Incarnate Word hasn't seen the last of some old favorites like St. Edward's and St. Mary's. But the curtain has dropped on those formal alliances that date back to the mid-1980s and which had held firm through two different conferences.
As of July 1, 2010, UIW is moving on to become a full-fledged member of the Lone Star Conference as the 16th school competing in that league. The Cardinals continue to be a member of the NCAA's Division II. Now, in reading over UIW schedules, Cardinals fans likely will continue to see the names St. Mary's and St. Edward's. But those contests marked with an “x”, denoting conference foes, now will read Abilene Christian, Texas A&M / Kingsville, Midwestern State, and Tarleton State, among others.
“The Heartland Conference is leaving a soft spot in all our hearts,” UIW Director of Athletics Mark Papich said. “We have been a part of that conference since its inception and we have made many good friends who will remain so.”
Papich continued. “We however had reached the point that with the inception of football at Incarnate Word it was in the interest of the University to find a place, a conference, to support that initiative.”
Back in 1986 while competing in the NAIA Incarnate Word's then-Crusaders were a pillar of the Heart of Texas Conference (HOT). That league dissolved in the late 1990s when several members elected to not distribute athletic scholarship monies any longer.
In the summer of 1999, at the national athletic directors annual meetings being conducted in San Antonio, the Heartland Conference came into existence including the still- Incarnate Word Crusaders, St. Edward's, St. Mary's and Texas Wesleyan of the now-dissolved HOT along with three Missouri schools—Rockhurst, Drury, Lincoln.
Over the next 11 years those three—UIW, SEU, St. Mary's—became the foundation for the conference which saw an ebb and flow among its membership until it achieved a maximum roster of 10 in 2009-2010. Along the way the Heartland listed a far-flung variety of schools as members such as Montana State / Billings, and Western New Mexico.
Over time Incarnate Word posted a benchmark of success in the Heartland. If the league had awarded an “all-sports” trophy the now-Cardinals would have captured the hardware the past two years in grand fashion. The Heartland sponsors championships in 13 sports. In its final tour around the Heartland UIW won titles in five of those 13 during 2009-2010 and finished second in five more.
The Heartland first offered conference championships in three sports—men's golf, men's tennis and women's tennis—in that first year, 1999-2000, when the league was transitioning out of the NAIA and into Division II. Incarnate Word did not break into any winner's circle until the next year, 2000-2001, when UIW captured three titles—baseball, women's soccer, women's tennis. But Incarnate Word did send the league's first team to the NCAA post-season when the women's soccer team advanced to the Midwest regional finals in the fall of 1999.
In the 11 years Incarnate Word competed in the Heartland, UIW racked up a total of 33 league championships topped off by five in each of the last two years. In the second year of Heartland competition, 2000-2001, Incarnate Word sent the first four of its grand total of 33 squads into NCAA post-season play. Over time five of those 33 won their way into the Elite Eight.
