Editing North Central Conference (section)

==History==
The NCC was formed in 1922.  Charter members of the NCC were South Dakota State College (now [[South Dakota State University]]), [[College of St. Thomas]] (now the [[University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)|University of St. Thomas]]), [[Des Moines University (1865–1929)|Des Moines University]], [[Creighton University]], North Dakota Agricultural College (now [[North Dakota State University]]), the [[University of North Dakota]], Morningside College (now [[Morningside University]]), the [[University of South Dakota]], and [[Nebraska Wesleyan University]].

The [[University of Northern Iowa]] was a member of the NCC from 1934 until 1978.  UNI currently competes in Division I in the [[Missouri Valley Conference]]; in [[NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision|FCS football]], it competes in the [[Missouri Valley Football Conference]]. In 2002 Morningside College left the NCC to join the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]].  The [[University of Northern Colorado]] left the conference in 2003, followed in 2004 by [[North Dakota State University]] and [[South Dakota State University]].  These three schools all transitioned their athletics programs from Division II to Division I; they became founding members of the Division I FCS [[Great West Conference|Great West Football Conference]], which started play in the fall of 2004.  Since that time, Northern Colorado moved on to the [[Big Sky Conference]] in all sports in 2006.  In the fall of 2006, North Dakota State and South Dakota State were admitted to [[The Summit League]]; they have also moved on to rejoin old conference mate Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

It was announced on November 29, 2006, that the 2007–08 athletic season would be the final season for the NCC and that the conference would cease operations on July 1, 2008.<ref>{{cite web| title = Thomas: NCC will fold in summer 2008| publisher = Forum Communications Co.| year = 2006| url = http://www.in-forum.com/Sports/articles/147907| access-date = 2006-11-30 }}{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

*The [[University of North Dakota]] and the [[University of South Dakota]] both announced in 2006 that they would reclassify its athletic programs to [[NCAA Division I|Division I]], and both left the North Central Conference after the 2007–08 academic year.<ref>{{cite web| title = USD to Move Athletic Programs to Division I| publisher = University of South Dakota| year = 2006| url = http://www.usdcoyotes.com/sports/news/release.asp?release_id=3489| access-date = 2006-11-29| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071004223255/http://www.usdcoyotes.com/sports/news/release.asp?release_id=3489| archive-date = 2007-10-04| url-status = dead}}</ref> Both have since joined North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and Northern Iowa as members of the [[Missouri Valley Football Conference]] in football, and the [[Summit League]] in other sports together with NDSU, SDSU and UNO.
*[[Augustana University|Augustana College]], the [[University of Minnesota Duluth]], [[Minnesota State University, Mankato]] and [[St. Cloud State University]] were admitted to the [[Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference]] beginning July 1, 2008.<ref>{{cite web| title = Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Expands to 14 Teams| publisher = Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference| year = 2007| url = http://www.northernsun.org/07_04_02_Expansion_Release.pdf| access-date = 2007-05-24| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629202112/http://www.northernsun.org/07_04_02_Expansion_Release.pdf| archive-date = 2007-06-29| url-status = dead}}</ref>
*The [[University of Nebraska at Omaha]] joined the [[Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association]] starting July 1, 2008.<ref>{{cite web| title =MIAA CEO Council ratifies decision to add Nebraska-Omaha| publisher = Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association| year = 2007| url = http://www.themiaa.com/MIAANewsArticle.asp?News=1778| access-date = 2007-05-24 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070705041635/http://www.themiaa.com/MIAANewsArticle.asp?News=1778 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-07-05}}</ref> UNO has since moved to Division I and is now in The Summit League with many of its former conference members.
*[[Central Washington University]] and [[Western Washington University]], both football-only affiliates of the NCC, joined up with football independents [[Western Oregon University|Western Oregon]], [[California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt|Humboldt State]], and Dixie State (now known as [[Utah Tech University|Utah Tech]]) and restarted football in their full-time home of the [[Great Northwest Athletic Conference]]. Central Washington has since moved their program to the [[Lone Star Conference]], while Western Washington ceased sponsoring football after the 2008 season.

