Frontier Conference

Last updated
Frontier Conference
Frontier Conference logo.svg
FormerlyMontana Small College Conference (1934–1936)
Montana Collegiate Conference (1936–1966)
Association NAIA
Founded1934
CommissionerDr. Scott Crawford
Sports fielded
  • 16
    • men's: 8
    • women's: 8
No. of teams6 (11 in 2025-26)
Headquarters Whitefish, Montana
Region Western United States
Official website frontierconference.com
Locations
Frontier Conference-USA-states.PNG

The Frontier Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference was founded in 1934. Member institutions are located in the U.S. state of Montana, with associate members in the states of Arizona, Idaho, and Oregon.

Contents

History

The Montana Small College Conference (MSCC) was established in 1934 by the five smaller schools (Montana Technological University, the University of Montana Western, Montana State University–Northern, Intermountain Union College and Billings Polytechnic Institute) in the state. The MSCC was renamed as the Montana Collegiate Conference (MCC) in 1936, with the additions of Montana State University Billings and Carroll College joining. The merger of International Union and Billings Poly to become Rocky Mountain College occurred in 1947. After nearly three decades, the conference reestablished itself under its current moniker in November 1966, containing the same six schools until 1974. [1] The University of Providence (then the College of Great Falls) joined that year, however would only stay for a decade. MSU Billings left for the first incarnation of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 1988, leaving the Frontier at five members for another decade. The conference opened up outside of Montana for the first time in 1998, with schools from Idaho (Lewis–Clark State College) and Utah (Westminster College) joining. Great Falls re-joined in 1999. Dickinson State University joined in 2012, only to leave in 2014 to join the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA). Westminster (Utah) left for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II ranks and re-joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) in 2015. Lewis–Clark State left for the Cascade Collegiate Conference as a full member in 2020. [2]

Chronological timeline

Frontier Conference
Frontier Conference
Invisible Square.svg
Invisible Square.svg
Mapscaleline.svg
200km
125miles
Location dot blue.svg
Montana Tech
Location dot green.svg
Bellevue
Location dot green.svg
Dakota State
Location dot green.svg
Mayville State
Location dot green.svg
Valley City State
Location dot green.svg
Dickinson State
Location dot blue.svg
Providence
Location dot blue.svg
Rocky Mountain
Location dot blue.svg
MSU Northern
Location dot blue.svg
Carroll
Location dot blue.svg
Montana Western
Location of Frontier members: Location dot blue.svg current, Location dot green.svg future

Member schools

The Frontier Conference has 5 full members with football, 1 full member without football, and 4 football-only affiliate members. University of Providence does not field a football team. Arizona Christian, College of Idaho, Eastern Oregon and Southern Oregon are the football-only affiliates. [6]

Current members

The Frontier currently has six full members, half are private schools:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [lower-alpha 1]
Carroll College Helena, Montana 1909 Catholic
(Diocese of Helena)
1,502 Fighting Saints 1935
Montana State University–Northern Havre, Montana 1929Public [lower-alpha 2] 1,207 Lights &
Skylights
1935
Montana Technological University Butte, Montana 1889Public [lower-alpha 2] 2,694 Orediggers 1934
University of Montana Western Dillon, Montana 1893Public [lower-alpha 2] 1,336 Bulldogs 1934
University of Providence [lower-alpha 3] Great Falls, Montana 1932Catholic
(Ursulines)
800 Argonauts 1974;
1999 [lower-alpha 4]
Rocky Mountain College [lower-alpha 5] Billings, Montana 1878various [lower-alpha 6] 894 Battlin' Bears 1947
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. 1 2 3 Part of the Montana University System.
  3. Formerly known as the University of Great Falls until 2017.
  4. Providence (then known as Great Falls) did not have an athletics program from 1984–85 to 1998–99.
  5. Rocky Mountain was formed by a merger of Intermountain Union College and Billings Polytechnic Institute since late 1935. But their athletic programs continued until the end of the 1935–36 school year.
  6. Rocky Mountain has various affiliations: The Mainline Protestant, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Church of Christ.

