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Gateway Football Conference
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Gateway Football Conference | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Data | |
| Classification | NCAA Division I FCS |
| Established | 1985 |
| Members | 7 |
| Sports fielded | 1 (football) |
| Region | Midwestern United States |
| States | 5 - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Ohio |
| Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Commissioner | Patty Viverito |
| Locations | |
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The Gateway Football Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS; still frequently referred to by its former designation of Division I-AA) as a football-only conference.
Contents |
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Joined | Nickname | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State University | Normal, Illinois | 1857 | Public | 20,757 | 1985 | Redbirds | Missouri Valley Conference |
| Indiana State University | Terre Haute, Indiana | 1865 | Public | 10,760 | 1985 | Sycamores | Missouri Valley Conference |
| Missouri State University | Springfield, Missouri | 1905 | Public | 22,785 | 1985 | Bears | Missouri Valley Conference |
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, Iowa | 1876 | Public | 14,070 | 1985 | Panthers | Missouri Valley Conference |
| Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, Illinois | 1869 | Public | 23,600 | 1985 | Salukis | Missouri Valley Conference |
| Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois | 1899 | Public | 13,600 | 1985 | Leathernecks | Mid-Continent Conference |
| Youngstown State University | Youngstown, Ohio | 1908 | Public | 13,183 | 1997 | Penguins | Horizon League |
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Joining | Nickname | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State University | Fargo, North Dakota | 1890 | Public | 10,426 | 2008 | Bison | Mid-Continent Conference (2007) |
| South Dakota State University | Brookings, South Dakota | 1881 | Public | 9,208 | 2008 | Jackrabbits | Mid-Continent Conference (2007) |
- Eastern Illinois University (Ohio Valley Conference), 1985-1995
- Western Kentucky University (Sun Belt Conference), 2001-2006
The league was formed from the remnant football schools of the old Missouri Valley when it stopped sponsoring its hybrid I-A/I-AA football league in 1985. The I-AA members from the MVC, Illinois State, Indiana State, and Southern Illinois, joined Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Missouri State (then Southwest Missouri State), and Western Illinois from the AMCU. After Eastern Illinois joined the Ohio Valley Conference for football in 1995, Youngstown State joined in 1997 and was followed by Western Kentucky in 2001.
On November 2, 2006, Western Kentucky's Board of Regents approved a proposal by the school's president to upgrade the football program to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A). The Hilltoppers will leave the GFC after the 2006 season, go through the two-year "reclassification" period mandated by the NCAA for schools moving from the FCS to the FBS, and then join the Sun Belt Conference for football in 2009 (it is already a member of that conference for other sports).[1]
Due to Western Kentucky's move, the Gateway was left with 7 members for the 2007 season. However, Great West Football Conference members North Dakota State and South Dakota State were asked to submit information about themselves and to attend the conference presidents' meeting.[2] On March, 7, 2007, the conference announced that both schools would join the conference beginning with the 2008 season.[3]
- 1985: Northern Iowa
- 1986: Eastern Illinois
- 1987: Northern Iowa
- 1988: Western Illinois
- 1989: Southwest Missouri State1
- 1990: Southwest Missouri State & Northern Iowa
- 1991: Northern Iowa
- 1992: Northern Iowa
- 1993: Northern Iowa
- 1994: Northern Iowa
- 1995: Eastern Illinois & Northern Iowa
- 1996: Northern Iowa
- 1997: Western Illinois
- 1998: Western Illinois
- 1999: Illinois State
- 2000: Western Illinois
- 2001: Northern Iowa
- 2002: Western Illinois & Western Kentucky
- 2003: Northern Iowa & Southern Illinois
- 2004: Southern Illinois
- 2005: Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, & Youngstown State
- 2006: Youngstown State
1 This is the school now known as Missouri State; it did not adopt its current name until 2005.
| School | Football Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | Hancock Stadium | 15,000 |
| Indiana State | Memorial Stadium | 12,764 |
| Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex | 16,300 |
| North Dakota State (2007) | Fargodome | 19,500 |
| Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,000 |
| South Dakota State (2007) | Coughlin-Alumni Stadium | 16,000 |
| Southern Illinois | McAndrew Stadium | 17,000 |
| Western Illinois | Hanson Field | 15,000 |
| Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 |
- ^ WKU Regents Approve Move To Division 1-A (sic) Football. Western Kentucky University (2006-11-02). Retrieved on November 3, 2006.
- ^ Gateway Eyes Dakotas For Expansion. ESPN (2006-10-26). Retrieved on November 19, 2006.
- ^ Gateway Expands to Nine Members. Gateway Football Conference (2007-03-07). Retrieved on March 9, 2007.
| Gateway Football Conference |
|---|
| Illinois State (Redbirds) • Indiana State • Missouri State (Bears) • Northern Iowa (Panthers) • Southern Illinois • Western Illinois • Youngstown State |
| NCAA Division I Championship Subdivision Football Conferences |
| Atlantic Ten Conference – Big Sky Conference – Big South Conference – Gateway Football Conference – Great West Football Conference – Ivy League Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Northeast Conference – Ohio Valley Conference – Patriot League Pioneer Football League – Southern Conference – Southland Conference – Southwestern Athletic Conference – Independents |