===Chronological timeline===
* In 1922, the North Central Conference (also known as the North Central Intercollegiate Conference) was founded with nine charter members:  College of St. Thomas, Creighton University, Des Moines University, Morningside College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, North Dakota Agricultural College, University of North Dakota, South Dakota State College of Agricultural and Mechanical Arts, and the University of South Dakota. St. Thomas left after the 1922 season.
* In 1926, Des Moines University left the NCC, and the school eventually would close its doors in 1929.  Nebraska Wesleyan also left, joining the Nebraska Conference. St. Thomas rejoined the conference after a brief stint as an independent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PandG19261203 1 |url=https://cdm17521.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/newspapers/id/3741/rec/5 |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=cdm17521.contentdm.oclc.org |language=en}}</ref>
* In 1928, Creighton University and the College of St. Thomas (now University of St. Thomas) left the NCC.  St. Thomas became a full member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference while Creighton left to join the Missouri Valley Conference.  The NCC was left with five members.
* In 1934, Iowa State Teachers College joined the NCC from the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  Also, Omaha University joined the NCC to bring membership back up to seven schools.
* In 1942, Augustana College left the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference to join the North Central Conference as its eighth member.
* In 1946, Omaha University left the NCC to join the Central Intercollegiate Conference.  The NCC was left with seven members.
* In 1960, North Dakota Agricultural College was renamed North Dakota State University.
* In 1961, the Iowa State Teachers College was renamed the State College of Iowa.
* In 1964, South Dakota State College was renamed South Dakota State University.
* In 1967, State College of Iowa was renamed to the University of Northern Iowa.
* In 1968, Mankato State College joined the NCC from the Northern Intercollegiate Conference, bringing league membership up to eight teams.
* In 1975, Mankato State College was renamed Mankato State University.
* In 1976, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (Omaha University was renamed to UNO in 1968) rejoined the NCC, while Mankato State University left the NCC due to not fielding a team in the 1976 season.  Membership in the NCC remained at eight schools.
* In 1978, the University of Northern Colorado left the Great Plains Athletic Conference to join the North Central Conference.  In the same year, the University of Northern Iowa left the NCC to move to the Association of Mid-Continent Universities.  Membership remained at eight schools.
* In 1981, Mankato State University and St. Cloud State University joined the NCC from the Northern Intercollegiate Conference, giving the NCC its largest membership total in history at 10 schools and it would remain at this level for the next 21 years.  Membership at this time included:  Augustana, Mankato State, Morningside, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and St. Cloud State.
* In 1998, Mankato State University was officially renamed to Minnesota State University, Mankato.
* In 2002, Morningside College, one of the North Central Conference's charter members, left the league and moved out of NCAA Division II to the NAIA level.  The NCC was left with nine members.
* In 2003, the University of Northern Colorado moved up to NCAA Division I, leaving the NCC with eight members.
* In 2004, charter members North Dakota State and South Dakota State also announced plans to move to Division I and leave the NCC.  SDSU, NDSU and Northern Colorado founded the FCS Great West Football Conference.  The University of Minnesota-Duluth left the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference to join the NCC as its seventh member.
* In 2006, Central Washington University and Western Washington University of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference joined the North Central Conference as affiliate members in the sport of football only to give the conference nine football schools.
* In 2008, the two remaining charter members of the NCC, the University of South Dakota and the University of North Dakota, announced plans to leave the conference and move up to Division I.  This move led to the rest of the league members making a move.  Central Washington and Western Washington joined up with other schools in the Pacific Northwest to form a football league in the GNAC.  Augustana, Minnesota-Duluth, Minnesota State and St. Cloud State remained in NCAA Division II by joining the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  Finally, Nebraska-Omaha also remained in Division II by joining the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) before moving to Division I a year later.  These moves resulted in the dissolution of the North Central Conference after having existed for 86 years.