Its fourteen member institutions, of which all but one are public schools, are located in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

Six members (Central Methodist, Central Wesleyan, Culver-Stockton, Missouri Valley, Missouri Wesleyan, Tarkio College, Westminster, and William Jewell) were later removed from the conference in 1924 when it decided to only include the public schools.

MIAA schools with additional sports compete independently or as part of a nearby conference.

Southwest Missouri State left the MIAA after the 1980–81 season to move on to NCAA Division I.

[8] On July 8, 2009, the MIAA CEO Council voted to remain a 12-team league for the foreseeable future, denying an application by Rockhurst University (which does not have a football team but wanted to compete in other sports).

The vote ended short term speculation about the League expanding to 16 teams divided into two divisions.

The move to expand the league was spurred at least in part after Northwest Missouri during its national championship game run had problems finding non-conference teams that would play it resulting in 2010 with it having 10-game rather than 11-game schedule.

The league returned to 14 institutions when Truman left in 2013 to join the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).

[15] On February 8, 2018, Newman University announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the league as an associate member in all 14 sports it sponsors beginning with the 2019–20 athletic season.

[17] Lindenwood followed Southwest Baptist on October 4, 2018 announcing they would be joining the GLVC as well, effective July 1, 2019.

[18] On October 18, 2018 Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma announced that it would be joining the league as an associate member, aborting a move to the Lone Star Conference.

[22] On January 26, 2023, Lincoln announced it was departing the MIAA following two stints of membership inside the association spanning 43 years.

[23] On June 26, 2023, Arkansas-Fort Smith announced they had accepted an invitation to become a full-time member of the league.

[27][28] On September 7, 2016, it was announced that Mike Racy would become the fifth commissioner of the MIAA, effective January 30, 2017.