The Red River Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the

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

(NAIA). The conference's 13 member institutions are located in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, and

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

History

The conference began competition in 1998 with 16 charter members. The conference at present counts 14 members, one of the most recent additions being

Texas A&M University–Texarkana Texas A&M University–Texarkana (A&M–Texarkana) is a public university in Texarkana, Texas. It is part of the Texas A&M University System. Students who reside in Oklahoma and Arkansas attend at in-state tuition rates, and historically 30 perc ...

in 2016. In 2018, 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 athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Member institutions are located in Colorado, Louisiana, and Texas. Difficulties related to travel distanc ...

(SCAC) of the

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

as a provisional member in 2019. 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, followed by

Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana (also known as 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 HBCU ...

and Louisiana Christian University (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 (GCAC) invited founding Red River member

Wiley College 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 oldest predominantly black col ...

to become the GCAC's first Texas institution, effective later in July.

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

, Northwood University–Texas, Paul Quinn College, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, the

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

Southwestern Adventist University Southwestern Adventist University is a private Adventist university in Keene, Texas. It is owned by the Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The university enrolls about 800 students on a rural, 150-acre campus. The uni ...

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

, the University of Texas Permian Basin,

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 Epi ...

, and

, effective 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 12 sc ...

(SAC), effective after the 1999-2000 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 th ...

joined the RRAC, effective 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 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 nationa ...

(USCAA), both effective after the 2001-02 academic year. * 2002 - Texas A&M International University joined the RRAC, effective 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 The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(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 A ...

, effective after the 2005-06 academic year. * 2006 - The University of Texas at Brownsville joined the RRAC, effective in the 2006-07 academic year. * 2007 - Houston Christian left the RRAC and the NAIA to join the

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

ranks as an Division 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 ...

, effective beginning the 2008-09 academic year), effective 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. It was founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Divine Providence, a religious institute originating in Lorraine, France, during ...

joined the RRAC, effective in the 2008-09 academic year. * 2010 - Louisiana State University Shreveport joined the RRAC, effective in the 2010-11 academic year. * 2012 - The

University of St. Thomas St. Thomas University or University of St. Thomas may refer to: *Saint Thomas Aquinas University, Colombia *Saint Thomas Aquinas University of the North, Tucumán province, Argentina *St. Thomas University (Canada), Fredericton, New Brunswick *St. ...

joined the RRAC, effective in the 2012-13 academic year. * 2013 - Northwood–Texas, SAGU and Texas Wesleyan left the RRAC to join the Sooner, effective after the 2012-13 academic year. * 2014 - Louisiana State University in Alexandria joined the RRAC, effective 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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university with multiple campuses throughout the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas and is the southernmost member of the University of Texas System. The University of Texas ...

(UTRGV), and Bacone to join the Sooner, effective after the 2014-15 academic year. * 2015 - The

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

joined the RRAC, effective in the 2015-16 academic year. * 2016 -

joined the RRAC, effective in the 2016-17 academic year. * 2018 - Langston left the RRAC to join the Sooner, effective after the 2017-18 academic year. * 2019 - St. Thomas (Tex.) left the RRAC to join the

ranks and the

(SCAC), effective after the 2018-19 academic year. * 2020 - Texas A&M University–San Antonio joined the RRAC, effective in the 2020-21 academic year. * 2021 - Louisiana College and

joined the RRAC, effective in the 2021-22 academic year. * 2022 - Wiley left the RRAC to join the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC), effective in the 2022-23 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

The RRAC currently has 13 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 recorde ...

schools: ;Notes:

Former members

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

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 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 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 ...

(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 Heartland or Heartlands may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Heartland Bank, a New Zealand-based financial institution * Heartland Inn, a chain of hotels based in Iowa, United States * Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty organization i ...

bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:2016 till:end text: Lone Star 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: 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: Heartland Heartland or Heartlands may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Heartland Bank, a New Zealand-based financial institution * Heartland Inn, a chain of hotels based in Iowa, United States * Heartland Alliance, an anti-poverty organization i ...

History

Chronological timeline

Member schools

Current members

Former members

Membership timeline

Sports

References

External links