The Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA that sponsors only football. Founded in 1993 with competition starting in 1994, its member schools are located in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The conference is split into the Mideast and Midwest Leagues, whose champions receive automatic bids to the NAIA football national championship. MSFA teams have won eight national titles. For other sports, MSFA members compete in conferences like the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference, Crossroads League, and Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference.
History
Chronological timeline
- 1994 – The Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) was founded. Charter members included the following, beginning the 1994 fall season (1994–95 academic year):
- Geneva College, Malone College (now Malone University), Tiffin University, Urbana University, and Westminster College representing the Mideast League
- and the University of Findlay, Lindenwood College (now Lindenwood University), Olivet Nazarene University, Saint Xavier University, Taylor University and Trinity International University representing the Midwest League
- 1996 – Lindenwood left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) after the 1995 fall season (1995–96 academic year).
- 1996 – Tri-State University (now Trine University) and Walsh University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League, while Iowa Wesleyan College (later Iowa Wesleyan University) and St. Ambrose University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League, all effective in the 1996 fall season (1996–97 academic year).
- 1998 – Findlay and Westminster (Pa.) left the MSFA to move their football programs to the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC), along with their other sports when both joined the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) after the 1997 fall season (1997–98 academic year).
- 1998 – The University of Saint Francis of Indiana joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League, while McKendree College (now McKendree University) joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League, both effective in the 1998 fall season (1998–99 academic year).
- 1999 – St. Ambrose opted to not compete in the MSFA for the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 academic year).
- 1999 – The University of St. Francis of Illinois joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 academic year).
- 2000 – St. Ambrose returned to the MSFA in the 2000 fall season (2000–01 academic year).
- 2002 – Tiffin left the MSFA to join the Independent Football Alliance (IFA) after the 2001 fall season (2001–02 academic year).
- 2002 – William Penn University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League in the 2002 fall season (2002–03 academic year).
- 2003 – Trine left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined the NCAA Division III ranks after the 2002 fall season (2002–03 academic year).
- 2003 – Quincy University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 2003 fall season (2003–04 academic year).
- 2004 – Ohio Dominican University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 2004 fall season (2004–05 academic year).
- 2006 – Quincy moved to the Midwest League in the 2006 fall season (2006–07 academic year).
- 2007 – Geneva left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined the NCAA Division III ranks and the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) after the 2006 fall season (2006–07 academic year).
- 2007 – Marian University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 2007 fall season (2007–08 academic year).
- 2007 – Saint Xavier (Ill.) moved to the Mideast League in the 2007 fall season (2007–08 academic year).
- 2008 – Urbana left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined the NCAA Division II ranks after the 2007 fall season (2007–08 academic year).
- 2009 – Ohio Dominican left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined the NCAA Division II ranks after the 2008 fall season (2008–09 academic year).
- 2009 – Grand View University and Waldorf University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League in the 2009 fall season (2009–10 academic year).
- 2009 – Olivet Nazarene and Trinity International moved to the Mideast League in the 2009 fall season (2009–10 academic year).
- 2011 – Three institutions left the MSFA to move their football programs with their other sports when they joined the NCAA Division II ranks, all effective after the 2010 fall season (2010–11 academic year):
- Malone and Walsh to the GLIAC
- and McKendree to the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC)
- 2011 – Concordia University Ann Arbor joined the MSFA to represent in the Mideast League in the 2011 fall season (2011–12 academic year).
- 2011 – Quincy returned to the Mideast League, while Olivet Nazarene and Trinity International went back to the Midwest League in the 2011 fall season (2011–12 academic year).
- 2012 – Two institutions left the MSFA to move their football programs with their other sports when they joined the NCAA ranks, both effective after the 2011 fall season (2011–12 academic year):
- Quincy to D-II and the GLVC
- and Iowa Wesleyan to D-III and eventually to the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC)
- 2012 – Siena Heights University joined the MSFA to represent in the Mideast League in the 2012 fall season (2012–13 academic year).
