The Capital Area Activities Conference first year of operation was the 2003-04 school year. The league was formed after several years of discussions between school administrators dating back to the late 1990’s in an effort to establish an athletic and activities conference with geographical proximity and competitive balance. The CAAC was comprised primarily of schools from three previous leagues; the Capital Circuit League, Capital Area Conference and Ingham County League.

The initial year of competition included 21 member schools aligned in three divisions. Charter members in the first year of operation were; East Lansing, Grand Ledge, Holt, Jackson, Lansing Eastern, Lansing Everett, Lansing Sexton, Okemos, DeWitt, Haslett, Mason, Jackson Lumen Christi, Waverly, Eaton Rapids, Fowlerville, Ionia, Lansing Catholic Central, Williamston, Charlotte, Jackson Northwest and Lake Odessa Lakewood.

Additional schools joined the CAAC in subsequent years, with a four division alignment adopted for the 2007-08 school year when the league grew to 26 schools, and another addition in a later year for a total of 27 schools. The four division model continued through the 2013-14 school year. Divisions were re-aligned several times over a period of years.

The departure of several schools in recent years brought league membership to 20 schools for the 2014-15 school year and the adoption of the current three division alignment of 8 schools in the Blue Division, and 6 schools in each of the Red and White Divisions.

In 2017-18, Charlotte rejoined the CAAC while Owosso departed.  The three division alignment for 2017-18 became:

Blue Division – East Lansing, Grand Ledge, Holt, Jackson, Lansing Eastern, Lansing Everett, Lansing Sexton, Okemos
Red Division – Charlotte, Dewitt, Haslett, Mason, St. Johns, Waverly
White Division – Eaton Rapids, Fowlerville, Ionia, Lansing Catholic, Portland, Williamston

The CAAC re-aligned for the 2018-19 school year and Jackson departed for the SEC, therefore the new three-division alignments for the next four years beginning in 2018-19 was as follows:

Blue Division – East Lansing, Grand Ledge, Holt, DeWitt, Lansing Everett, Okemos and Lansing Waverly
Red Division – Haslett, Lansing Eastern, Mason, St. Johns, Fowlerville and Williamston
White Division – Eaton Rapids, Ionia, Lansing Catholic, Portland, Charlotte and Lansing Sexton

In 2023, the CAAC re-aligned again. The new two-division alignments are:

Blue Division - Dewitt, East Lansing, Fowlerville, Grand Ledge, Haslett, Holt, Lansing and Mason.

White Division - Charlotte, Eaton Rapids, Ionia, Lakewood, Lansing Catholic, Olivet and Portland. 

Since its inception, the CAAC has been governed through a board of athletic directors and a slate of officers conducting monthly business meetings. The athletic director board also meets twice yearly with member school principals. A group of approved officials associations, assigners and coordinators assists the CAAC with all matters related to officials.

All CAAC schools are members in good standing of the Michigan High School Athletic Association and fully supports MHSAA ideals of school based educational athletic competition. In February of 2014, the CAAC appointed its first conference Commissioner to assist with administrative functions and league initiatives with former MHSAA Assistant Director Randy Allen assuming the post. In 2019 Tom Hunt became the new CAAC Commissioner.