Indiana Collegiate Conference
Encyclopedia
The Indiana Collegiate Conference (ICC) was a college athletic conference in the United States
from 1951 to 1979. It consisted of schools in Indiana
.
The charter members of the conference were Indiana State University
, Butler University
, Valparaiso University
, the University of Evansville
, Ball State University
, Saint Joseph's College (Indiana), and in 1953 DePauw University
.
; and was established for the 1950-51 academic year. It took a handful of years before all members were able to play full conference schedules. While the membership was limited to Indiana-based colleges, their profiles varied from the larger, public colleges (Indiana State and Ball State) to the smaller, secular schools such as the Roman Catholic-affiliated Saint Joseph's, to the Methodist-chartered Evansville and Lutheran-established Valparaiso. Independent schools such as Butler
and DePauw were also members, Butler having recently been a member of the Mid-American Conference
. The ICC would be guided by various commissioners.
In addition to the varied affiliations of the schools themselves, the athletic programs were a mixture of NCAA and NAIA member schools; some (Indiana State and Ball State notably) were simultaneous members of both collegiate athletic associations. Indiana State continued as an NAIA power in men's basketball; their dominance had begun while a Indiana Intercollegiate Conference
member; participating in 5 NAIA tournaments and finishing 3rd Nationally in 1953.
The conference celebrated its glory football years in the 1950s and 1960s. Butler won fourteen conference titles; Saint Joseph's won a share of the 1956 NAIA National Football Championship
, playing to a 0-0 tie with Montana State. The "football-side" of the conference also became known as the Heartland Collegiate Conference, as Ashland University of Ohio became a member for football only in 1978.
The 1960s were the glory years of ICC basketball, especially the University of Evansville Purple Aces
; who under legendary coach Arad McCutchan
won NCAA College Division (now Div II) National Titles in 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 and 1971. The 1968 Indiana State Sycamores
were the College Division National Finalists.
The ICC also had many legendary players and coaches over the years. In basketball, Arad McCutchan
, Tony Hinkle, John Longfellow
, Gene Bartow
and Duane Klueh
all served as head coaches in the conference. Some notable ICC players included Jerry Sloan
, Bobby Plump
, Ed Smallwood, Don Buse
, Larry Humes, Jerry Newsom
, Butch Wade and Billy Shepherd
.
The Indiana State Sycamores were the class of ICC baseball, winning titles in 1957, 1958, 1964, 1966 under Paul Wolf. Wolf was named the ICC Coach of the Year in 1958, 1963, 1966 and 1967.
Despite the ICC disbanning for all other sports, the HCC continued to sponsor Division II football until 1989 when Butler, Valparaiso, Indianapolis, St. Joseph's, and Ashland all joined the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference
(now part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
). Butler and Valparaiso moved to the Division I Pioneer Football League
in 1993.
In 1997 the official records of the conference from 1950 to 1979 were moved from Terre Haute, Indiana onto the campus of DePauw University, becoming part of the Indiana Collegiate Conference/Special Collections Library. The archive also contains an extensive assortment of images and memorabilia from each member university.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1951 to 1979. It consisted of schools in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
The charter members of the conference were Indiana State University
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
, Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
, Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
, the University of Evansville
University of Evansville
The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
, Ball State University
Ball State University
Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
, Saint Joseph's College (Indiana), and in 1953 DePauw University
DePauw University
DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
.
Early years
The conference was an off-shoot of the older, larger Indiana Intercollegiate ConferenceIndiana Intercollegiate Conference
The Indiana Intercollegiate Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States from 1922 to 1950. It consisted of schools in Indiana....
; and was established for the 1950-51 academic year. It took a handful of years before all members were able to play full conference schedules. While the membership was limited to Indiana-based colleges, their profiles varied from the larger, public colleges (Indiana State and Ball State) to the smaller, secular schools such as the Roman Catholic-affiliated Saint Joseph's, to the Methodist-chartered Evansville and Lutheran-established Valparaiso. Independent schools such as Butler
Butler
A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
and DePauw were also members, Butler having recently been a member of the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
. The ICC would be guided by various commissioners.
In addition to the varied affiliations of the schools themselves, the athletic programs were a mixture of NCAA and NAIA member schools; some (Indiana State and Ball State notably) were simultaneous members of both collegiate athletic associations. Indiana State continued as an NAIA power in men's basketball; their dominance had begun while a Indiana Intercollegiate Conference
Indiana Intercollegiate Conference
The Indiana Intercollegiate Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States from 1922 to 1950. It consisted of schools in Indiana....
member; participating in 5 NAIA tournaments and finishing 3rd Nationally in 1953.
