The Heart of Iowa Conference (HOIC) is a high school athletic conference in central Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1966 and is sanctioned by the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU). The conference fields 13 sports and currently comprises 9 member schools, with a 10th set to join in 2026. Member schools are a mixture of Class 3A and 2A, the second- and third-largest enrollment classifications in Iowa.
Current Members
| Institution | Location | Mascot | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand View Christian | Des Moines | Thunder | Private |
| Greene County | Jefferson | Rams | Public |
| Nevada | Nevada | Cubs | Public |
| Perry | Perry | Bluejays | Public |
| PCM | Monroe | Mustangs | Public |
| Roland–Story | Story City | Norsemen | Public |
| Saydel | Des Moines | Eagles | Public |
| South Hamilton | Jewell | Hawks | Public |
| West Marshall | State Center | Trojans | Public |
| Woodward-Granger | Woodward | Hawks | Public (joining 2026) |
History
The conference was formed in 1966 by Ballard, Nevada, South Hamilton, Perry, and West Marshall following the disbanding of the Hawkeye Central Conference. Carlisle, Johnston, and North Polk joined in 1967, and Roland–Story joined in 1970 from the West Central Conference.
Over the decades, the conference has undergone numerous membership changes. By 1992, the league had 10 schools, including Bondurant–Farrar, Collins–Maxwell–Baxter, Colo–NESCO, Gilbert, Madrid, Ogden, and Woodward-Granger, while Carlisle, Johnston, Nevada, and North Polk had departed. Colfax–Mingo and Pleasantville were added in 1997 after the dissolution of the Des Moines River Conference. Pleasantville left in 2001, and North Polk rejoined. Prairie City-Monroe joined in 2006, and Jefferson-Scranton replaced Madrid in 2007. West Marshall left for the NICL in 2008, and Nevada rejoined in 2009.
In 2012, Saydel joined the conference. Gilbert and North Polk departed for the Raccoon River Conference in the 2020–21 school year. Perry joined the HOIC in 2021, and Grand View Christian was admitted for the 2024–25 school year after a successful appeal to the Iowa Board of Education. In March 2024, the conference extended an invitation to Boone for the 2025–26 school year. In June 2025, Woodward-Granger was unanimously approved to rejoin the conference effective July 1, 2026, bringing the total membership to 10 schools.
Sports
The conference sponsors competition in 13 sports, including football, basketball, baseball, softball, track and field, cross country, wrestling, golf, soccer, volleyball, and others, with schedules coordinated across member schools.
