The Red River Athletic Conference is a

college athletic conference In college athletics in the United States, institutions typically join in Athletic conference, conferences for regular play under different governing bodies. Varsity sports There are several national and regional associations governing the var ...

affiliated with the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...

(NAIA). The conference's 14 member institutions are located in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, and

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

History

The Red River Athletic Conference began competition in fall 1998 with 16 charter members. The conference at present counts 14 members, one of the most recent additions being Texas A&M University–Texarkana in 2016. In 2019, St. Thomas Houston announced its departure from the conference to join the

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC), founded in 1962, is an intercollegiate athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas. Difficulti ...

(SCAC) of the

NCAA Division III NCAA Division III (D-III) is the lowest division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that do not offer athletic scholarships to student- ...

as a provisional member. In March 2020,

Texas A&M University–San Antonio Texas A&M University–San Antonio is a public university in San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is part of the Texas A&M University System. The university was established on May 23, 2009, and held its first classes as a stand-alone university ...

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, followed by

Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Roman Catholic, Catholic university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only Catholic Historically black c ...

and

Louisiana Christian University Louisiana Christian University (LC) is a Private college, private Baptist university in Pineville, Louisiana. It enrolls 1,100 to 1,200 students. It is affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). Louisiana ...

(formerly Louisiana College) in September and October respectively. Xavier and Louisiana Christian officially joined the RRAC for the 2021–22 academic year. On January 20, 2022, the

Gulf Coast Athletic Conference The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC), formerly known as the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, is a college athletic conference made up entirely of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that is affiliated with the National Asso ...

(GCAC) invited founding Red River member

Wiley College Wiley University (formerly Wiley College) is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the ...

(now Wiley University) to become the GCAC's first Texas institution, effective later in July. On July 6, 2023, North American University was accepted as the RRAC's 14th conference member for the 2023–24 school year.

Chronological timeline

* 1998 – The Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) was founded. Charter members included

Bacone College Bacone College, formerly Bacone Indian University, is a private college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by missionary Almon C. Bacone, it was originally affiliated with the mission arm of what is now American Bapt ...

Houston Baptist University Houston Christian University (HCU), formerly Houston Baptist University (HBU), is a private Baptist university in Houston, Texas. It is affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Its Cultural Arts Center houses three museums: the ...

(now Houston Christian University),

Huston–Tillotson University Huston–Tillotson University (HT) is a private historically black university in Austin, Texas, United States. Established in 1875, it was the first institution of higher learning in Austin. The university is affiliated with the United Methodis ...

, Jarvis Christian College (now Jarvis Christian University),

Langston University Langston University (LU) is a public land-grant historically black university in Langston, Oklahoma. It is the only historically black college in the state and the westernmost four-year public HBCU in the United States. The main campus in Lan ...

Northwestern Oklahoma State University Northwestern Oklahoma State University (NWOSU) is a public university in Alva, Oklahoma, with satellite campuses in Enid and Woodward. It offers both bachelor's and master's degrees. History In 1897, a normal school, or school for teachers, wa ...

, Northwood University–Texas,

Paul Quinn College Paul Quinn College (PQC) is a private historically black Methodist college in Dallas, Texas. The college is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). It is the oldest historically black college west of the Mississippi River ...

, the

University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) is a public liberal arts college in Chickasha, Oklahoma. It is the only public college in Oklahoma with a strictly liberal arts–focused curriculum and is a member of the Council of Publ ...

, the

University of the Southwest The University of the Southwest is a private Christian university in Hobbs, New Mexico, United States. It was incorporated as College of the Southwest in 1962, although the college had existed for several years prior as a two-year Baptist educat ...

, Southwestern Adventist University,

Southwestern Assemblies of God University Nelson University, formerly Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU), is a private Christian university in Waxahachie, Texas, United States. Nelson is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ...

(now Nelson University), the

University of Texas Permian Basin The University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) is a public university in Odessa, Texas, United States. It is part of the University of Texas System. UTPB was authorized by the Texas Legislature in 1969 and founded in 1973. UTPB is now home to ove ...

Texas College Texas College is a private, historically black Christian Methodist Episcopal college in Tyler, Texas. It is affiliated with the United Negro College Fund. It was founded in 1894 by a group of ministers affiliated with the Christian Methodist Ep ...

and

(now Wiley University), beginning the 1998–99 academic year. * 2000 – USAO left the RRAC to join the

Sooner Athletic Conference The Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Originally developed as a five-team conference of Oklahoma-based schools, the SAC now boasts 13 ...

