Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference
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The Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) was a former
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); which was predominantly for smaller, private
college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...
s in
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
and
Middle Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
.


History

The TCAC was created in 1985 from the western division of the old
Volunteer State Athletic Conference The Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) was a college athletic conference which was predominantly for smaller colleges in the U.S. state of Tennessee.Belmont University Belmont University is a Private university, private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporate ...
, Bethel College,
Christian Brothers University Christian Brothers University is a private Catholic university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1871 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, a Catholic teaching order. History Founded on November 19, 1871, it was estab ...
,
Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...
,
David Lipscomb University Lipscomb University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville; it also maintains one satellite locat ...
,
Freed–Hardeman University Freed–Hardeman University is a private university associated with the Churches of Christ and located in Henderson, Tennessee. It is primarily undergraduate and residential. The university also serves some commuting, part-time and adult student ...
,
Lambuth University Lambuth University was a private Methodist university in Jackson, Tennessee. It was active from 1843 to 2011 and was supported by the Memphis Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The university began as the Memphis Conference Fema ...
,
Martin Methodist College The University of Tennessee Southern (UT Southern or UTS) is a public university in Pulaski, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1870, it was a private institution for over 150 years until joining the University of Tennessee System in 2021. It ...
,
Trevecca Nazarene University Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU) is a private Nazarene liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1901. History TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary a ...
, and
Union University Union University is a private Baptist university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). It was estab ...
. 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 The TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC) was a college athletic conference for smaller colleges and universities located in the Southern United States. It was affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compe ...
which existed until the 2012–2013 school year.


Chronological timeline

* 1985 - The Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) was founded. Charter members included
Belmont University Belmont University is a Private university, private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporate ...
, Bethel College,
Christian Brothers University Christian Brothers University is a private Catholic university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1871 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, a Catholic teaching order. History Founded on November 19, 1871, it was estab ...
,
Cumberland University Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842. The oldest campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896. History 1842–1861 The university was founded by the Cumberl ...
,
David Lipscomb University Lipscomb University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville; it also maintains one satellite locat ...
,
Freed–Hardeman University Freed–Hardeman University is a private university associated with the Churches of Christ and located in Henderson, Tennessee. It is primarily undergraduate and residential. The university also serves some commuting, part-time and adult student ...
,
Lambuth University Lambuth University was a private Methodist university in Jackson, Tennessee. It was active from 1843 to 2011 and was supported by the Memphis Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The university began as the Memphis Conference Fema ...
,
Trevecca Nazarene University Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU) is a private Nazarene liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1901. History TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary a ...
and
Union University Union University is a private Baptist university in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown and Hendersonville. The university is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention (Southern Baptist Convention). It was estab ...
, beginning the 1985–86 academic year. * 1994 -
Martin Methodist College The University of Tennessee Southern (UT Southern or UTS) is a public university in Pulaski, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1870, it was a private institution for over 150 years until joining the University of Tennessee System in 2021. It ...
(now the University of Tennessee Southern) joined the TCAC in the 1994–95 academic year. * 1996 - The TCAC would cease operations as an athletic conference after the 1995–96 academic year; as many schools left to join their respective new home primary conferences, beginning the 1996–97 academic year: Bethel (Tenn.), David Lipscomb, Freed–Hardeman, Martin Methodist (now UT Southern), Trevecca Nazarene and Union (Tenn.) to form the
TranSouth Athletic Conference The TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC) was a college athletic conference for smaller colleges and universities located in the Southern United States. It was affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compe ...
(TranSouth or TSAC); with Cumberland (Tenn.) and Lambuth to the
Mid-South Conference The Mid-South Conference (MSC) is a List of college athletic conferences in the United States, college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Member institutions are located in Kentuc ...
(MSC); Belmont to the Division I 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) as an NCAA D-I Independent (which would later join the
Atlantic Sun Conference The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Division I FCS level in 2022. ...
, beginning the 2001–02 academic year); and Christian Brothers to the
NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...
ranks and the
Gulf South Conference The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States. History Originally known as the ...
(GSC).


Member schools


Final members

;Notes:


Membership timeline

DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1985 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: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 The ''Atlantic Sun'' is a local newspaper for the West Coast region of Cape Town, Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is t ...
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2022 text:
Ohio Valley The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its mouth on the Mississippi River in Cairo, ...
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 Mid-South may refer to: Places * Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky * East South Central States, a region of the United States * Memphis metropolitan ar ...
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 Mid-South may refer to: Places * Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky * East South Central States, a region of the United States * Memphis metropolitan ar ...
bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:2002 till:2012 text: TranSouth bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:end text:
Mid-South Mid-South may refer to: Places * Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky * East South Central States, a region of the United States * Memphis metropolitan ar ...
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 The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:end text:
Mid-South Mid-South may refer to: Places * Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky * East South Central States, a region of the United States * Memphis metropolitan ar ...
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1985 till:1996 text: Lambuth (1985–1996) bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2006 text:
Mid-South Mid-South may refer to: Places * Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky * East South Central States, a region of the United States * Memphis metropolitan ar ...
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 The ''Atlantic Sun'' is a local newspaper for the West Coast region of Cape Town, Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is t ...
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 Mid-South may refer to: Places * Mid-South (region), a region of the United States including portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, and Kentucky * East South Central States, a region of the United States * Memphis metropolitan ar ...
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. <# {{Font color, , {{RGB, 229, 204, 178,  Full member (non-football) 


Sponsored sports

The TCAC sponsored 9 sports for men and women including
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
,
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
,
golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
,
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
,
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
, and
volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
. Bethel and Cumberland play football in the Mid-South Conference. Defunct Lambuth also played football. Defunct college sports conferences in the United States College sports in Tennessee