Future members

The Frontier will have five new members, four public schools and one private school:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoining [lower-alpha 1] Current
conference
Bellevue University Bellevue, Nebraska 1966 Nonsectarian 8,300 Bruins 2025 North Star (NSAA)
Dakota State University Madison, South Dakota 1881Public3,307 Trojans
Dickinson State University Dickinson, North Dakota 1918Public1,800 Blue Hawks
Mayville State University Mayville, North Dakota 1889Public1,130 Comets
Valley City State University Valley City, North Dakota 1890Public1,623 Vikings
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

Affiliate members

The Frontier currently has four affiliate members, two of them are private schools:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [lower-alpha 1] Frontier
sport
Primary
conference
Arizona Christian University Glendale, Arizona 1960 Nondenominational 1,050 Firestorm 2023football Golden State (GSAC)
College of Idaho Caldwell, Idaho 1891 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
1,010 Coyotes 2014 Cascade (CCC)
Eastern Oregon University La Grande, Oregon 1929 Public 3,743 Mountaineers 2008
Southern Oregon University Ashland, Oregon 18725,696 Raiders 2012
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

Former members

The Frontier had four former full members, only one was a private school:

InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoined [lower-alpha 1] Left [lower-alpha 2] Subsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference
Dickinson State University [lower-alpha 3] Dickinson, North Dakota 1918 Public 2,572 Blue Hawks 20122014 North Star (NSAA)
(2014–2025)
Lewis–Clark State College Lewiston, Idaho 1893 Public 4,500 Warriors &
Lady Warriors
19982020 Cascade (CCC)
(2020–present)
Eastern Montana College [lower-alpha 4] Billings, Montana 19274,600 Yellowjackets 19331980various [lower-alpha 6] Great Northwest (GNAC) [lower-alpha 5]
(2007–present)
Westminster College [lower-alpha 7] Salt Lake City, Utah 1875 Nonsectarian 3,108 Griffins 19982015 Rocky Mountain (RMAC) [lower-alpha 5]
(2015–present)
Notes
  1. Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. Dickinson State will be returning to the Frontier for the 2025–26 academic year.
  4. Currently known as Montana State University–Billings since 1994. Eastern Montana was the school name that reflected its use during conference membership.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  6. Eastern Montana (now Montana State–Billings) had joined the following subsequent conferences: as an NCAA D-II Independent from 1980–81 to 1981–82; the Pacific West Conference [lower-alpha 5] (PacWest) from 1982–83 to 2004–05 (originally known as the Great Northwest Conference from 1982–83 to 1991–92); and the Heartland Conference [lower-alpha 5] from 2005–06 to 2006–07.
  7. Currently known as Westminster University since 2023.

Membership timeline

Valley City State UniversityMayville State UniversityDakota State UniversityBellevue UniversityArizona Christian UniversityCollege of IdahoSouthern Oregon UniversityDickinson State UniversityEastern Oregon UniversityWestminster University (Utah)Lewis–Clark State CollegeUniversity of ProvidenceUniversity of ProvidenceRocky Mountain CollegeMontana State University–NorthernMontana State University–NorthernCarroll CollegeUniversity of Montana WesternUniversity of Montana WesternUniversity of Montana WesternMontana Technological UniversityMontana Technological UniversityMontana State University BillingsRocky Mountain CollegeRocky Mountain CollegeFrontier Conference

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

Sports

The Frontier Conference sponsors athletic competition in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's football, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and women's volleyball.

National championships

Basketball

Montana Western won the NAIA national title in Division I Women's basketball, in 2019.

Rocky Mountain won the national title in men's basketball, NAIA Division I, in 2009.

Montana State-Northern won the national title in women's basketball, NAIA Division II, in 1993.

Carroll reached the semi-finals in men's basketball in 2005, as did Lewis-Clark State in women's basketball in 2001.

Football

Carroll has won the NAIA national championship six times: four straight, from 2002 to 2005, also in 2007 and 2010, and has been runner-up twice.

Southern Oregon won the NAIA national championship in the 2014 season.

Montana Tech was the national runner-up in 1996.

Wrestling

Montana State-Northern has won six wrestling titles: 1991, 1992, 1998-2000, 2004, and was runner-up in 1990, 1993, and 2002.

Montana Western was co-champion in 1994.

In 2014, the University of Great Falls was second and Montana State-Northern took third at the NAIA national wrestling championship.

