The conference was one of the oldest in intercollegiate athletics, dating back to its founding in 1924 by the West Virginia Department of Education.

Men's championships were offered in football, basketball, baseball, track, cross country, soccer, tennis, and golf.

Women's titles were contested in volleyball, softball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track, tennis, and golf.

Three of the remaining non-football members (Alderson–Broaddus, Davis & Elkins, and Ohio Valley) accepted invitations to join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

[4] The final remaining member, Bluefield State, competed as a D-II independent for 9 years before being invited to rejoin its former conference in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 2023.