From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American collegiate athletics conference
The Red River Athletic Conference is a
college athletic conference affiliated with the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference's 14 member institutions are located in
Texas ,
Louisiana , and
New Mexico .
History
Red River Athletic Conference
300km 200miles
Huston–Tillotson
North American
Xavier (La.)
Louisiana Christian
Texas A&M–San Antonio
Texas A&M–Texarkana
Houston–Victoria
LSU Alexandria
LSU Shreveport
Our Lady of the Lake
Texas College
Southwest
Paul Quinn
Jarvis Christian
Location of RRAC members:
current, east division
current, east division (non-basketball)
current, west division
current, west division (non-basketball)
The Red River Athletic Conference began competition in fall 1998 with 16 charter members.
[1] The conference at present counts 14 members, one of the most recent additions being
Texas A&M University–Texarkana in 2016.
[2] In 2019,
St. Thomas Houston announced its departure from the conference to join the
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) of the
NCAA Division III as a provisional member.
[3] In March 2020,
Texas A&M University–San Antonio was approved for membership into the NAIA and it was simultaneously announced that the Jaguars would begin competition in the conference starting in the 2020–21 academic year,
[4] followed by
Xavier University of Louisiana and
Louisiana Christian University (formerly Louisiana College) in September and October respectively.
[5]
[6] Xavier and Louisiana Christian officially joined the RRAC for the 2021–22 academic year.
On January 20, 2022, the
Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) invited founding Red River member
Wiley College (now Wiley University) to become the GCAC's first Texas institution, effective later in July.
[7]
On July 6, 2023,
North American University was accepted as the RRAC's 14th conference member for the 2023–24 school year.
[8]
Chronological timeline
1998 - The Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) was founded. Charter members included
Bacone College ,
Houston Baptist University (now Houston Christian University),
Huston–Tillotson University ,
Jarvis Christian College (now Jarvis Christian University),
Langston University ,
Northwestern Oklahoma State University ,
Northwood University–Texas ,
Paul Quinn College , the
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma , the
University of the Southwest ,
Southwestern Adventist University ,
Southwestern Assemblies of God University , the
University of Texas Permian Basin ,
Texas College , and
Wiley College (now Wiley University) beginning the 1998–99 academic year.
2000 - USAO left the RRAC to join the
Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) after the 1999–2000 academic year.
2001 -
Texas Wesleyan University joined the RRAC in the 2001–02 academic year.
2002 - Two institutions left the RRAC to join their respective new home primary conferences: Northwestern Oklahoma State to the Sooner, and Southwestern Adventist to become an Independent within the
United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), both effective after the 2001–02 academic year.
2002 -
Texas A&M International University joined the RRAC in the 2002–03 academic year.
2006 - Texas–Permian Basin and Texas A&M–International left the RRAC and the NAIA to join the
Division II ranks of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the
Heartland Conference after the 2005–06 academic year.
2006 - The
University of Texas at Brownsville joined the RRAC in the 2006–07 academic year.
2007 - Houston Christian left the RRAC and the NAIA to join the
NCAA Division I ranks as an
independent (which would later join the
Great West Conference beginning the 2008–09 academic year) after the 2006–07 academic year.
2008 -
Our Lady of the Lake University joined the RRAC in the 2008–09 academic year.
2010 -
Louisiana State University Shreveport joined the RRAC in the 2010–11 academic year.
2012 - The
University of St. Thomas joined the RRAC in the 2012–13 academic year.
2013 - Northwood–Texas, SAGU and Texas Wesleyan left the RRAC to join the Sooner after the 2012–13 academic year.
2014 -
Louisiana State University in Alexandria joined the RRAC in the 2014–15 academic year.
2015 - Two institutions left the RRAC to join their respective new home primary conferences: Texas–Brownsville (UTB) athletics was discontinued due to the merger with the
University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) to become the
University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), and Bacone to join the Sooner after the 2014–15 academic year.
2015 - The
University of Houston–Victoria joined the RRAC in the 2015–16 academic year.
2016 -
Texas A&M University–Texarkana joined the RRAC in the 2016–17 academic year.
2018 - Langston left the RRAC to join the Sooner after the 2017–18 academic year.
2019 - St. Thomas (Tex.) left the RRAC to join the
NCAA Division III ranks and the
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) after the 2018–19 academic year.
2020 -
Texas A&M University–San Antonio joined the RRAC in the 2020–21 academic year.
2021 -
Louisiana College and
Xavier University of Louisiana joined the RRAC in the 2021–22 academic year.
2022 - Wiley left the RRAC to join the
Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) after the 2021–22 academic year.
2023 -
North American University joined the RRAC in the 2023–24 academic year.
Member schools
Current members
The RRAC currently has 14 full members, all but five are
private schools:
Institution
Location
Founded
Affiliation
Enrollment
Nickname
Joined
[a]
Basketball?
University of Houston–Victoria
Victoria, Texas
1973
Public
4,407
Jaguars
2015
none
Huston–Tillotson University
Austin, Texas
1881
United Methodist ;
Church of Christ
800
Rams
1998
both
Jarvis Christian University
Hawkins, Texas
1912
Disciples of Christ
550
Bulldogs
1998
both
Louisiana Christian University
Pineville, Louisiana
1906
Baptist
1,200
Wildcats
2021
both
Louisiana State University of Alexandria
Alexandria, Louisiana
1959
Public
3,378
Generals
2014
both
Louisiana State University Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
1967
Public
4,200
Pilots
2010
both
North American University
Stafford, Texas
2007
Nonsectarian
785
Stallions
2023
both
Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, Texas
1895
Catholic (
C.D.P. )
2,660
Saints
2008
both
[b]
Paul Quinn College
Dallas, Texas
1872
A.M.E. Church
700
Tigers
1998
both
University of the Southwest
Hobbs, New Mexico
1962
Nondenominational
550
Mustangs
1998
both
[c]
Texas College
Tyler, Texas
1894
C.M.E. Church
800
Steers
1998
both
Texas A&M University–San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
2009
Public
7,000
Jaguars
2020
both (in 2024)
Texas A&M University–Texarkana
Texarkana, Texas
1971
Public
1,865
Eagles
2016
both
[d]
Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans ,
Louisiana
1925
Catholic(
S.B.S. )
3,200
Gold Rush &
Gold Nuggets
2021
both
Notes
^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^ The Our Lady of the Lake men's and women's basketball teams joined the RRAC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (2009–10).
