The SDIAC was formed in 1917 from twelve schools, though membership was down to five during World War II, as the religious schools formed the South Dakota College Conference (later Dakota-Iowa Conference).
From 1995 to 2000 seasons, the league was known as the South Dakota-Iowa Intercollegiate Conference, thanks to the addition of Dordt and Westmar colleges in Iowa.
The SDIIC split in 2000, with half of the schools heading to the DAC (Black Hills State, Dakota State, Si-Tanka Huron, and South Dakota Mines), while the other half joined the Great Plains Athletic Conference (Dakota Wesleyan, Dordt, Mount Marty, and Sioux Falls).
[1] The following is a list of historic members: (*) Augustana, Dakota Wesleyan, Huron, Sioux Falls, and Yankton played in the SDCC/SDIC from 1940 to 1948.
Sioux Falls and Yankton also left in 1960 to play in the Tri-State Conference.