Briar Cliff University

In March 1929, Mother Mary Dominica Wieneke, Major Superior of the Sisters of Saint Francis of the Holy Family[1] of Dubuque, Iowa, along with Edmond Heelan, Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese, co-founded Briar Cliff College after meeting with members of the Sioux City community, who committed to raising $25,000 to support the establishment of a Catholic women's college in Sioux City.

Four days later, 25 women started classes in Heelan Hall, the only building on campus at the time.

Fifty-five men were admitted to Briar Cliff in 1965 and co-education was formalized in 1966 with the admission of 150 full-time male students.

[4] The 75-acre campus includes four residence halls, as well as other buildings used for academic, athletic, and student support purposes.

[5] Briar Cliff University is accredited as a degree-granting institution by Higher Learning Commission.

In 2021, the Chargers received a perfect Champions of Character score from the NAIA, one of only 16 schools nationwide to earn this honor.

[6] The Men's basketball program won the GPAC regular season[7] and tournament title in 2015–2016.

[9] During the late 1970s and continuing into the 1980s, the Briar Cliff men's basketball head coach Ray Nacke recruited players from Panama.

This group was highlighted by Augustus Cowan who won a national title in the triple jump.

The Briar Cliff football team played their home games at Memorial Field until 2013 when they began playing home games at the Dakota Dome, on the campus of the University of South Dakota, about 39 miles northwest.

[13] In 2017 the Chargers returned to Sioux City and to Memorial Field thanks to a partnership with Bishop Heelan Catholic High School.

After previously playing their home games at the SYA Riverside Complex, the BCU softball team moved back to the university's campus in 2013, where they too share the field with Bishop Heelan High School.