The Northern Athletics Conference began its first season of competition in the fall of 2006. The conference consists of 13 private colleges and universities from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Many have shared traditional rivalries dating back to predecessor conferences, the Lake Michigan Conference and the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference.

Charter members include: Alverno College, Aurora University, Benedictine University, Concordia University Chicago, Concordia University Wisconsin, Dominican University, Edgewood College, Lakeland College, Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Marian University, Rockford College and Wisconsin Lutheran College. Milwaukee School of Engineering joined the league in the fall of 2007.

The Northern Athletics Conference sponsors 18 sports. Men's teams include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field. Women's squads are fielded in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field and volleyball.

The Northern Athletics Conference, an NCAA Division III member conference, became eligible for automatic NCAA postseason berths in 2008-09. The 13 member institutions conference is composed of makes it the third largest conference in NCAA Division III.