Bowling

College of Great Falls (now University of Providence) was the 1973 Men's NAIA National Bowling Champion.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Northwest Athletic Conference</span> U.S. college athletic conference

The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. It has historically operated in the northwestern United States, but also includes schools in Alaska, Montana, and British Columbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference</span> Collegiate athletic conference in the western United States

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from approximately 1910 through the late 1960s, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the western United States. Most member schools are in Colorado, with additional members in Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Conference</span> Athletic conference

The Northwest Conference (NWC) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in the states of Oregon and Washington. It was known as the Pacific Northwest Conference from 1926 to 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dakota Athletic Conference</span>

The Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) was a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). As the name implies, member teams were located in the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. The conference folded after the 2011–12 academic year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heart of America Athletic Conference</span> College athletic conference

The Heart of America Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NAIA independent schools</span>

NAIA independent schools are four-year institutional members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) that do not have formal conference affiliations. NAIA schools that are not members of any other athletic conference are members of the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC), formerly the Association of Independent Institutions (AII), which provides member services to the institution and allows members to compete in postseason competition. The CAC has one member institution in Canada's British Columbia. It provides services to the member institutions that are not fitting in any other NAIA conference and allows members to compete in postseason competition. The AII renamed itself the Continental Athletic Conference at the end of June 2021, citing the need to identify as a proper conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartland Conference</span> Defunct US collegiate athletic conference

The Heartland Conference was a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level, which was founded in 1999. The majority of members were in Texas, with additional members in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The conference office was located in Waco, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific West Conference</span> NCAA Division II conference

The Pacific West Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in California and Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Nazarene University</span> Christian university in Nampa, Idaho, US

Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) is a private Nazarene university in Nampa, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cascade Collegiate Conference</span>

The Cascade Collegiate Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member schools are located in the Northwestern United States and in British Columbia. The conference's members compete in 15 sports. The current commissioner of the conference is Robert Cashell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocky Mountain College</span> Private college in Billings, Montana, United States

Rocky Mountain College is a private college in Billings, Montana. It offers 50 liberal arts and professional majors in 24 undergraduate disciplines. As of 2013, the college had 1,069 enrolled students. RMC is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the United Church of Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Pacific Conference</span> American college athletic conference

The California Pacific Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference commissioner is Don Ott. Conference leadership is shared among the member institutions. The secretary is Marv Christopher of California Maritime Academy. The conference was formed in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Oregon Raiders football</span> Southern Oregon University sports team

The Southern Oregon Raiders football team represents Southern Oregon University in the sport of American football. The Raiders team competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as an associate member of the Frontier Conference. Southern Oregon University has fielded an official football team since 1927 and has an all-time record of 349–351–15. The Raiders play in Raider Stadium in Ashland, Oregon, which has a capacity of 5,000. Southern Oregon has played in two NAIA national championship games, winning one, and have won thirteen conference championships in multiple conferences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Hays State Tigers</span> Athletic teams representing Fort Hays State University

The Fort Hays State Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Fort Hays State University, located in Hays, Kansas, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) for most of its sports since the 2006–07 academic year; while its men's soccer team competes in the Great American Conference (GAC). The Tigers previously competed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 1989–90 to 2005–06 ; in the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1976–77 to 1988–89; in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) from 1972–73 to 1975–76; in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1967–68; and in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) from 1902–03 to 1922–23.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montana Tech Orediggers football</span> Montana Technological University college American football team

The Montana Tech Orediggers football program represents Montana Technological University in college football as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), as members of the Frontier Conference.

The 1972 Montana Grizzlies football team was an American football team that represented the University of Montana in the Big Sky Conference during the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. In their sixth year under head coach Jack Swarthout, the Grizzlies played their home games at Dornblaser Field and compiled a 3–8 record,.

The 1956 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) during the 1956 NAIA football season. In its fourth season under head coach Tony Storti, the team compiled a 9–0–1, won the RMC championship, tied with Saint Joseph's (IN) in the Aluminum Bowl, and was recognized as the national champion in NAIA.

References

  1. "Montana Collegiate League Changes Name". Daily Herald . Provo, Utah. United Press International. November 13, 1966. p. 20. Retrieved October 25, 2019 via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  2. "Lewis-Clark State leaving Frontier Conference to join Cascade Collegiate Conference". MontanaSports.com. May 20, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  3. "Arizona Christian Firestorm Football to Join the Frontier Conference in 2023". Victory Sports Network. September 8, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  4. "Frontier Adding Dickinson State as Newest Conference Member". Frontier Conference (Press release). December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
  5. "Frontier Conference Expands to 11 Full-time Members". Frontier Conference (Press release). May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  6. "College of Idaho football to join Frontier Conference". Idaho Press. June 27, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2013.