- 2013 – Robert Morris University Illinois joined the MSFA to represent in the Mideast League in the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
- 2013 – Saint Xavier (Ill.) returned to the Mideast League, while Saint Francis (Ill.) moved to the Midwest League, both effective in the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
- 2014 – Waldorf left the MSFA to join the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) as an affiliate member for football after the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
- 2015 – Grand View and William Penn left the MSFA to move their football programs with their other sports when both joined the HAAC after the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
- 2015 – Lindenwood University – Belleville and Missouri Baptist University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 2015 fall season (2015–16 academic year).
- 2015 – Saint Francis (Ill.) went back to the Mideast League in the 2015 fall season (2015–16 academic year).
- 2019 – Lindenwood–Belleville left the MSFA after the 2018 fall season (2018–19 academic year).
- 2019 – Indiana Wesleyan University and Lawrence Technological University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
- 2019 – Missouri Baptist moved to the Midwest League in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
- 2020 – Robert Morris (Ill.) left the MSFA after the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
- 2020 – Madonna University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League, while Roosevelt University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League, both effective in the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year).
- 2021 – Judson University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League in the 2021 fall season (2021–22 academic year).
- 2023 – Missouri Baptist left the MSFA to move their football program to the HAAC as a football associate after the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year).
- 2023 – Trinity International left the MSFA, coinciding with the closure of its residential campus at the end of the spring semester in favor of online undergraudate programs.
- 2024 – Two institutions left the MSFA to move their football programs, both effective after the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year):
- Roosevelt to join the NCAA D-II ranks and the GLIAC
- and St. Ambrose to join the HAAC as a football associate1
- 2024 – Defiance College joined the MSFA to represent in the Mideast League in the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).
- 2024 – Marian and Saint Francis (Ind.) moved to the Midwest League in the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).
- 2025 – Concordia–Ann Arbor will leave the MSFA after the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).
Member schools
Current members
The MSFA currently has 13 member schools, all of them are private schools.
Former members
The MSFA has 22 former member schools, all of them were private schools.
Membership timeline
Mideast League Midwest League
National Championship appearances
| Year | MSFAmember | Opponent | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Findlay (OH) | Central Washington | Tie | 21–21 |
| 1997 | Findlay (OH) | Willamette | Won | 14–7 |
| 1998 | Olivet Nazarene (IL) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | Lost | 14–17 |
| 2004 | Saint Francis (IN) | Carroll (MT) | Lost | 13–15 2OT |
| 2005 | Saint Francis (IN) | Carroll (MT) | Lost | 10–27 |
| 2006 | Saint Francis (IN) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Lost | 19–23 |
| 2011 | Saint Xavier (IL) | Carroll (MT) | Won | 24–20 |
| 2012 | Marian (IN) | Morningside (IA) | Won | 30–27 OT |
| 2013 | Grand View (IA) | Cumberlands (KY) | Won | 35–23 |
| 2014 | Marian (IN) | Southern Oregon | Lost | 31–55 |
| 2015 | Marian (IN) | Southern Oregon | Won | 31–14 |
| 2016 | Saint Francis (IN) | Baker (KS) | Won | 38–17 |
| 2017 | Saint Francis (IN) | Reinhardt (GA) | Won | 24–13 |
| 2019 | Marian (IN) | Morningside | Lost | 38–40 |
External links
References
"St. Ambrose and William Woods Football to Join the Heart of America Athletic Conference in 2024" (Press release). Heart of America Athletic Conference. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023. https://heartofamericaconference.com/sports/fball/2023-24/releases/20230724nqg6h7 ↩
Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins. ↩
Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins. ↩
Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends. ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_III ↩
Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_I ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
Robert Morris (Ill.) was merged into Roosevelt University after the 2019 fall season (2019–20 school year). ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
St. Ambrose didn't compete in the MSFA during the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 school year). ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_III ↩
Trinity International closed their residential campus after 2022–23 school year and now it only have online modalities. ↩
Formerly affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) until 2010. /wiki/Evangelical_Lutheran_Church_in_America ↩
Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_II ↩
Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference. /wiki/NCAA_Division_III ↩