The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), which is comprised of eight full-time member schools from Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, began in 1972 as the Twin Rivers Conference and was renamed to its current title in 1983.
Bethany Lutheran College, the College of St. Scholastica, Crown College, Martin Luther College, Northwestern College, Northland College, Presentation College and the University of Minnesota, Morris make up the league's full-time membership, while North Central University (Minn.) is currently an associate member in the sports of men's and women's cross country, men's golf and men's and women's tennis. Joining the UMAC in 2009 as associate members in the sport of football only are Eureka College, Greenville College, MacMurray College, and Westminster College (Mo.).
Beginning with the 2008-09 academic year, the UMAC became a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. Each of the UMAC institutions boast full membership in the NCAA at the Division III level.
Corey Borchardt became the league's first full-time commissioner in 2008, following a ten-year run by Jim Unke, who also served as the Director of Athletics at Martin Luther College.