The Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference was a women's-only college athletic conference which operated in the midwestern United States from its inception in 1982 to its absorption by the Missouri Valley Conference in 1992.
History The Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference was founded in August 1982 as a women's-only conference. The charter members consisted of Bradley University, Drake University, Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Indiana State University, the University of Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois University, Southwest Missouri State University, Western Illinois University and Wichita State University.
In 1985, the Gateway added football (its only men's-sponsoring sport) with Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Southwest Missouri State and Western Illinois as the charter members. Indiana State joined the league for that sport in the following year. For football, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Northern Iowa and Southwest Missouri State previously competed in the Mid-Continent Conference, while Illinois State and Southern Illinois previously competed in the then-NCAA Division I-A Missouri Valley Conference, and Indiana State previously competed as an NCAA Division I-AA independent.
In 1992, the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference was merged into the Missouri Valley Conference. The league's football side was spun off into the standalone Gateway Football Conference, known since 2008 as the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The MVFC and MVC, although separate leagues, now share five members and operate out of the same offices in St. Louis.
Members Charter/final members Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Men'sprimaryconferenceduringtenurein Gateway Newmen'sprimaryconferenceafterGatewaydissolution Currentprimaryconference Bradley University Peoria,Illinois 1897 Nonsectarian 6,100 Braves 1982 1992 Missouri Valley (MVC) Drake University Des Moines,Iowa 1881 Nonsectarian 5,200 Bulldogs 1982 1992 Missouri Valley (MVC) Eastern Illinois University Charleston,Illinois 1895 Public 11,651 Panthers 1982 1992 Mid-Continent (Mid-Con) Ohio Valley (OVC) Illinois State University Normal,Illinois 1857 Public 20,800 Redbirds 1982 1992 Missouri Valley (MVC) Indiana State University Terre Haute,Indiana 1865 Public 12,144 Sycamores 1982 1992 Missouri Valley (MVC) Cedar Falls,Iowa 1876 Public 13,080 Panthers 1982 1992 Mid-Continent (Mid-Con) Missouri Valley (MVC) Southern Illinois University Carbondale,Illinois 1869 Public 18,847 Salukis 1982 1992 Missouri Valley (MVC) Southwest Missouri State University Springfield,Missouri 1905 Public 21,059 Bears &Lady Bears 1982 1992 Mid-Continent (Mid-Con) Missouri Valley (MVC) Conf. USA (CUSA) Western Illinois University Macomb,Illinois 1895 Public 13,602 Leathernecks &Westerwinds 1982 1992 Summit Ohio Valley (OVC) Wichita State University Wichita,Kansas 1895 Public 14,806 Shockers 1982 1992 Missouri Valley (MVC) The American
Notes
Membership timeline
List of champions Season Regular Season Champion Tournament Champion1981-82 1982-83 Illinois State1983-84 Drake 1984-85 Illinois State 1985-86 Southern Illinois 1986-87 Southern Illinois Southern Illinois1987-88 Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana State Eastern Illinois1988-89 Illinois State Illinois State1989-90 Southern Illinois Southern Illinois1990-91Missouri State Missouri State1991-92 Missouri State Missouri State
See also Missouri Valley Conference Missouri Valley Football Conference Summit League
References
College Basketball Reference