The University of Nebraska at Kearney completed it's emergence among the NCAA Division II elite by joining the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference on July 1, 1994.  The union with the RMAC marked UNK's first conference affiliation since the Central States Intercollegiate Conference dissolved in 1989.

The conference currently boasts 14 member institutions.  The other RMAC institutions include Adams State, Chadron State, Colorado Christian, Colorado-Colorado Springs, Colorado School of Mines, Fort Hays State, Fort Lewis, Mesa State, The Metropolitan State College of Denver, New Mexico Highlands, Regis, Southern Colorado and Western State.

After merging with the Colorado Athletic Conference on July1, 1996, the RMAC adopted two divisions (East and West) for the sports of volleyball and basketball, with UNK competing in the East.

The conference office, located in Colorado Springs, CO, is directed by third year commissioner Tom Wistrcill.  Wistrcill was named commissioner on July 17, 1997 after serving as the commissioner of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is the oldest conference at the NCAA II level and one of the oldest in the United States.  It originated as the Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference on March 6, 1909, and was chartered by University of Colorado, Colorado A&M (now Colorado State), Colorado College and Colorado School of Mines.  In 1910, the league changes its name to  the Rocky Mountain Faculty Athletic Conference (RMFAC).

In 1967, the league changes its name to the RMAC after the presidents of 15 schools assumed control of the league from the faculty.   Ten institutions were added to the conference and two divisions were formed (Mountain and Plains).  Joining the conference were Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Fort Lewis, Nebraska-Omaha, Pittsburgh State, Southern Colorado, Southern Utah, Regis, Washburn, Western New Mexico and Westminster.  Colorado College was not included in the new plan and New Mexico Highlands joined in 1968, but left in 1969.

The two divisions of the RMAC were split into separate conferences for economic reasons in 1972.  The Mountain Division kept the RMAC name, the Plains Division became known as the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

The league would go through yet another metamorphosis during the 1980's as Regis became independent 1983.  One year later, Southern Utah also departed from the RMAC, followed by an exit from New Mexico Highlands in 1988.  In 1989, the conference announced the addition of Chadron State, Fort Hays State, Nebraska-Kearney and Wayne State.  Meanwhile, Southern Colorado and Western New Mexico announced their intentions to leave the RMAC in 1990.

Before beginning conference competition, UNK and Wayne State withdrew their membership at the 1990 RMAC spring meetings, but New Mexico Highlands rejoined the conference.  During the 1992-93 seasons, all RMAC institutions gave a three year commitment to the league and the conference moved to the NCAA Division II ranks.

Many other schools have been part of the RMAC at some time.  They include Brigham Young, Denver, Idaho State, Montana State, Northern Colorado, San Francisco State, Utah, Utah State and Wyoming.