The Frontier Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference was founded in 1934. Member institutions are located in the U.S. states of Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, with associate members in the states of Arizona, Idaho, and Oregon.
The Frontier Conference sponsors athletic competition in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's football, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and women's volleyball.
History The Montana Small College Conference (MSCC) was established in 1934 by the five smaller schools (Montana Technological University, the University of Montana Western, Montana State University–Northern, Intermountain Union College and Billings Polytechnic Institute) in the state. The MSCC was renamed as the Montana Collegiate Conference (MCC) in 1936, with the additions of Montana State University Billings and Carroll College joining. The merger of Intermountain Union and Billings Poly to become Rocky Mountain College occurred in 1947. After nearly three decades, the conference reestablished itself under its current moniker in November 1966, containing the same six schools until 1974. The University of Providence (then the College of Great Falls) joined that year, however would only stay for a decade. MSU Billings left for the first incarnation of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 1988, leaving the Frontier at five members for another decade. The conference opened up outside of Montana for the first time in 1998, with schools from Idaho (Lewis–Clark State College) and Utah (Westminster College) joining. Great Falls rejoined in 1999. Dickinson State University joined in 2012, only to leave in 2014 to join the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA). Westminster (Utah) left for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II ranks and rejoined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) in 2015. Lewis–Clark State left for the Cascade Collegiate Conference as a full member in 2020.
Recent changes On September 8, 2022, Arizona Christian University received an invitation to join the conference as an associate member for football, beginning the 2023 fall season of the 2023–24 academic year.
On December 12, 2023, the Frontier Conference had offered an invitation to former member Dickinson State University; while on May 21, 2024, it extended additional invitations to Bellevue University, Dakota State University, Mayville State University and Valley City State University. All five schools would come from the North Star Athletic Association, which announced it would be disbanding that year. This was followed up with an invitation to Bismarck State College, an institution transitioning to the NAIA from the junior college ranks, on October 24, 2024. All of these invitations were effective beginning the 2025–26 academic year.
On May 30, 2024, Simpson University accepted an invitation to join the conference as an associate member for football, beginning the 2025 fall season of the 2025–26 academic year.
Chronological timeline
1934 – The Frontier Conference was founded as the Montana Small College Conference (MSCC). Charter members included the Billings Polytechnic Institute, Intermountain Union College, Montana State Normal College (now the University of Montana Western), Montana State School of Mines (now Montana Technological University) and Northern Montana College (now Montana State University–Northern), beginning the 1934–35 academic year. 1936 – Carroll College of Montana and Eastern Montana Normal College (now Montana State University–Billings) joined the MSCC, which was rebranded as the Montana Collegiate Conference (MCC) in the 1936–37 academic year. 1947 – Billings Poly and Intermountain Union merge to form Rocky Mountain College. 1966 – The MCC was rebranded as the Frontier Conference, beginning the 1966–67 academic year. 1974 – The College of Great Falls (later the University of Great Falls, now the University of Providence) joined the Frontier in the 1974–75 academic year. 1980 – Montana State–Billings (MSU Billings) left the Frontier to join the Division II ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-II Independent (which would later join the Great Northwest Conference (later the Pacific West Conference or PacWest), beginning 1982–83) after the 1979–80 academic year. 1984 – Great Falls left the Frontier as the school discontinued its athletic program after the 1983–84 academic year. 1998 – Lewis–Clark State College and Westminster College joined the Frontier in the 1998–99 academic year. 1999 – Great Falls rejoined the Frontier after 15 years without an athletics program in the 1999–2000 academic year. 2008 – Eastern Oregon University joined the Frontier as an affiliate member for football in the 2008 fall season (2008–09 academic year). 2012: Dickinson State University joined the Frontier in the 2012–13 academic year. Southern Oregon University joined the Frontier as an affiliate member for football in the 2012 fall season (2012–13 academic year). 2014: Dickinson State left the Frontier to join the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) after the 2013–14 academic year. The College of Idaho joined the Frontier as an affiliate member for football in the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year). 2015 – Westminster (Utah) left the Frontier to join the NCAA Division II ranks and rejoin the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) after the 2014–15 academic year. 2020 – Lewis–Clark State left the Frontier to join the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) after the 2019–20 academic year. 2023 – Arizona Christian University joined the Frontier as an affiliate member for football in the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year) 2025: Bellevue University, Bismarck State College, Dakota State University, Mayville State University and Valley City State University all joined the Frontier (with Dickinson State rejoining at the same time) in the 2025–26 academic year. Everyone (except Bismarck State) would join from the NSAA, which would cease operations after spring 2025. Simpson University joined the Frontier as an affiliate member for football in the 2025 fall season (2025–26 academic year)
Member schools The Frontier Conference has 12 full members with football, 3 full members without football, and 5 football-only affiliate members. Bellevue, Bismarck State, and the University of Providence do not field football teams. Arizona Christian, College of Idaho, Eastern Oregon, Simpson, and Southern Oregon are the football-only affiliates.
