TheMid-States Football Association (MSFA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference sponsors onlyfootball. Member institutions are located inIllinois,Indiana,Michigan, andOhio. The MSFA was organized in 1993, and on-field competition began in 1994. The conference is divided into two leagues, the Mideast League and the Midwest League. The two MSFA league champions each earn an automatic bid to theNAIA football national championship playoffs. MSFA member schools have won eight NAIA football national championships.
1994 – The Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) was founded. Charter members included the following, beginning the 1994 fall season (1994–95 academic year):
1996 – Lindenwood left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined theHeart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) after the 1995 fall season (1995–96 academic year).
1996 –Tri-State University (now Trine University) andWalsh University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League, whileIowa Wesleyan College (later Iowa Wesleyan University) andSt. Ambrose University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League, all effective in the 1996 fall season (1996–97 academic year).
1998 – TheUniversity of Saint Francis of Indiana joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League, whileMcKendree College (now McKendree University) joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League, both effective in the 1998 fall season (1998–99 academic year).
1999 – St. Ambrose opted to not compete in the MSFA for the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 academic year).
1999 – TheUniversity of St. Francis of Illinois joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 1999 fall season (1999–2000 academic year).
2000 – St. Ambrose returned to the MSFA in the 2000 fall season (2000–01 academic year).
2002 – Tiffin left the MSFA to join theIndependent Football Alliance (IFA) after the 2001 fall season (2001–02 academic year).
2002 –William Penn University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League in the 2002 fall season (2002–03 academic year).
2003 – Trine left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined theNCAA Division III ranks after the 2002 fall season (2002–03 academic year).
2003 –Quincy University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 2003 fall season (2003–04 academic year).
2004 –Ohio Dominican University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 2004 fall season (2004–05 academic year).
2006 – Quincy moved to the Midwest League in the 2006 fall season (2006–07 academic year).
2007 – Geneva left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined the NCAA Division III ranks and thePresidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) after the 2006 fall season (2006–07 academic year).
2007 –Marian University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League in the 2007 fall season (2007–08 academic year).
2007 – Saint Xavier (Ill.) moved to the Mideast League in the 2007 fall season (2007–08 academic year).
2008 – Urbana left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined the NCAA Division II ranks after the 2007 fall season (2007–08 academic year).
2009 – Ohio Dominican left the MSFA to move its football program with its other sports when it joined the NCAA Division II ranks after the 2008 fall season (2008–09 academic year).
2009 – Olivet Nazarene and Trinity International moved to the Mideast League in the 2009 fall season (2009–10 academic year).
2011 – Three institutions left the MSFA to move their football programs with their other sports when they joined the NCAA Division II ranks, all effective after the 2010 fall season (2010–11 academic year):
2011 –Concordia University Ann Arbor joined the MSFA to represent in the Mideast League in the 2011 fall season (2011–12 academic year).
2011 – Quincy returned to the Mideast League, while Olivet Nazarene and Trinity International went back to the Midwest League in the 2011 fall season (2011–12 academic year).
2012 – Two institutions left the MSFA to move their football programs with their other sports when they joined the NCAA ranks, both effective after the 2011 fall season (2011–12 academic year):
2012 –Siena Heights University joined the MSFA to represent in the Mideast League in the 2012 fall season (2012–13 academic year).
2013 –Robert Morris University Illinois joined the MSFA to represent in the Mideast League in the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
2013 – Saint Xavier (Ill.) returned to the Mideast League, while Saint Francis (Ill.) moved to the Midwest League, both effective in the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
2014 – Waldorf left the MSFA to join theNorth Star Athletic Association (NSAA) as an affiliate member for football after the 2013 fall season (2013–14 academic year).
2015 – Grand View and William Penn left the MSFA to move their football programs with their other sports when both joined the HAAC after the 2014 fall season (2014–15 academic year).
2019 – Missouri Baptist moved to the Midwest League in the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
2020 – Robert Morris (Ill.) left the MSFA after the 2019 fall season (2019–20 academic year).
2020 –Madonna University joined the MSFA to represent the Mideast League, whileRoosevelt University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League, both effective in the 2020 fall season (2020–21 academic year).
2021 –Judson University joined the MSFA to represent the Midwest League in the 2021 fall season (2021–22 academic year).
2023 – Missouri Baptist left the MSFA to move their football program to the HAAC as a football associate after the 2022 fall season (2022–23 academic year).
2023 – Trinity International left the MSFA, coinciding with the closure of its residential campus at the end of the spring semester in favor of online undergraduate programs.
2024 – Two institutions left the MSFA to move their football programs, both effective after the 2023 fall season (2023–24 academic year):
Roosevelt to join the NCAA D-II ranks and the GLIAC
and St. Ambrose to join the HAAC as a football associate[1]
2024 –Defiance College joined the MSFA to represent in the Mideast League in the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).
2024 – Marian and Saint Francis (Ind.) moved to the Midwest League in the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).
2025 – Concordia–Ann Arbor will leave the MSFA after the 2024 fall season (2024–25 academic year).
2026 – Siena Heights will leave the MSFA upon the closure of the university after the 2025–26 academic year.
2026 –Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College will join the MSFA to represent the Midwest League in the 2026 fall season (2026–27 academic year).
2026 – Saint Francis (Ind.) will move to the Mideast League in the 2026 fall season (2026–27 academic year).