The conference celebrated its glory football years in the 1950s and 1960s. Butler won fourteen conference titles; Saint Joseph's won a share of the 1956 NAIA National Football Championship
NAIA national football championship
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Football National Championship is decided by a post-season playoff system featuring the best NAIA college football teams in the United States. Under sponsorship of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the championship game has...
, playing to a 0-0 tie with Montana State. The "football-side" of the conference also became known as the Heartland Collegiate Conference, as Ashland University of Ohio became a member for football only in 1978.
The 1960s were the glory years of ICC basketball, especially the University of Evansville Purple Aces
Evansville Purple Aces
The Evansville Purple Aces represent the University of Evansville in NCAA Division I sports.-Purple Aces and Ace Purple:The University of Evansville's nickname, the Aces, was acquired after an opposing coach cracked a joke after losing to the Evansville College Pioneers in the 1920s...
; who under legendary coach Arad McCutchan
Arad McCutchan
Arad A. McCutchan was a well-known collegiate basketball coach. The Evansville, Indiana native coached his hometown University of Evansville from 1946 to 1977, guiding the Purple Aces to a 515-313 record....
won NCAA College Division (now Div II) National Titles in 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965 and 1971. The 1968 Indiana State Sycamores
1967–68 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team
The 1967–68 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball season is considered one of the greatest in the school's history. The Sycamores won 19 games in the regular season and were led by Jerry Newsom...
were the College Division National Finalists.
The ICC also had many legendary players and coaches over the years. In basketball, Arad McCutchan
Arad McCutchan
Arad A. McCutchan was a well-known collegiate basketball coach. The Evansville, Indiana native coached his hometown University of Evansville from 1946 to 1977, guiding the Purple Aces to a 515-313 record....
, Tony Hinkle, John Longfellow
John Longfellow
John L. Longfellow is a former American basketball player. He was the head men's basketball coach at Indiana State University....
, Gene Bartow
Gene Bartow
Gene Bartow is a former men's college basketball coach. The Browning, Missouri, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years.-High school:...
and Duane Klueh
Duane Klueh
Duane M. Klueh is a retired American basketball player and coach. He currently lives in Terre Haute, Indiana and was the head men's basketball coach at Indiana State University for 12 seasons...
all served as head coaches in the conference. Some notable ICC players included Jerry Sloan
Jerry Sloan
Gerald Eugene "Jerry" Sloan , is an American former National Basketball Association player and head coach, and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA commissioner David Stern called Sloan "one of the greatest and most respected coaches in NBA history." Sloan had a career regular-season...
, Bobby Plump
Bobby Plump
Bobby Plump was a member of the Milan High School basketball team that won the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Tournament in 1954. Plump was named one of the Most Noteworthy Hoosiers of the 20th century by Indianapolis Monthly Magazine...
, Ed Smallwood, Don Buse
Don Buse
Donald R. Buse is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'4" guard from the University of Evansville, Buse played 13 seasons in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association as a member of the Indiana Pacers, the Phoenix Suns, the Portland Trail Blazers,...
, Larry Humes, Jerry Newsom
Jerry Newsom
Jerry Newsom is a former American collegiate basketball player.-Columbus:Jerry Newsom attended Columbus High School in Columbus, Indiana. He led the Bulldogs to consecutive undefeated seasons in 1963 and 1964; reaching the State Finals in 1964...
, Butch Wade and Billy Shepherd
Billy Shepherd
Bill "Billy" L. Shepherd, Jr. is a former American basketball player.A guard, Shepherd played at Carmel High School in Indiana, where he was coached by his father, Bill Shepherd, Sr. He scored 2,465 points in four years and was selected as Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 1968...
.
The Indiana State Sycamores were the class of ICC baseball, winning titles in 1957, 1958, 1964, 1966 under Paul Wolf. Wolf was named the ICC Coach of the Year in 1958, 1963, 1966 and 1967.
Final years
The 1970s saw many of the conference's athletic programs depart for other conferences, as Ball State and Indiana State became Division I programs in the late 1960s. Despite the addition of Indianapolis (formerly Indiana Central) and Wabash in 1970, the conference officially disbanned in 1978.Despite the ICC disbanning for all other sports, the HCC continued to sponsor Division II football until 1989 when Butler, Valparaiso, Indianapolis, St. Joseph's, and Ashland all joined the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference
Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference
The Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference was a football-only NCAA Division II Conference formed for the 1990 football season. The conference was formed as the result of a merger of the football only Heartland Football Conference and the football playing members of the Great Lakes...
(now part of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a competitive intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division II. The GLIAC was founded in June 1972. Member institutions are located in the midwestern United States in the States of Michigan and Ohio, with affiliate...