(SAC) after the 1999–2000 academic year. * 2001 – Northwestern Oklahoma State left the RRAC to join the Sooner after the 2000–01 academic year. * 2001 –

Texas Wesleyan University Texas Wesleyan University is a private Methodist university in Fort Worth, Texas. It was founded in 1890 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The main campus is located in the Polytechnic Heights neighborhood of Fort Worth. Its mascot is ...

joined the RRAC in the 2001–02 academic year. * 2002 – Southwestern Adventist left the RRAC and the NAIA to become an Independent within the

United States Collegiate Athletic Association The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is a national organization for the intercollegiate athletic programs of 72 mostly small colleges, including community/junior colleges, across the United States. The USCAA holds 15 national ...

(USCAA) after the 2001–02 academic year. * 2002 –

Texas A&M International University Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) is a public university in Laredo, Texas. It is part of the Texas A&M University System and home to over 8,500 students each academic semester. TAMIU offers over 70 undergraduate and graduate degrees in f ...

joined the RRAC in the 2002–03 academic year. * 2006 – Texas–Permian Basin (UTPB) and Texas A&M–International (TAMIU) left the RRAC and the NAIA to join the Division II ranks of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) and the

Heartland Conference The Heartland Conference was a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level, which was founded in 1999. The majority of members were in Texas, with additional members in ...

after the 2005–06 academic year. * 2006 – The

University of Texas at Brownsville The University of Texas at Brownsville (abbreviated as UTB and formerly known as the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College TB/TSC was an educational institution located in Brownsville, Texas. The university was on the l ...

(Texas–Brownsville or UT Brownsville or UTB) joined the RRAC in the 2006–07 academic year. * 2007 – Houston Baptist (now Houston Christian) left the RRAC and the NAIA to join the

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...

ranks as an NCAA D-I Independent (which would later join the

Great West Conference The Great West Conference (GWC) was an NCAA college athletic conference in the continental United States. Originally a football-only league, it became an all-sports entity during the 2008–09 season. The GWC stopped sponsoring football following ...

, beginning the 2008–09 school year) after the 2006–07 academic year. * 2008 –

Our Lady of the Lake University Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), known locally as the Lake, is a private Catholic university in San Antonio, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Divine Providence, a religious institute originating in Lorraine, ...

joined the RRAC in the 2008–09 academic year. * 2010 – Louisiana State University–Shreveport (Louisiana State–Shreveport or LSU 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 (now Nelson) and Texas Wesleyan left the RRAC to join the Sooner after the 2012–13 academic year. * 2014 – Louisiana State University–Alexandria (Louisiana State–Alexandria or LSU Alexandria) joined the RRAC in the 2014–15 academic year. * 2015 – Two institutions left the RRAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 2014–15 academic year: ** Bacone to join the Sooner ** and Texas–Brownsville (UTB) athletics was discontinued due to the merger with the

University of Texas–Pan American The University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) was a public university in Edinburg, Texas. Founded in 1927, it was a component institution of the University of Texas System. The university served the Rio Grande Valley (Texas), Rio Grande Valley a ...

(UTPA) to become the University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) * 2015 – The

University of Houston–Victoria The University of Houston–Victoria (UHV) is a public university in Victoria, Texas, United States. It is part of the University of Houston System. Its campus spans in Victoria with a satellite location in Katy, Texas. Founded in 1971, UHV ...

(Houston–Victoria or UHV) joined the RRAC in the 2015–16 academic year. * 2016 – Texas A&M University–Texarkana (Texas A&M–Texarkana or TAMUT) 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

ranks and the

(SCAC) after the 2018–19 academic year. * 2020 –

(Texas A&M–San Antonio or TAMUSA) joined the RRAC in the 2020–21 academic year. * 2021 –

(formerly Louisiana College) and

joined the RRAC in the 2021–22 academic year. * 2022 – Wiley left the RRAC to join the

(GCAC) after the 2021–22 academic year. * 2022 –

Lewis–Clark State College Lewis-Clark State College is a public college in Lewiston, Idaho, United States. It was founded in 1893 and has an approximate annual enrollment of 3,600. The college offers more than 130 degrees. History In 1893, Governor William J. McConn ...

joined the RRAC as an affiliate member for women's tennis in the 2023 spring season (2022–23 academic year). * 2023 – North American University joined the RRAC in the 2023–24 academic year. * 2023 –

Carroll College Carroll College is a private Catholic college in Helena, Montana. The college has 21 buildings on a 63-acre campus, has over 35 academic majors, participates in 15 NAIA athletic sports, and is home to All Saints Chapel. The college motto, in L ...

