Heart of America Conference
AssociationUSA Rugby
SportRugby union
Founded1975 (1975)
DivisionDivision I-AA
No. of teams10
Country USA
RegionCentral USA
Most recent
champion(s)		Kansas
(2022)
Most titlesArkansas (2 titles)

The Heart of America Rugby Football Union is a college rugby conference playing in Division I-AA, with membership composed mostly of Big 12, Big Ten and SEC schools (and many of these schools enjoying longstanding rivalries from the former Big Eight Conference). HOA organizes a league competition with the winner qualifying for the national playoffs, and every fall hosts a rugby sevens tournament with the winner qualifying for the national sevens championships.

Heart of America was a Division 2 conference until 2011, with Arkansas and Missouri ranked among the top teams in Division 2.[1] In summer 2011, however, with the creation of the Premier College Division (Division I-A), several conferences including HOA decided to move up to Division I-AA.[2]

The HOA conference is led by Conference Commissioner Bill Sexton of Truman State University.[3]

Current members

The current member schools (and the date they joined the conference) are:[4]

Institution Nickname City State Founded Affiliation Enrollment Joined HOA
Iowa State University Cyclones Ames IA 1858 Big 12 29,887 2012
University of Arkansas Razorbacks Fayetteville AR 1871 SEC 27,549 1980, 2021
University of Kansas Jayhawks Lawrence KS 1865 Big 12 30,004 1980
University of Iowa Hawkeyes Iowa City IA 1847 Big Ten 32,948
Kansas State University Wildcats Manhattan KS 1863 Big 12 23,588 1980
University of Missouri Tigers Columbia MO 1839 SEC 34,255 1980
Oklahoma State University Cowboys Stillwater OK 1890 Big 12 23,307 1980
Truman State University Bulldogs Kirksville MO 1867 GLVC 5,880 1989
University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Minneapolis MN 1851 Big Ten 49,148 2021
University of Nebraska Cornhuskers Lincoln NE 1869 Big Ten 25,820 2015

Member notes:

  • Lindenwood joined HOA summer of 2012. Lindenwood was the Division 2 champion in 2011–12, and was promoted to Division I-AA for the 2012-13 year.
  • Iowa State joined HOA summer of 2012. Iowa State played in the D1-AA Midwest conference until summer 2012, and joined HOA when the majority of the Midwest conference teams joined the newly formed Big Ten rugby conference.
  • Former member Central Missouri left the conference in summer 2012 to play in the Division 2 Gateway Collegiate Rugby Conference.[5]
  • Former member Lindenwood left the HOA conference during the summer of 2013 to play in the Division I-A Mid/South conference.
  • Washington University in St. Louis joined briefly in 2016 from the Division 2 Gateway Conference, then went back to the Gateway following year.
  • University of Arkansas left the summer of 2016 for the Red River Rugby Conference, and then rejoined in the summer of 2021.
  • University of Nebraska joined 2015 after leaving the Big Ten Rugby Conference.
  • University of Minnesota joined during the summer of 2021 after leaving the Big Ten Rugby Conference.

League results

YearChampionRunner Up
2009-10ArkansasCentral Missouri
2010-11ArkansasCentral Missouri
2011-12MissouriArkansas
2012-13LindenwoodArkansas
2013-14MissouriIowa State
2021-22KansasMinnesota
2022-23Iowa StateMinnesota

Heart of America Sevens

The HOA sevens tournament is played every fall among the eight members of the HOA conference and a limited number of additional Division 1 schools. The winner of the HOA sevens tournament qualifies for the annual USA Rugby sevens national championship.

The HOA sevens tournament is one of a number of college rugby tournaments that are tapping into the increased interest of rugby sevens while also targeting traditional collegiate conference rivalries. The HOA developed this competition due to the increasing popularity of rugby sevens throughout the United States, particularly since the 2009 announcement adding rugby sevens to the Summer Olympics, and in the wake of the success of the Collegiate Rugby Championship rugby sevens tournament broadcast live on NBC every year.

DateLocationChampionScoreRunner UpThird
Sep 24, 2011Lawrence, KSOklahoma ???Kansas StateArkansas
Sep 22, 2012Lawrence, KSLindenwood21-5ArkansasMissouri
April 16, 2022Iowa City, IAIowa State21-19NebraskaMissouri
April 22, 2023Columbia, MOIowa State27-20NebraskaMinnesota

References

  1. ↑ Rugby Mag, Men's DII College Top 25, Dec. 7, 2010, "Men's DII College Top 25, Dec. 7, 2010". Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
  2. ↑ Clifton, Pat (June 19, 2011). "D1 Conferences Identified". Rugby Magazine. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  3. ↑ Rugby Mag, USA Rugby Certifies College Conferences, June 21, 2011, http://www.rugbymag.com/college-news/1271-usa-rugby-certifies-college-conferences.html Archived 2013-02-01 at archive.today
  4. ↑ Clifton, Pat (August 16, 2012). "DI-AA Conferences Set". Rugby Magazine. Archived from the original on August 23, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ Rugby Mag, Gateway Collegiate Rugby Conference Launched, April 26, 2012, http://www.rugbymag.com/men's-dii-college-/4307-gateway-collegiate-conference-launched.html
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