The Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (TIAA) was the name of two different Texas-based college sports association that operated from 1909 to 1932 and then from 1976 to 1997. From 1976 till its dissolution, it was an NCAA-affiliated Division III college athletic association.
Founded in 1909 by Southwestern University, Austin College, Texas Christian University, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor University and Trinity University the TIAA had a changing set of members that spun off into the Southwest Conference, Lone Star Conference and the Texas Conference. The league had been formed to rid college athletics of objectionable elements like gambling and place them entirely under the control of the schools. At first the league worked well, but soon the disparity in the sizes of the schools became an issue. The large state schools, with bigger stadiums and crowds, began to refuse to travel to the smaller schools and insisted on playing that at home.
This battle between the large and small schools led to the first big change in 1914, when Texas, A&M, Baylor and Southwestern left to form the Southwest Conference, with some considering themselves to be members of both. After two seasons, Southwestern left the Southwest conference and returned to the TIAA. The conferences became completely separate in 1917. In 1922, TIAA expanded by including North Texas. In 1923, TCU left to join the Southwest Conference and in 1924, Rice followed suit.
In 1925 the TIAA was split between members who wanted to allow freshmen and transfers to play and schools that did not. This fault line also separated the teachers colleges that had joined over the years and the church-sponsored schools that had been founders. In May 1925 those that wanted to allow them to play, Trinity, Simmons, Austin College, Howard Payne, Southwestern and Daniel Baker left to form the Texas Conference, but they agreed to play out the fall 1925 football season within the TIAA. Play within the Texas Conference began with the 1926 basketball season. The five departing schools were all church supported and agreed to ally themselves "along denominational lines."
By 1930, the TIAA had expanded back to 11 members. This included teachers colleges such as Sul Ross, West Texas, East Texas, North Texas, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and Southwest Texas as well as Abilene Christian College, Daniel Baker, Texas A&I and McMurry. But in May 1931, five TIAA schools joined together to form the Lone Star Conference. These were Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, East Texas, Southwest Texas and North Texas. As a result, the conference was dissolved in 1932. Many of the members became independents and eventually wound up in the short-lived Alamo Conference.
Description and members
Members over the years have included, but not been limited to Rice University, Howard Payne University, TCU, Southwestern University, Austin College, Trinity University, Hardin-Simmons University, SMU, Daniel Baker College, The University of Texas, Southwest Texas State, Sam Houston State, Texas A&M, Baylor, North Texas State and Stephen F. Austin State University.
When the association dissolved in 1997, most of the teams joined the newly formed American Southwest Conference which included teams from other states.
At the time of its dissolution it consisted of:
Austin CollegeHardin-Simmons UniversityHoward Payne UniversityLubbock Christian UniversityMidwestern State UniversityMcMurry UniversitySul Ross State UniversityTarleton State UniversityUniversity of Dallas1988 Sul Ross State1989 Tarleton State1990 Sul Ross State1991 Tarleton State1992 Howard Payne1993 Howard Payne1994 Howard Payne1995 Hardin-Simmons1996 Sul Ross State1977 Tarleton State1978 McMurry1979 McMurry1980 McMurry1981 McMurry1982 McMurry1983 Lubbock Christian1984 McMurry/Tarleton State1985 McMurry1986 McMurry1987 McMurry1988 Howard Payne1989 Tarleton State1990 Tarleton State1991 Tarleton State1992 Howard Payne/Hardin-Simmons1993 Hardin-Simmons1994 McMurry1995 Howard Payne1996 Howard Payne/McMurry1977 Tarleton State1978 Tarleton State1979 Tarleton State1980 Tarleton State1981 Tarleton State1982 Tarleton State/McMurry1983 Tarleton State1984 Tarleton State1985 Tarleton State/Sul Ross State1986 Tarleton State1987 Sul Ross State1988 Tarleton State1989 Tarleton State1990 Howard Payne1991 Tarleton State1992 Sul Ross State1993 Hardin-Simmons1994 Hardin-Simmons/Howard Payne1995 Hardin-Simmons/Howard Payne/Sul Ross State1996 Hardin-SimmonsEarly incarnation
1924 Howard Payne1925 Southwestern1926 Daniel Baker1927 McMurry College1928 Daniel Baker1929 Southwest Texas State Teachers College1930 Sam Houston State Teachers College1931 North Texas State Teachers CollegeLater incarnation
1976 Trinity1977 Tarleton State1978 Tarleton State1979 Austin College1980 McMurry1981 Austin College/Sul Ross State1982 Sul Ross State1983 McMurry/Sul Ross State1984 Austin College1985 Austin College/Sul Ross State1986 Tarleton State1987 Tarleton State1988 Austin College1989 Tarleton State/Howard Payne1990 Tarleton State1991 Midwestern State1992 Howard Payne1993 Hardin-Simmons1994 Hardin-Simmons/Midwestern State/Howard Payne1995 Howard Payne/Hardin-Simmons1977 McMurry1978 Trinity1979 McMurry1980 McMurry1981 McMurry1982 McMurry1983 McMurry1984 Tarleton State1985 Sul Ross State1986 McMurry1987 McMurry1988 Howard Payne1989 Howard Payne1990 Tarleton State1991 Tarleton State1992 Midwestern State1993 Hardin-Simmons1994 McMurry1995 McMurry1996 McMurry1980 Sul Ross State1981 Sul Ross State1982 Sul Ross State1983 Sul Ross State1984 Austin College1985 Sul Ross State1986 Austin College1987 McMurry1988 Sul Ross State1989 Tarleton State1990 Tarleton State1991 Tarleton State/Howard Payne1992 Tarleton State1993 Hardin-Simmons1994 Hardin-Simmons1995 Hardin-Simmons1996 Hardin-Simmons1980 Sul Ross State1981 Sul Ross State1982 Sul Ross State1983 Sul Ross State1984 Austin College1985 Sul Ross State1986 Austin College1987 McMurry1988 Sul Ross State1989 Tarleton State1990 Tarleton State1991 Tarleton State/Howard Payne1992 Sul Ross State1993 Hardin-Simmons1994 Hardin-Simmons1995 Hardin-Simmons1996 Howard Payne1977 Tarleton State1978 Tarleton State1979 Tarleton State1980 Tarleton State1981 Tarleton State1982 Tarleton State1983 Tarleton State1984 McMurry1985 McMurry1986 Tarleton State1987 Tarleton State1988 Tarleton State1989 Tarleton State1990 Tarleton State1991 Tarleton State1992 Howard Payne1993 Howard Payne1994 Howard Payne1995 Howard Payne1996 Howard Payne1977 Tarleton State1978 Tarleton State1979 Tarleton State1980 Sul Ross State1981 Tarleton State1982 Tarleton State1983 Tarleton State1984 Tarleton State1985 Tarleton State1986 Tarleton State1987 Tarleton State1988 Tarleton State1989 Tarleton State1990 Tarleton State1991 Tarleton State1992 Howard Payne1993 Howard Payne1994 Howard Payne1995 Howard Payne1996 Howard Payne1976 Sul Ross State1977 Sul Ross State1978 Tarleton State1979 Sul Ross State1980 Sul Ross State1981 Sul Ross State1982 Sul Ross State1983 Tarleton State1984 Sul Ross State1985 Sul Ross State1986 Sul Ross State1987 Howard Payne1988 Tarleton State/Howard Payne1989 Howard Payne1990 Howard Payne1991 Sul Ross State1992 Howard Payne1993 Midwestern State1994 Howard Payne1995 Howard Payne