The College Athletic Conference was not the first Division III conference. In fact, the conference formed 10 years before the reorganization of the NCAA College Division in to Division II and Division III.
But, in 1962, the College Athletic Conference was founded on what we know today as a Division III philosophy. Players were to be comprised of teams that were representative of their student bodies. Financial aid for the purposes of encouraging athletic participation was strictly prohibited. Scholarships were to be awarded by the faculty.
The CAC was aspirational in its mission, seeking to demonstrate that amateur athletics played “solely because of interest and enjoyment of the game” were both feasible and worthwhile. The CAC was also a precursor to the University Athletic Association; a conference of high-academic institutions.
The College Athletic Conference began in January 1962 with four institutions. Centre College, Rhodes (then known as Southwestern), Washington University and Lee and the University of the South agreed to begin competition that Fall. Washington University joined soon after and the Bears finally had a conference to call home.
By September 1962, the league was operational under the leadership of Dr. Edward McCrady. In basketball, the 1963 season was played as a tournament hosted by the University of the South. Washington University was seeded No. 1 and awarded the first-round bye. The Bears were heavy favorites going in thanks to players like Sandy Pomerantz and Ron Jones who averaged 20 points and 15 points per game respectively. The Bears easily beat the Generals of Washington and Lee, 78-57 in the second round. A day later, Washington University defeated Centre, 68-62 to win the first annual CAC championship.
Photo: Sewanee Purple newspaper. March 7 1963
1964-1971: By the Numbers
In 1964, Washington University basketball lost in the second round to Centre, 94-80, but recovered with a third-place win over Sewanee, 62-48. The Bears finished in third-place in 1967, 1968 and 1971.
The Bears twice lost in the championship round including a 82-61 loss to Sewanee in 1966 and a 82-69 loss to Washington and Lee in 1970.
In the 1965, Washington University won a second CAC championship with wins over Centre (93-68) and Rhodes (86-73).
Washington University twice hosted the CAC tournament. First in 1965 and then again in 1970.
Legendary Match-ups
There were many great players and match-ups through the first decade of the CAC. For the Bears, that included players such as Wayne Williams, Joe Young and Steve Dodge in addition to the aforementioned Pomerantz and Jones. However, there is one match-up that stands out.
Long before they established themselves as two of the winningest coaches in Division III, Mark Edwards and Mike Neer battled it out as players in the College Athletic Conference. In 1968, Washington University met Washington and Lee in the second round of the CAC with the Generals coming out on top, 65-60.
The 1968 second round box score between Washington University and Washington and Lee.
The All-Sports Trophy
The CAC hosted an all-sports trophy to be given to the school with the most overall points in competition. The conference was given a 300 pound railroad bell sponsored by the Norfolk and Western Railway.
Bolstered by strong seasons in baseball, cross-country, track and field and tennis, Washington University was very successful in the all-sports competition.
The Bears won the first four all-sports trophies before finishing a close second to Rhodes in the 1967. The Bears would finish second to Washington and Lee in 1968 and 1969, before winning consecutive all-sports trophies in 1970 and 1971.
The 1970-1971 was the final full season of competition for Washington who excited the CAC in 1971 with Washington and Lee departing soon after. The CAC later expanded in to Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana and Texas, eventually becoming the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. In 2011, Centre, Rhodes and the University of the South, citing travel concerns, left the CAC to form the Southern Athletic Conference.