The Bearcats have been a member of numerous athletic conferences. From 1910 through 1924, the Bearcats was a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. In 1925, the team joined the defunct Buckeye Intercollegiate Athletic Association, where it won 2 conference championships. From 1947 to 1952, the Bearcats was a member of the Mid-American Conference. From 1957 though 1969, Cincinnati competed in the Missouri Valley Conference, where it won two conference championships. As one of the founding members, the Bearcats competed in Conference USA from 1995 through 2004. In 2005, Cincinnati joined its current conference, the Big East. The Bearcat have also competed as a football independent several periods in its existence.