June 1987, with 1990–91 being the first full season of competition (all eight teams competing in eight varsity sports).
Charter members in 1987 included Anderson University, DePauw University, Franklin College, Hanover College, Manchester College, and Wabash College. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Taylor University later joined in 1988. Taylor left the conference after the 1990–91 season.
The addition of three Ohio schools (Bluffton College, the College of Mount St. Joseph, and Wilmington College) and the departure of two Indiana schools (DePauw and Rose-Hulman) during the 1998–99 season prompted a change in name to Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Wabash and Wilmington later departed in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 seasons respectively. Defiance College and Transylvania University joined in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Rose-Hulman re-joined the HCAC, effective for the 2006–07 season.
In October 2009, Earlham College of Richmond, Indiana was accepted as the 10th member of the conference and began competition in the fall of 2010.
In the summer of 2024, Defiance College departed the HCAC to join the NAIA and the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference. Berea College joined the HCAC at the start of the 2024–25 academic year.
Chronological timeline
1987 – In June 1987, the HCAC was founded as the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC). Charter members included Anderson College (now Anderson University), DePauw University, Franklin College, Hanover College, Manchester College, and Wabash College, beginning the 1987–88 academic year. 1988 – Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology and Taylor University joined the ICAC in the 1988–89 academic year. 1990 – The ICAC began their first full season on competition, competing in eight varsity sports, beginning the 1990–91 academic year. 1991 – Taylor left the ICAC to join the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) after the 1990–91 academic year. 1998: DePauw and Rose–Hulman (or Rose–Hulman Tech or RHIT) left the ICAC to join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) after the 1997–98 academic year. Bluffton College (now Bluffton University), the College of Mount St. Joseph (now Mount St. Joseph University) and Wilmington College joined the ICAC in the 1998–99 academic year. The ICAC rebranded as the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), beginning the 1998–99 academic year. 1999 – Wabash left the HCAC to join the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) after the 1998–99 academic year. Its football program later left after the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 school year). 2000: Wilmington left the HCAC to join the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) after the 1999–2000 academic year. Defiance College joined the HCAC in the 2000–01 academic year. 2001 – Transylvania University joined the HCAC in the 2001–02 academic year. 2006 – Rose–Hulman rejoined the HCAC in the 2006–07 academic year. 2010 – Earlham College joined the HCAC in the 2010–11 academic year. 2021 – Centenary College of Louisiana, Colorado College, the University of Dallas, Southwestern University of Texas and Spalding University joined the HCAC as affiliate members for men's lacrosse in the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year), although Spalding would also add women's lacrosse into its HCAC affiliate membership that same year; however, lacrosse has not been fully incorporated into the HCAC multi-sport conference, thus corresponding into a separate single-sport league known as the Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference (HCLC), which came to existence since the 2017–18 school year. 2022 – Dallas left the HCAC as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse (within the HCLC) after the 2022 spring season (2021–22 academic year). 2023 – Centenary (La.), Colorado College and Southwestern (Tex.) left the HCAC as affiliate members for men's lacrosse (within the HCLC) after the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year). 2024: Defiance left the HCAC to join the NAIA and the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) after the 2023–24 academic year. Berea College joined the HCAC at the start of the 2024–25 academic year. 2027 – Manchester will leave the HCAC to join the Crossroads League of the NAIA at the end of the 2026–27 academic year.
