Top-level basketball in United States colleges is governed by several athletic bodies including the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). About College Basketball Conference, these athletic bodies are further subdivided into divisions based on the level and the number of scholarships they can give to student-athletes and help get some student-athletes drafted into professional sports although this is more peculiar to basketball. Let’s see more, “What Is The Oldest College Basketball Conference?”
Founded in 1888, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) is prestigious for being the oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The MIAA has always conducted championships in different sports. These sports include football (only men), indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, lacrosse, tennis, softball, baseball, swimming, basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf, and cross-country.
About the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association is a conference for athletes who compete in Division III of the NCAA. There are nine teams in the conference and they are all found in the states of Indiana and Michigan.
History of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The MIAA was established in 1888. James Heckman commonly termed the father of the MIAA, suggested the creation of a league that would be permanent after several schools had successfully sponsored track and field days from 1884-to 1887. About College Basketball Conference, The first delegates agreed to a meeting which was held in March of 1888, in Jackson. After a week, the first constitution for the MIAA was drawn up by delegates from different schools all over the Michigan area.
The first track and field meet of the MIAA was held on May 31st and June 1st to 2nd of 1888 at East Lansing. Other sports were later added as follows: baseball, mile run, pole vault, 440-yard dash and high hurdles (1889), football (1894), discus and two-mile run (1912), javelin which replaced hammer throw (1913), basketball (1911), cross country (1922), golf (1934), soccer (1970) and swimming (1971).
Women’s sport, originally thought to have started in the late 1970s, started before this widely thought date. In 1936, Albion College hosted all MIAA schools for a convention and play day 1936. Six years after the formation of the MIAA, the first Albion tennis tournament was held in Albion College, providing evidence that women’s sport had started earlier than perceived.
Members of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Currently, the members of the MIAA include Trine University formerly called Tri-State University, Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame, Olivet College, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, Calvin University, Albion College, Adrian College, and Alma College. Former members of the conference include Defiance College, Michigan State, Hillsdale College, and Eastern Michigan University. Albion and Olivet colleges are the only remaining charter members in the conference. Tri-State University is the newest member of the conference after gaining acceptance in the 2004-2005 season. In 2008, Tri-State was renamed Trine University.
Achievements
The MIAA has over the years, experienced success in different athletic pursuits. The men’s tennis team of Kalamazoo College has won or shared in every MIAA Final since 1936. However, they’ve only shared the title twice with Hope College (1962 and 2003). Since the ’90s, colleges that are members of the MIAA have won 18 Division III championships. Kalamazoo won the first MIAA national championship in 1976 and the Kalamazoo Hornets would go on to win back-to-back titles in 1986 and 1987 and then in 1991, 1992, and 1993. The MIAA became the first collegiate body in the history of Division III college sports when it won two national basketball championships; Calvin with the men and Alma with the women.
Reputable Coaches
Teams at MIAA colleges have also been managed by renowned coaches who have become quite successful in doing so. George Acker who was the coach for men’s tennis at Kalamazoo was able to garner 7 Division III Championships and 35 MIAA Championships. Other coaches include Tish Loveless, Bob Kent, and Chester Bernard all of Kalamazoo College, Jare Klein of Olivet College, and John Patnott who coached at Hope College.
Rivalries
As is common in competitive sports, some colleges in the MIAA exist to nurture rivalries against each other. These rivalries include that of Kalamazoo and Calvin, Kalamazoo and Hope, and that with Calvin and Hope which has been considered the most famous in Division III and has been ranked the fourth in all college rivalries across the U.S. by ESPN.
Conclusion
The MIAA is the oldest college sports association in the U.S. Its schools have won over 20 Division III championship titles, becoming one of the most successful in that division. Both the men’s and women’s teams have performed excellently in events like baseball, basketball, football, cross country, soccer, diving, and swimming. MIAA colleges have played host to NCAA championship events in men’s and women’s sports.
Frequently Asked Questions
a. Has there been a state that has had two teams play in the finals of the NCAA championships? Yes, there has. In 1961, Ohio State and the University of Cincinnati were the two highest-ranked teams in the NCAA. They played each other in the final and Cincinnati emerged the winner.
b. Do the best college players always make it into the NBA? Not really. The college game is quite different from professional basketball and only 60 players get drafted into the NBA. Most of these players are sourced from international leagues. Although there are few like Steph Curry who has shown to be good enough for professional basketball.
c. Can I skip college and go to the NBA directly? No. This was practiced before and got players like Lebron James and Kevin Garnett into the NBA but the practice has been stopped due to the drastic change encountered by these players.
d. Who is the best men’s basketball player in the MIAA? Evan Thomas, who plays for Hope College has been named the MVP of MIAA after leading his college to a victory over Kalamazoo.