I believe Tarkio participated in the NAIA Heart of America Athletic Conference while I was in school at another member school.
No memories of their football team, but I do remember their basketball team visiting my school. Seems like they were decent.
I remember Tarkio football team's very well. They were more competitive in Basketball than other sports.
It was tough for them to gain traction in football by competing against ( rich donors) William Jewell, Baker and (not rich donor) Missouri Valley. Tarkio had some good players just not enough of them. I think, can't remember for sure but Chip Sherman HOF coach of Platte County lore was a tailback?
In the era I remember most, they were in ball games versus Culver, Central Methodist, and Graceland. This was before Evangel, Benedictine (independent noncon at that time) or Mid America Nazarene ( started football in 81).
It was rumored that Tarkio was run into the ground by Spellman, an unscrupulous president that went on to build up schools like Missouri Valley and what is now Lindenwood.
The basic blueprint of these schools like Missouri Valley and early Lindenwood that have survived financially was to recruit in as many players as possible, provide scholarships (lol) based on financial need and collect the government subsidies. The entrance requirement for eligibility was at least 16 on the ACT, the top half of the graduating class and a 2.0. Any two of the three requirements made athletic eligibility a cinch. The poorer the student the better.
It's unclear to me why Tarkio wasn't able to survive financially. A bunch of competition I guess, not to mention the Kansas Conference of Bethany, Ottawa, Friends, Sterling etc.. seemed to recruit some good players too.
A famous Tarkio alum is Senator Marc Rubio.
Graceland's most famous and perhaps the most famous we remember today that competed in HAAC is Bruce Jenner.