). Butler and Valparaiso moved to the Division I Pioneer Football League
Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's...
in 1993.
In 1997 the official records of the conference from 1950 to 1979 were moved from Terre Haute, Indiana onto the campus of DePauw University, becoming part of the Indiana Collegiate Conference/Special Collections Library. The archive also contains an extensive assortment of images and memorabilia from each member university.
Members
- Ball StateBall State UniversityBall State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings...
(1950–1969) - ButlerButler UniversityButler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
(1950–1978) - DePauwDePauw UniversityDePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
(1953–1977) - EvansvilleUniversity of EvansvilleThe University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
(1950–1977) - IndianapolisUniversity of IndianapolisThe University of Indianapolis is a university located in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The shortened name it uses is UIndy...
(1970–1977) - Indiana StateIndiana State UniversityIndiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
(1950–1968) - SJC (1950–1978)
- ValparaisoValparaiso UniversityValparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
(1950–1978) - WabashWabash CollegeWabash College is a small, private, liberal arts college for men, located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Morehouse College, Wabash is one of only three remaining traditional all-men's liberal arts colleges in the United States.-History:Wabash College was founded...
(1970–1977)
Subsequent conference affiliations
| Team | Left For | Current Home |
|---|---|---|
| Ball State | Mid-America Conference | Mid-American Conference Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members... |
| Butler | Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Horizon League Horizon League The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States.... |
| DePauw | Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference | North Coast Athletic Conference North Coast Athletic Conference The North Coast Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of schools located in the Midwestern United States. When founded in 1984, the NCAC was a pioneer in gender equality, offering competition in a then-unprecedented ten women's sports... |
| Evansville | Midwestern Collegiate Conference | Missouri Valley Conference Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States... |
| Indianapolis | Great Lakes Valley Conference Great Lakes Valley Conference The Great Lakes Valley Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes at the NCAA's Division II level. Member institutions are located in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin.... |
|
| Indiana State | Midwestern Conference | Missouri Valley Conference Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States... |
| Valparaiso | Mid-Continent Conference | Horizon League Horizon League The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States.... |
| Saint Joseph's | Great Lakes Valley Conference Great Lakes Valley Conference The Great Lakes Valley Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes at the NCAA's Division II level. Member institutions are located in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, and Wisconsin.... |
|
| Wabash | Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference | North Coast Athletic Conference North Coast Athletic Conference The North Coast Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of schools located in the Midwestern United States. When founded in 1984, the NCAC was a pioneer in gender equality, offering competition in a then-unprecedented ten women's sports... |
Winners by school
| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Evansville Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball The Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team represents the University of Evansville, located in Evansville, Indiana, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. Evansville's athletics teams were originally known as the Pioneers in the early part of the 1900s... (1951) |
9 | 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966-co |
| Butler Butler Bulldogs men's basketball The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 1979... (1951) |
5 | 1952, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1962 |
| Indiana State Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball The Indiana State Sycamores basketball is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference... (1951) |
4 | 1951, 1966-co, 1967, 1968-co |
| DePauw (1953) | 2 | 1957, 1968-co |
Winners by school
| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Butler (1951) | 14 | 1952, 1953, 1958–63, 1964-co, 1972-co, 1973–75, 1977-co |
| Evansville (1951) | 6 | 1955-co, 1964-co, 1969-co, 1970, 1972-co, 1976-co |
| Saint Joseph's (Indiana) (1951) | 6 | 1955-co, 1956–57, 1971, 1976-co,1977-co |
| Valparaiso (1951) | 6 | 1951, 1952, 1954, 1964-co, 1968, 1969 |
| Ball State Ball State Cardinals football The Ball State Cardinals football team represents Ball State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Mid-American Conference .-Recent history:... (1953) |
4 | 1964-co, 1965–67 |
| Indiana State Indiana State Sycamores football The Indiana State Sycamores football team is the NCAA Division I men's football program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Playoffs in the 1984 NCAA Division I Football... (1951) |
1 | 1964-co |
Winners by school
| School (year joined) | Winners | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Valparaiso (1951) | 17 | 1952–1953, 1955–1956, 1959–1960, 1963, 1964-co, 1966-co, 1967–1968, 1969-co, 1970, 1971-co, 1972, 1974, 1977 |
| Indiana State Indiana State Sycamores baseball The Indiana State Sycamores baseball team is the NCAA Division I men's baseball program of Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. They are members of the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 1995. Their first season was 1896.... (1951) |
4 | 1957, 1958, 1964, 1966 |
| Ball State (1953) | 3 | 1961, 1962, 1965 |
| Butler (1951) | 2 | 1969, 1974 |
| Evansville (1951) | x | |
| Saint Joseph's (Indiana) (1951) | x | |