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Border Conference

Former college athletic conference in US

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The Border Conference, officially known as the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961-62 school year. Centered in the southwestern United States, the conference included nine member institutions located in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

01History

Chronological timeline

02Member schools

Final members

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference(s)
University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 1885 Public 43,625 Wildcats 1931 1962 Western (WAC)
(1962-78)
Pacific-12 (Pac-12)
(1978-2024)
Big 12
2024-
Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona 1885 Public 71,946 Sun Devils 1931 1962 Western (WAC)
(1962-78)
Pacific-12 (Pac-12)
(1978-2024)
Big 12
2024-
Hardin-Simmons University Abilene, Texas 1891 Baptist 2,333 Cowboys &
Cowgirls
1941 1962 various American Southwest
(1996)
New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico 1888 Public 21,694 Aggies 1931 1962 various Conference USA (C-USA)
(2023)
University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, Texas 1914 Public 25,151 Miners 1935 1962 University Division Independent
(1962-67)
Western (WAC)
(1967-2005)
Conference USA (C-USA)
(2005-)
(Mountain West in 2026)
West Texas A&M University Canyon, Texas 1910 Public 10,169 Buffaloes 1941 1962 various Lone Star (LSC)
(1986-91; 1993-)
Notes

Previous members

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequent
conference(s)
Current
conference
Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Arizona 1899 Public 22,791 Lumberjacks 1931 1953 New Mexico/Frontier
(1953-62)
NAIA Independent
(1962-70)
Big Sky
(1970-present)
University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 1889 Public 25,441 Lobos 1931 1951 Skyline
(1951-62)
Western (WAC)
(1962-99)
Mountain West (MWC)
(1999-present)
Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas 1923 Public 40,666 Red Raiders 1932 1957 Southwest (SWC)
(1957-96)
Big 12
(1996-present)
Notes

Membership timeline

Full members 
Full members (non-football) 
Independent 
Other Conference 
Other Conference 
Big 12 Conference 

Current conference affiliations of former members

The nine former football-playing members of the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association are currently affiliated with the following nine conferences:

03Football champions

Texas Tech holds the most conference championships at seven. Arizona State won six conference championships followed by Arizona (three), Hardin-Simmons (two) and both West Texas State and the Texas State School of Mines hold one each. From 1932 to 1934 and 1943 to 1945 no champion was named. There were only two seasons where the title was split and two co-champions were named; 1938, New Mexico and New Mexico A&M and in 1942 Hardin-Simmons and Texas Tech. The winner of the conference title generally received an invitation to serve as the host team for the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Border Conference, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

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