Montana Technological University Montana Technological University, popularly known as Montana Tech, is a public university in Butte, Montana. Founded in 1900 as the "Montana State School of Mines", the university became affiliated with the University of Montana in 1994. After un ...

(Montana Tech), the

University of Providence The University of Providence (UP, formerly University of Great Falls) is a private Catholic university in Great Falls, Montana, United States. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. History The University of ...

and

Rocky Mountain College Rocky Mountain College (Rocky or RMC) is a private college in Billings, Montana, United States. It offers 50 liberal arts and professional majors in 24 undergraduate disciplines. As of 2013, the college had 1,069 enrolled students. RMC is affil ...

joined the RRAC as affiliate members for men's golf in the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year). * 2024 – Five institutions left the RRAC as affiliate members, all effective after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 academic year): ** Lewis–Clark State for women's tennis ** and Carroll (Mont.), Montana Tech, Providence (Mont.) and Rocky Mountain for men's golf * 2025 – Huston–Tillotson and Paul Quinn will leave the RRAC to join the

HBCU Athletic Conference The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC), formerly known as the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, is a List of college athletic conferences in the United States, college athletic conference made up entirely of historically black colleges and unive ...

(HBCUAC) after the 2024–25 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

The RRAC currently has 14 full members, all but five are

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

schools: ;Notes:

Former members

The RRAC had 14 former full members, all but five were

schools: ;Notes:

Former affiliate members

The RRAC had five former affiliate members, three are

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

schools and two are

schools: ;Notes:

Membership timeline

DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1998 till:2028 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = 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 Sooners is the name given to settlers who entered the Unassigned Lands illegally in what is now the state of Oklahoma before the official start of the Land Rush of 1889. The Unassigned Lands were a part of Indian Territory that, after a lobbying ...

bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2019 till:2024 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:2025 text: Huston–Tillotson (1998–2025) bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:2025 till:end text: HBCUAC bar:4 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text: Jarvis Christian (1998–present) bar:5 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2018 text:

Langston Langston is a name of English origin. People with the name include: People with the given name *Langston Galloway (born 1991), American basketball player * Langston Hall (born 1991), American basketball player *Langston Hughes (1902–1967), Afr ...

(1998–2018) bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:end text:

bar:6 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2001 text: Northwestern Oklahoma State (1998–2002) bar:6 shift:(130) color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2012 text:

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:

bar:8 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2025 text: Paul Quinn (1998–2025) bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2025 till:end text: HBCUAC 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 The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is a national organization for the intercollegiate athletic programs of 72 mostly small colleges, including community/junior colleges, across the United States. The USCAA holds 15 national ...

bar:11 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2013 text: Southwestern Assemblies of God (1998–2013) bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:

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 Lone Star, Lone Starr, Lone Stars or Lonestar may refer to: Communities in the United States * Lone Star, Arizona, a populated place * Lone Star, Fresno County, California, an unincorporated community * Lone Star, Humboldt County, California ...

bar:13 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:

(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:

bar:15 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2022 text: Wiley (1998–2022) bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text: HBCUAC bar:16 color:FullxF from:2001 till:2013 text: Texas Weslayan (2001–2013) bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:

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:

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:AssocOS from:2022 till:2024 text: Lewis–Clark State (2022–2024) bar:29 color:FullxF from:2023 till:end text:

North American North America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the sou ...

(2023–present) bar:30 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text: Carroll (Mont.) (2023–2024) bar:31 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text: Montana Tech (2023–2024) bar:32 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text: Providence (Mont.) (2023–2024) bar:33 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text:

Rocky Mountain The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

(2023–2024) 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

The Red River Athletic Conference sponsors championships in seven men's and eight women's sports.

References

External links

* {{NAIA conference navbox College sports in Louisiana College sports in New Mexico College sports in Texas