Big Eight Conference

Big Eight Conference
FormerlyMissouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1907–1964)
Big Six Conference
(1928–1948, unofficial)
Big Seven Conference
(1948–1957, unofficial)
Big Eight Conference
(1957–1964, unofficial)
AssociationNCAA
Founded1907
Ceased1996
CommissionerCarl C. James (final) 1980–1996
Sports fielded
  • 21[1]
    • men's: 11
    • women's: 10
DivisionDivision I
No. of teams8 (final), 12 (total)
HeadquartersKansas City, Missouri, U.S.
RegionMidwestern United States, Mountain States, West South Central States
Locations
Location of teams in

The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MVIAA)[2] by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri,[2] University of Nebraska, and Washington University in St. Louis. Additionally, the University of Iowa was an original member of the MVIAA, while maintaining joint membership in the Western Conference (now the Big Ten Conference).

The conference's membership at its dissolution consisted of the University of Nebraska, Iowa State University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, the University of Missouri, the University of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State University. The Big Eight's headquarters were located in Kansas City, Missouri.

In February 1994, all eight members of the Big Eight Conference and four of the members of the Southwest Conference announced that the 12 schools had reached an agreement to form the Big 12 Conference.[3] From a conventional standpoint, the Big 12 was a renamed and expanded Big Eight. But from a legal standpoint, the Big Eight ceased operations in 1996, and its members joined with the four SWC schools (Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, and Texas Tech) to form the Big 12 the following year.

  1. ^ "BigEightSports.com". Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Murphy, Austin (November 28, 2011). "Bordering On Hatred: Rivalry Week will once again deliver must-see matchups, but this year's Kansas-Missouri showdown is like no other: It may very well be the last". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  3. ^ "Texas Giants Merge With Big 8". Associated Press. February 27, 1994.