Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference Explained

The Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) was a former college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); which was predominantly for smaller, private colleges in Western and Middle Tennessee.

History

The TCAC was created in 1985 from the western division of the old Volunteer State Athletic Conference. The charter members were Belmont University, Bethel College, Christian Brothers University, Cumberland University, David Lipscomb University, Freed–Hardeman University, Lambuth University, Martin Methodist College, Trevecca Nazarene University, and Union University. The TCAC survived in that form until 1995 when both Belmont and Christian Brothers announced their intentions to go to the NCAA. The remaining teams formed a new conference, the TranSouth Athletic Conference which existed until the 2012-2013 school year.

Chronological timeline

1985 - The Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) was founded. Charter members included Belmont University, Bethel College, Christian Brothers University, Cumberland University, David Lipscomb University, Freed–Hardeman University, Lambuth University, Trevecca Nazarene University and Union University, effective beginning the 1985-86 academic year.
1994 - Martin Methodist College (now the University of Tennessee Southern) joined the TCAC, effective in the 1994-95 academic year.
1996 - The TCAC would cease operations as an athletic conference, effective after the 1995-96 academic year; as many schools left to join their respective new home primary conferences, effective beginning the 1996-97 academic year: Bethel (Tenn.), David Lipscomb, Freed–Hardeman, Martin Methodist, Trevecca Nazarene and Union (Tenn.) to the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TranSouth or TSAC); while Cumberland (Tenn.) and Lambuth to the Mid-South Conference (MSC); Belmont to the Division I ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-I Independent (which would later join the Atlantic Sun Conference, effective beginning the 2001-02 academic year); and Christian Brothers to the NCAA Division II ranks and the Gulf South Conference (GSC).

Member schools

Final members

Institution	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined	Left	Subsequent conference(s)	Current conference
Belmont University	Nashville, Tennessee	1890	Nondenominational	8,700	Bruins	1985	1996	various	Missouri Valley (MVC) (2022–present)
Bethel College	McKenzie, Tennessee	1842	Cumberland Presbyterian	2,975	Wildcats	1985	1996	various	Mid-South (MSC) (2020–present)
Christian Brothers University	Memphis, Tennessee	1871	Catholic	1,968	Buccaneers	1985	1996	Gulf South (GSC) (1996–present)
Cumberland University	Lebanon, Tennessee	1842	Nonsectarian	1,500	Bulldogs	1985	1996	Mid-South (MSC) (1996–2002) TranSouth (TSAC) (2002–12)	Mid-South (MSC) (2012–present)
David Lipscomb University	Nashville, Tennessee	1891	Churches of Christ	4,278	Bisons	1985	1996	TranSouth (TSAC) (1996–2001) D-I Indepdenent (2001–03)	Atlantic Sun (ASUN) (2003–present)
Freed–Hardeman University	Henderson, Tennessee	1869	Churches of Christ	2,027	Lions	1985	1996	TranSouth (TSAC) (1996–2013) American Midwest (AMC) (2013–20)	Mid-South (MSC) (2020–present)
Lambuth University	Jackson, Tennessee	1843	United Methodist	800	Eagles	1985	1996	various	Closed in 2011
	Pulaski, Tennessee	1870	Public	1,000	FireHawks	1994	1996	various	Southern States (SSAC) (2023–present)
Trevecca Nazarene University	Nashville, Tennessee	1901	Nazarene	2,345	Trojans	1985	1996	TranSouth (TSAC) (1996–2012)	Great Midwest (G-MAC) (2012–present)
Union University	Jackson, Tennessee	1823	Baptist	4,259	Bulldogs	1985	1996	TranSouth (TSAC) (1996–2012)	Gulf South (GSC) (2012–present)

Notes:

Membership timeline

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PlotData =

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Belmont (1985–1996) bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2001 text:D-I Ind. bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2012 text:Atlantic Sun bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2022 text:Ohio Valley bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:Missouri Valley

bar:2 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Bethel (Tenn.) (1985–1996) bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:1998 text:TranSouth bar:2 shift:(10) color:OtherC2 from:1998 till:2006 text:River States bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2013 text:TranSouth bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2020 text:Southern States bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:end text:Mid-South

bar:3 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Christian Brothers (1985–1996) bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:end text:Gulf South

bar:4 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Cumberland (Tenn.) (1985–1996) bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2002 text:Mid-South bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:2002 till:2012 text:TranSouth bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:end text:Mid-South

bar:5 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Freed–Hardeman (1985–1996) bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2013 text:TranSouth bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2020 text:American Midwest bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:end text:Mid-South

bar:6 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Lambuth (1985–1996) bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2006 text:Mid-South bar:6 color:OtherC2 from:2006 till:2009 text:TranSouth bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:2009 till:2011 text:D-II Ind.

bar:7 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Lipscomb (1985–1996) bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2001 text:TranSouth bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2003 text:D-I Ind. bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2003 till:end text:Atlantic Sun

bar:8 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Trevecca Nazarene (1985–1996) bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2012 text:TranSouth bar:8 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:2024 text:Great Midwest bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end text:Gulf South

bar:9 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text:Union (Tenn.) (1985–1996) bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2012 text:TranSouth bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:end text:Gulf South

bar:10 color:FullxF from:1994 till:1996 text:Martin Methodist (1994–1996) bar:10 shift:(100) color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2013 text:TranSouth bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2020 text:Southern States bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:end text:Mid-South

bar:N color:red from:1985 till:1996 text:Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference bar:N color:blue from:1996 till:end text:Post-TCAC

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1986

TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:(0,25) tabs:(400-center) text:^"Tennessee Collegiate 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.