The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. There are nine teams in the conference, all located in the states of Michigan and Indiana. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association was established on March 24, 1888, making it the oldest college athletic conference in the United States. The current members of the MIAA include Adrian College, Albion College, Alma College, Calvin University, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, University of Olivet, Saint Mary's College of Notre Dame, Indiana, and Trine University, formerly known as Tri-State University. Albion and Olivet are the only charter members remaining in the conference. Former members include such colleges as Michigan State University, previously Michigan Agricultural College, (1888–1907), Eastern Michigan University, previously Michigan State Normal College, (1892–1926), Hillsdale College (1888–1961), and Defiance College (1997–2000).

History

The MIAA conference was established on March 24, 1888, and is the oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference includes 23 different sports, 12 men's and 11 women's. These sports include cross country, football, golf, basketball, tennis, swimming, baseball, volleyball, softball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, lacrosse, soccer, and men's wrestling. Some past sports that are no longer in competition include bicycle racing, Indian club juggling, archery, and field hockey.

In 1977, league presidents voted to allow post-season participation by member schools if they were so invited by the NCAA Division III Football Committee (Harburn 4). This ended a 17-year ban on post-season competition. Albion's 1977 team was the first team chosen to participate. Many teams during the ban did not have the chance to show off their skills as some teams were even ranked in the Top Ten nationally, because of the NCAA rule prohibiting more than two teams from the same region being selected (Harburn 4). Hillsdale College left the conference in 1960 because they accepted a bid to a postseason football bowl game and were subsequently suspended two years by the conference.

Chronological timeline

  • 1888 – The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) was founded. Charter members included Albion College, Hillsdale College, Olivet College (now the University of Olivet) and the State Agricultural College of Michigan (now Michigan State University), beginning the 1888–89 academic year.
  • 1892 – Michigan State Normal School (now Eastern Michigan University) joined the MIAA in the 1892–93 academic year.
  • 1896 – Kalamazoo College joined the MIAA in the 1896–97 academic year.
  • 1902:
  • Eastern Michigan left the MIAA after the 1901–02 academic year.
  • Alma College joined the MIAA in the 1902–03 academic year.
  • 1907 – Michigan State left the MIAA after the 1906–07 academic year.
  • 1908 – Adrian College joined the MIAA in the 1908–09 academic year.
  • 1920 – Eastern Michigan rejoined the MIAA in the 1920–21 academic year.
  • 1922 – Adrian left the MIAA after the 1921–22 academic year.
  • 1926:
  • Eastern Michigan left the MIAA for a second time after the 1925–26 academic year.
  • Hope College joined the MIAA in the 1926–27 academic year.
  • 1937 – Adrian rejoined the MIAA in the 1937–38 academic year.
  • 1940 – Olivet left the MIAA after the 1939–40 academic year.
  • 1952 – Olivet rejoined the MIAA in the 1952–54 academic year.
  • 1953 – Calvin College (now Calvin University) joined the MIAA in the 1953–54 academic year.
  • 1978 – The MIAA would add women's sports, beginning the 1978–79 academic year.
  • 1997 – Defiance College and Saint Mary's College of Indiana joined the MIAA in the 1997–98 academic year.
  • 2000 – Defiance left the MIAA to join the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) after the 1999–2000 academic year.
  • 2002 – Wisconsin Lutheran College joined the MIAA as an affiliate member for football in the 2002 fall season (2002–03 academic year).
  • 2004 – Trine University joined the MIAA in the 2004–05 academic year.
  • 2008 – Wisconsin Lutheran left the MIAA as an affiliate member for football after the 2007 fall season (2007–08 academic year).
  • 2018 – Finlandia University joined the MIAA as an affiliate member for football in the 2018 fall season (2018–19 academic year).
  • 2021 – Finlandia left the MIAA as an affiliate member for football after the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year).

Winning streaks and distinguished coaches

The MIAA has had its share of many winning seasons, but there are some that may stick out more than others. For example, Kalamazoo College men's tennis has been a part of one that cannot be matched by any other college or university in America. They have won or shared every MIAA Finals championship since 1936, which is 72 consecutive titles (www.miaa.org accessed 5/2/10). The only times they had to share the title was with Hope College in 1962 and 2003. Some other notable championship streaks include Calvin's men cross country 33 years in a row (active); Calvin's women track & field 27 years in a row.

The first MIAA national championship was won by Kalamazoo in 1976 when it won the men's tennis championship (Renner 19). The Kalamazoo College Hornets would later win back-to-back championships in 1986 and 1987 (Renner 19) and again in 1991, 1992, and 1993.

The league has had many coaches throughout its history. One coach with a noteworthy career is George Acker of Kalamazoo College. Acker was a Phys. Ed Professor and men's tennis coach for 35 years. His resume includes coaching 7 NCAA Division III Championships and 35 MIAA Championships. A notable 209-1 MIAA career dual-meet record and an overall 537–231 record (www.kzoo.edu/sports/ahof/sport.html accessed October 15, 2008). Acker was the winningest coach in the MIAA. He is followed by John Patnott of Hope College, Tish Loveless (Kalamazoo College), Chester Barnard (Kalamazoo College), and Bob Kent also from Kalamazoo College.