Member schools Current members The HCAC currently has ten full members, all private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Football Anderson University Anderson, Indiana 1917 Church of God 1,228 Ravens 1987 Orange and Black Yes Berea College Berea, Kentucky 1855 Christian 1,527 Mountaineers 2024 Berea Blue and White No Bluffton University Bluffton, Ohio 1899 Mennonite 646 Beavers 1998 Purple and White Yes Earlham College Richmond, Indiana 1847 Quaker 753 Quakers 2010 Maroon and White No Franklin College Franklin, Indiana 1834 Baptist 985 Grizzlies 1987 Navy Blue and Old Gold Yes Hanover College Hanover, Indiana 1827 Presbyterian 1,243 Panthers 1987 Red and Blue Yes Manchester University North Manchester, Indiana 1860 Church of the Brethren 1,276 Spartans 1987 Black and Gold Yes Mount St. Joseph University Delhi Township, Ohio 1920 Catholic 2,265 Lions 1998 Blue and Gold Yes Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, Indiana 1874 Nonsectarian 2,334 Fightin' Engineers 1988;2006 Old Rose and White Yes Transylvania University Lexington, Kentucky 1780 Disciples of Christ 1,006 Pioneers 2001 Crimson and White No
Notes
Affiliate members The HCAC currently has four affiliate members, three private schools and one public school:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined HCACsport(s) Primaryconference Alfred State College Alfred, New York 1908 Public 3,781 Pioneers 2025 Men's lacrosse Allegheny Mountain (AMCC) Hilbert College Hamburg, New York 1957 Catholic 968 Hawks 2025 Men's lacrosse Allegheny Mountain (AMCC) La Roche University McCandless, Pennsylvania 1963 Catholic 2,153 Redhawks 2025 Men's lacrosse Allegheny Mountain (AMCC) Spalding University Louisville, Kentucky 1814 Catholic 1,553 Golden Eagles 2021 Men's lacrosse St. Louis (SLIAC) 2021 Women's lacrosse
Notes
Former members The HCAC has five former full members, all were private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Joined Left Currentconference Defiance College Defiance, Ohio 1850 United Church of Christ Yellow Jackets 2000 2024 Wolverine–Hoosier (WHAC) DePauw University Greencastle, Indiana 1837 United Methodist Tigers 1987 1998 North Coast (NCAC) Taylor University Upland, Indiana 1846 Interdenominational Trojans 1988 1991 Crossroads Wabash College Crawfordsville, Indiana 1832 Nonsectarian Little Giants 1987 1999 North Coast (NCAC) Wilmington College Wilmington, Ohio 1870 Quakers Quakers 1998 2000 Ohio (OAC)
Notes
Former affiliate members The HCAC had four former affiliate members, all were private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Nickname Joined Left HCACsport(s) Primaryconference Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana 1825 United Methodist Gentlemen &Ladies 2021 2023 Men's lacrosse Southern (SCAC) Colorado College Colorado Springs, Colorado 1874 Nonsectarian Tigers 2021 2023 Men's lacrosse Southern (SCAC) Irving, Texas 1956 Catholic Crusaders 2021 2022 Men's lacrosse Southern (SCAC) Southwestern University Georgetown, Texas 1840 United Methodist Pirates 2021 2023 Men's lacrosse Southern (SCAC)
Notes
Membership timeline
Sports
Conference sports +SportMen'sWomen'sBaseballBasketballCross CountryFootballGolfSoccerSoftballSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Indoor)Track & Field (Outdoor)Volleyball
Men's sponsored sports by school +SchoolBaseballBasketballCross CountryFootballGolfSoccerSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Indoor)Track & Field (Outdoor)Total HCAC sportsAnderson10Berea8Bluffton8Earlham8Franklin10Hanover9Manchester9Mount St. Joseph8Rose–Hulman10Transylvania9Totals101010791058101089
Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the HCAC that are played by HCAC schools +SchoolLacrosseVolleyballWrestlingFranklinMCVLHanoverHCLCManchesterINDMount St. JosephMCVLINDTransylvaniaHCLC
Women's sponsored sports by school +SchoolBasketballCross CountryGolfSoccerSoftballSwimming & DivingTennisTrack & Field (Indoor)Track & Field (Outdoor)VolleyballTotal HCAC sportsAnderson10Berea8Bluffton8Earlham9Franklin10Hanover9Manchester9Mount St. Joseph8Rose–Hulman10Transylvania10Totals1010810105810101091
Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the HCAC that are played by HCAC schools +SchoolField HockeyLacrosseWrestlingFranklinHCLCHanoverHCLCManchesterINDMount St. JosephINDTransylvaniaNCACHCLC
References
External links