^ The Southwest (N.Mex.) men's and women's basketball teams joined the RRAC a decade after becoming a full member for other sports (2008–09).
^ The Texas A&M–Texarkana men's and women's basketball teams joined the RRAC three years after becoming a full member for other sports (2019–20).
Former members
The RRAC had 14 former full members, all but five were
private schools:
Institution
Location
Founded
Affiliation
Enrollment
Nickname
Joined
[a]
Left
[b]
Current conference
Bacone College
Muskogee, Oklahoma
1880
Tribal college
900
Warriors
1998
[c]
2015
Continental
Houston Baptist University
[d]
Houston, Texas
1960
Baptist
4,120
Huskies
1998
2007
Southland
[e]
Langston University
Langston, Oklahoma
1897
Public(
HBCU )
2,554
Lions
1998
2018
Sooner (SAC)
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
Alva, Oklahoma
1897
Public
1,857
Rangers
1998
2001
Great American (GAC)
[f]
Northwood University
Cedar Hill, Texas
1966
Nonsectarian
N/A
Knights
1998
[g]
2013
Closed in 2014
University of St. Thomas
Houston, Texas
1947
Catholic(
C.S.B. )
1,626
Celts
2011
2019
Southern (SCAC)
[h]
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Chickasha, Oklahoma
1908
Public
813
Drovers
1998
2000
Sooner (SAC)
Southwestern Adventist University
Keene, Texas
1893
Seventh-day Adventist
800
Knights
1998
2002
USCAA Independent
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Waxahachie, Texas
1927
Assemblies of God
2,080
Lions
1998
2013
Sooner (SAC)
Texas A&M International University
Laredo, Texas
1969
Public
4,298
Dustdevils
2002
[i]
2006
Lone Star (LSC)
[f]
Texas Wesleyan University
Fort Worth, Texas
1890
United Methodist
2,373
Rams
2001
2013
Sooner (SAC)
University of Texas at Brownsville
[j]
Brownsville, Texas
1991
Public
N/A
Ocelots
[k]
2006
2015
N/A
[l]
University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, Texas
1973
Public
7,628
Falcons
1998
[m]
2006
Lone Star (LSC)
[f]
Wiley College
[n]
Marshall, Texas
1873
United Methodist
1,250
Wildcats
1998
[o]
2022
Gulf Coast (GCAC)
Notes
^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
^ The Bacone men's and women's basketball teams joined the RRAC three years after becoming a full member for other sports (2001–02).
^ Currently known as Houston Christian University since 2022.
^ Currently an
NCAA Division I athletic conference.
^
a
b
c Currently an
NCAA Division II athletic conference.
^ The Northwood–Texas men's and women's basketball teams joined the RRAC fourteen years after becoming a full member for other sports (2012–13).
^ Currently an
NCAA Division III athletic conference.
^ The Texas A&M International men's and women's basketball teams joined the RRAC a year after becoming a full member for other sports (2003–04).
^ Non-basketball full member.
^ Texas–Brownsville's other nickname before the merger with Texas–Pan American (UTPA) was Scorpions until after the 2011–12 school year, then competed without a nickname during the 2012–13 school year, before accepting the Ocelots nickname for their final two seasons.
^ Texas–Brownsville (UTB) was merged with the
University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) to become the
University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in 2015.
^ The Texas–Permian Basin men's and women's basketball teams joined the RRAC four years after becoming a full member for other sports (2002–03).
^ Current known as Wiley University since 2023.
^ The Wiley men's and women's basketball teams joined the RRAC four years after becoming a full member for other sports (2002–03).
Membership timeline
Full member (non-football)
Associate member (sport)
Sports
A divisional format is used for basketball (M / W), softball, and volleyball.
East
Jarvis Christian
Louisiana Christian
LSU Alexandria
LSU Shreveport
Texas College
Texas A&M-Texarkana
Xavier
West
Houston-Victoria
Huston-Tillotson
North American
Our Lady of the Lake
Paul Quinn
Southwest
Texas A&M-San Antonio
The Red River Athletic Conference sponsors championships in seven men's and eight women's sports.
References
^
"Looking Back at the Past 15 Years of RRAC Basketball" . Victory Sports Network. June 18, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2015 .
^
"LSUA Joins the Red River Athletic Conference" . LSU Alexandria. October 23, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2015 .
^
"NCAA Advances UST Houston to Provisional Members Division III" . University of St. Thomas. February 25, 2019.
^
"NAIA Approves Five Institutions for Membership" . NAIA. March 31, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020 .
^
"Xavier University of Louisiana to become RRAC's 13th member institution in 2021-22" . Red River Athletic Conference. September 14, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020 .
^
"Louisiana College accepted into NAIA, joins RRAC and SAC" . Crescent City Sports . October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020 .
^
"GCAC Extends Membership To Oakwood University, Wiley College, Southern University at New Orleans" . Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. January 20, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022 .
^
"North American University Joins RRAC as 14th Member Institution" . Red River Athletic Conference. July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023 .
External links
Single Division Football-only † Conference sponsors football