Red River Athletic Conference Explained
| Red River Athletic Conference |
| Color: | - 9f012d
|
| Font Color: | white |
| Founded: | 1998 |
| Association: | NAIA |
| Teams: | 14 |
| Sports: | 15 |
| Mens: | 7 |
| Womens: | 8 |
| Region: | South Central United States |
| Headquarters: | Waco, Texas |
| Commissioner: | Tony Stigliano |
| Map: | RRAC conference map.png |
| Map Size: | 250 |
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
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 (now Nelson 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-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 Christian University 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 | Basketball? |
|---|
| 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 | | 2010 | both |
| North American University | Stafford, Texas | 2007 | Nonsectarian | 785 | Stallions | 2023 | both |
| Our Lady of the Lake University | | 1895 | Catholic
| 2,660 | Saints | 2008 | both |
| Paul Quinn College | Dallas, Texas | 1872 | A.M.E. Church | 700 | Tigers | 1998 | both |
| Hobbs, New Mexico | 1962 | Nondenominational | 550 | Mustangs | 1998 | both |
| Texas College | Tyler, Texas | 1894 | C.M.E. Church | 800 | Steers | 1998 | both |
| San Antonio, Texas | 2009 | Public | 7,000 | Jaguars | 2020 | both |
| Texarkana, Texas | 1971 | Public | 1,865 | Eagles | 2016 | both |
| Xavier University of Louisiana | New Orleans, Louisiana | 1925 | Catholic
| 3,200 | Gold Rush &<br>Gold Nuggets | 2021 | both | |
- Notes:
Former members
The RRAC had 14 former full members, all but five were private schools:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Current
conference |
|---|
| Bacone College | Muskogee, Oklahoma | 1880 | Tribal college | 900 | Warriors | 1998 | 2015 | Continental |
| Houston Baptist University | Houston, Texas | 1960 | Baptist | 4,120 | Huskies | 1998 | 2007 | Southland |
| Langston University | Langston, Oklahoma | 1897 | Public
| 2,554 | Lions | 1998 | 2018 | Sooner (SAC) |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State University | Alva, Oklahoma | 1897 | Public | 1,857 | Rangers | 1998 | 2001 | nowrap | Great American (GAC) |
| Northwood University | Cedar Hill, Texas | 1966 | Nonsectarian | N/A | Knights | 1998 | 2013 | Closed in 2014 |
| Houston, Texas | 1947 | Catholic
| 1,626 | Celts | 2011 | 2019 | Southern (SCAC) |
| 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 | 2006 | Lone Star (LSC) |
| Texas Wesleyan University | Fort Worth, Texas | 1890 | United Methodist | 2,373 | Rams | 2001 | 2013 | Sooner (SAC) |
| Brownsville, Texas | 1991 | Public | N/A | Ocelots | 2006 | 2015 | nowrap | N/A |
| Odessa, Texas | 1973 | Public | 7,628 | Falcons | 1998 | 2006 | Lone Star (LSC) |
| Wiley College | Marshall, Texas | 1873 | United Methodist | 1,250 | Wildcats | 1998 | 2022 | HBCU (HBCUAC) | |
- Notes:
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyyImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20Period = from:1998 till:2028TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7) id:line value:black id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.7,0.9,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports id:FullxF value:rgb(0.9,0.8,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football id:AssocF value:rgb(0.9,0.7,0.8) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.8,0.9,0.7) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference when the other color has already been used
PlotData = width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2015 text:Bacone (1998–2015) bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2015 till:2019 text:Sooner bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2019 till:end text:NAIA Ind.
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2007 text:Houston Christian (1998–2007) bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2008 text:D-II Ind bar:2 shift:(20) color:OtherC2 from:2008 till:2013 text:Great West bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Southland
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Huston–Tillotson (1998–present)
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Jarvis Christian (1998–present)
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2018 text:Langston (1998–2018) bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:end text:Sooner
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2002 text:Northwestern Oklahoma State (1998–2002) bar:6 shift:(100) color:OtherC1 from:2002 till:2012 text:Sooner bar:6 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:end text:Great American
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2013 text:Northwood–Texas (1998–2013) bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2014 text:Sooner
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Paul Quinn (1998–present)
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Southwest (N.Mex.) (1998–present)
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2002 text:Southwestern Adventist (1998–2002) bar:10 shift:(70) color:OtherC1 from:2002 till:end text:USCAA
bar:11 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2013 text:Southwestern Assemblies of God (1998–2013) bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Sooner
bar:12 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2006 text:Texas–Permian Basin (1998–2006) bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2016 text:Heartland bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:2016 till:end text:Lone Star
bar:13 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Texas College (1998–present)
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2000 text:USAO (1998–2000) bar:14 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:end text:Sooner
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2022 text:Wiley (1998–2022) bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:GCAC
bar:16 color:FullxF from:2001 till:2013 text:Texas Weslayan (2001–2013) bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Sooner
bar:17 color:FullxF from:2002 till:2006 text:Texas A&M International (2002–2006) bar:17 shift:(70) color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2019 text:Heartland bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:2019 till:end text:Lone Star
bar:18 color:FullxF from:2006 till:2015 text:Texas–Brownsville (2006–2015)
bar:19 color:FullxF from:2008 till:end text:Our Lady of the Lake (2008–present)
bar:20 color:FullxF from:2010 till:end text:Louisiana State–Shreveport (2010–present)
bar:21 color:FullxF from:2011 till:2019 text:Saint Thomas (Tex.) (2011–2019) bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:2019 till:end text:SCAC
bar:22 color:FullxF from:2014 till:end text:Louisiana State–Alexandria (2014–present)
bar:23 color:FullxF from:2015 till:end text:Houston–Victoria (2015–present)
bar:24 color:FullxF from:2016 till:end text:Texas A&M–Texarkana (2016–present)
bar:25 color:FullxF from:2020 till:end text:Texas A&M–San Antonio (2020–present)
bar:26 color:FullxF from:2021 till:end text:Louisiana Christian (2021–present)
bar:27 color:FullxF from:2021 till:end text:Xavier (La.) (2021–present)
bar:28 color:FullxF from:2023 till:end text:North American (2023–present)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1998
TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:(0,25) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Red River Athletic Conference membership history"
- > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space.
<
Sports
| A divisional format is used for basketball (M / W), softball, and volleyball. |
| width=50% | - Jarvis Christian
- Louisiana Christian
- LSU Alexandria
- LSU Shreveport
- Texas College
- Texas A&M-Texarkana
- Xavier
| width=50% | - 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.
Notes and References
- Web site: Looking Back at the Past 15 Years of RRAC Basketball . Victory Sports Network . June 18, 2013 . July 20, 2015.
- Web site: LSUA Joins the Red River Athletic Conference . LSU Alexandria . October 23, 2013 . July 20, 2015.
- Web site: NCAA Advances UST Houston to Provisional Members Division III. University of St. Thomas. February 25, 2019.
- News: NAIA Approves Five Institutions for Membership . March 31, 2020 . NAIA . March 31, 2020.
- News: Xavier University of Louisiana to become RRAC's 13th member institution in 2021-22 . October 24, 2020 . Red River Athletic Conference . September 14, 2020.
- Web site: Louisiana College accepted into NAIA, joins RRAC and SAC . Crescent City Sports . October 5, 2020 . October 24, 2020.
- News: GCAC Extends Membership To Oakwood University, Wiley College, Southern University at New Orleans . February 2, 2022 . Gulf Coast Athletic Conference . January 20, 2022.
- Web site: North American University Joins RRAC as 14th Member Institution . July 6, 2023 . Red River Athletic Conference . July 6, 2023.
