About the Heartland Conference

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The Heartland Conference is an NCAA Division II conference, founded in 1999, that consists of nine schools, five from Texas, three from Oklahoma, and one each from Arkansas and Kansas. The schools comprising the Heartland Conference stretch from as far north as Wichita, Kan., as far east as Fort Smith, Ark., as far south as Laredo, Texas, and as far west as Lubbock, Texas. The Conference stretches over a distance of 1,050 miles north to south and 610 east to west.

The schools that are in the Heartland Conference include founding members St. Edward's University (Austin, Texas), and St. Mary’s University (San Antonio, Texas), and expansion members Dallas Baptist University (Dallas, Texas) in 2002 and again in 2004, Oklahoma Panhandle State University (Goodwell, Oklahoma) in 2002, and Newman University (Wichita, Kansas), and Texas A&M International University (Laredo, Texas), the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (2009), and Oklahoma Christian University (2012),  and Lubbock Christian and Rogers State in 2013.

Among the many accomplishments of these institutions are national championships in baseball, golf, women's basketball, softball, and nationally ranked teams in all sports.  The strength of the student-athlete concept is well supported by the many NCAA scholar-athletes in each school, the high cumulative GPA of the student-athletes in each school, and the high number of student-athletes who graduate from each institution in the Heartland.

The Heartland Conference is one of the newest NCAA Division II conferences.  At the present time, there are 24 conferences in NCAA Division II, totaling almost 300 institutions in full or provisional status across the nation.

Members of NCAA Division II believe that a well-conducted intercollegiate athletics program, based on sound educational principles and practices, is a proper part of the educational mission of a university or college and that the educational welfare of the participating student-athlete is of primary concern.

Members of NCAA Division II support the following principles in the belief that these objectives assist in defining the division and the possible differences between it and other divisions of the Association. This statement shall serve as a guide for the preparation of legislation by the division and for planning and implementation of programs by institutions and conferences. A member of Division II:

  • Believes in promoting the academic success of its student-athletes, measured in part by an institution's student-athletes graduating at least at the same rate as the institution's student body;
  • Believes that participation in intercollegiate athletics benefits the educational experience of its student-athletes and the entire campus community;
  • Believes in offering opportunities for intercollegiate athletics participation consistent with the institution's mission and philosophy;
  • Believes in preparing student-athletes to be good citizens, leaders and contributors in their communities;
  • Believes in striving for equitable participation and competitive excellence, encouraging sportsmanship and ethical conduct, enhancing diversity and developing positive societal attitudes in all of its athletics endeavors;
  • Believes in scheduling the majority of its athletics competition with other members of Division II, insofar as regional qualification, geographical location and traditional or conference scheduling patterns permit;
  • Recognizes the need to "balance" the role of the athletics program to serve both the campus (participants, student body, faculty-staff) and the general public (community, area, state);
  • Believes in offering opportunity for participation in intercollegiate athletics by awarding athletically related financial aid to its student-athletes;
  • Believes that institutional control is a fundamental principle that supports the educational mission of a Division II institution and assumes presidential involvement and commitment. All funds supporting athletics should be controlled by the institution. The emphasis for an athletics department should be to operate within an institutionally approved budget, and compliance with and self-enforcement of NCAA regulations is an expectation of membership; and
  • Believes that all members of Division II should commit themselves to this philosophy and to the regulations and programs of Division II.