Current members The Frontier currently has twelve full members, four are private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Bellevue University Bellevue, Nebraska 1966 Nonsectarian 14,476 Bruins 2025 Bismarck State College Bismarck, North Dakota 1939 Public 4,773 Mystics 2025 Carroll College Helena, Montana 1909 Catholic 1,103 Fighting Saints 1935 Dakota State University Madison, South Dakota 1881 Public 3,975 Trojans 2025 Dickinson State University Dickinson, North Dakota 1918 Public 1,453 Blue Hawks 2012;2025 Mayville State University Mayville, North Dakota 1889 Public 1,025 Comets 2025 Montana State University–Northern Havre, Montana 1929 Public 1,021 Lights &Skylights 1935 Montana Technological University Butte, Montana 1889 Public 1,622 Orediggers 1934 Dillon, Montana 1893 Public 1,458 Bulldogs 1934 Great Falls, Montana 1932 Catholic 677 Argonauts 1974;1999 Rocky Mountain College Billings, Montana 1878 various 1,032 Battlin' Bears 1947 Valley City State University Valley City, North Dakota 1890 Public 1,754 Vikings 2025
Notes
Affiliate members The Frontier currently has five affiliate members, three of them are private schools:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Frontiersport Primaryconference Arizona Christian University Glendale, Arizona 1960 Nondenominational 1,233 Firestorm 2023 Football Great Southwest (GSAC) Caldwell, Idaho 1891 Presbyterian 1,076 Coyotes 2014 Cascade (CCC) Eastern Oregon University La Grande, Oregon 1929 Public 2,798 Mountaineers 2008 Simpson University Redding, California 1921 Christian &Missionary Alliance 907 Red Hawks 2025 California Pacific (CalPac) Southern Oregon University Ashland, Oregon 1872 Public 5,371 Raiders 2012 Cascade (CCC)
Notes
Notes
Former members The Frontier had three former full members, only one was a private school:
Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Subsequentconference(s) Currentconference Lewis–Clark State College Lewiston, Idaho 1893 Public 3,706 Warriors &Lady Warriors 1998 2020 Cascade (CCC)(2020–present) Eastern Montana College Billings, Montana 1927 4,092 Yellowjackets 1933 1980 various Great Northwest (GNAC)(2007–present) Westminster College Salt Lake City, Utah 1875 Nonsectarian 1,214 Griffins 1998 2015 Rocky Mountain (RMAC)(2015–present)
Notes
Membership timeline
National championships Basketball
Montana Western won the NAIA national title in Division I Women's basketball, in 2019.
Rocky Mountain won the national title in men's basketball, NAIA Division I, in 2009.
Montana State-Northern won the national title in women's basketball, NAIA Division II, in 1993.
Carroll reached the semi-finals in men's basketball in 2005, as did Lewis-Clark State in women's basketball in 2001.
University of Providence reached finals in women's basketball in 2024, Providence defeated Carroll College in the semi finals. This marked the first time two Frontier teams meet in the national tournament.
Football
Carroll has won the NAIA national championship six times: four straight, from 2002 to 2005, also in 2007 and 2010, and has been runner-up twice.
Southern Oregon won the NAIA national championship in the 2014 season.
Montana Tech was the national runner-up in 1996.
Wrestling
Montana State-Northern has won six wrestling titles: 1991, 1992, 1998-2000, 2004, and was runner-up in 1990, 1993, and 2002.
Montana Western was co-champion in 1994.
In 2014, the University of Great Falls was second and Montana State-Northern took third at the NAIA national wrestling championship.
Bowling
College of Great Falls (now University of Providence) was the 1973 Men's NAIA National Bowling Champion.
Conference champions Football From 1935 until 2024, an overall conference champion was awarded. Starting in 2025, only a West and East division champion are awarded, with no overall conference champion being named. By team TeamConferenceDivisionTitlesLasttitleTitlesLasttitleCarroll3920220N/AMontana Western2120240N/AMontana Tech13201612025Rocky Mountain1120210N/AMSU Billings1119750N/ACollege of Idaho4202212025Southern Oregon220170N/AEastern Oregon120200N/A
By year
YearTeam1935Montana Western1936Montana TechMontana Western1937Rocky Mountain 1938Rocky Mountain1939Montana Tech1940Caroll1941Caroll1942No games, WWII1943No games, WWII1944No games, WWII1945No games, WWII1946Montana Western1947Montana Western1948MSU Billings1949Montana Western1950Carroll1951Carroll1952Carroll1953Carroll1954Carroll1955Rocky Mountain1956Rocky Mountain1957MSU Billings1958MSU Billings1959CarrollMSU Billings1960MSU BillingsRocky Mountain
YearTeam1961Montana Western1962Montana Western1963Montana Western1964MSU Billings1965MSU Billings1966MSU Billings1967Montana Western1968MSU Billings1969Montana Western1970Montana Tech1971MSU Billings1972CarrollMontana Tech1973Carroll1974Carroll1975MSU Billings1976Carroll1977Montana Western1978Carroll1979Montana Tech1980CarrollMontana Western1981Carroll1982CarrollMontana Western1983Montana Tech1984Rocky Mountain1985Carroll