Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) was a college athletic conference that existed from 1908 to 1970 in the United States.
| Formerly | Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
|---|---|
| Conference | NCAA |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Ceased | 1970 |
| Division | College Division (Small College) |
| No. of teams | 8 (start), 4 (final), 29 (total) |
| Region | Midwest |
At one time the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, or IIAC, was a robust league that claimed most of the Illinois institutions of higher education. It was nicknamed the "Little Nineteen," but in 1928 had a membership of 23 schools. Former Illinois State University track coach Joseph Cogdal, associated with the IIAC for 43 years of its 62-year history, noted that the league had roots in the 1870s when a number of schools banded together for oratorical contests. Their first intercollegiate football game was played in 1881 between Illinois State University and Knox College, and by 1894 a football association was established.