HBCU Athletic Conference

History

Chronological timeline

• 1981 – The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference was founded. Charter members included Belhaven College, Dillard University, Louisiana College, Spring Hill College, Tougaloo College, William Carey College, and Xavier University of Louisiana, beginning the 1981–82 academic year.
• 1985 – Mobile College joined the GCAC in the 1985–86 academic year.
• 1986 – Southern University at New Orleans joined the GCAC in the 1986–87 academic year.
• 1995 – Loyola University joined the GCAC in the 1995–96 academic year.
• 1999 – Talladega College joined the GCAC in the 1999–2000 academic year.
• 2000 – Two institutions left the GCAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective after the 1999–2000 academic year:
• * Belhaven to become an NAIA Independent
• * and Louisiana College to join the Division III ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the American Southwest Conference
• 2000 – Louisiana State University at Shreveport joined the GCAC in the 2000–01 academic year.
• 2002 – Talladega left the GCAC to become an NAIA Independent after the 2001–02 academic year.
• 2002 – Belhaven rejoined the GCAC in the 2002–03 academic year.
• 2005 – Dillard and Xavier cancelled all athletic competition while Loyola and Southern–New Orleans competed in partial competition due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina during the 2005–06 academic year. All of the mentioned member schools would resume full-time athletic competition for the conference on the following season.
• 2010 – Six institutions left the GCAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, all effective after the 2009–10 academic year:
• * Loyola, Mobile, Spring Hill and William Carey to join the Southern States Athletic Conference
• * and Louisiana State–Shreveport to join the Red River Athletic Conference
• 2010 – Edward Waters College and Fisk University joined the GCAC in the 2010–11 academic year.
• 2011 – Philander Smith College joined the GCAC in the 2011–12 academic year.
• 2013 – Voorhees College joined the GCAC in the 2013–14 academic year.
• 2014 – Fisk left the GCAC to become an NAIA Independent after the 2013–14 academic year.
• 2015 – Voorhees left the GCAC to become an NAIA Independent after the 2014–15 academic year.
• 2018 – Rust College joined the GCAC in the 2018–19 academic year.
• 2019 – Southern–New Orleans left the GCAC due to suspending its athletic program until further notice after the 2018–19 academic year.
• 2021 – Three institutions left the GCAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, all effective after the 2020–21 academic year:
• * Talladega for a second time to join the SSAC
• * Xavier to join the RRAC
• * and Edward Waters to join the NCAA Division II ranks and rejoining the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference ; although Edward Waters would remain in the GCAC to compete in conference tournaments for all sponsored sports during the provisional transition until the end of the 2021–22 school year
• 2021 – Fisk rejoined the GCAC in the 2021–22 academic year.
• 2022 – Southern–New Orleans announced that it would reinstate its athletics program and rejoin the GCAC, along with new members Oakwood University and Wiley College, beginning the 2022–23 academic year.
• 2023 – The University of the Virgin Islands joined the GCAC in the 2023–24 academic year; thus making the first from a U.S. territory to join an NAIA or NCAA conference in the 21st century. Talladega also rejoined the GCAC for a third time.
• 2024 – Stillman College and Wilberforce University joined the GCAC in the 2024–25 academic year.
• 2024 – The GCAC was rebranded as the HBCU Athletic Conference in the 2024–25 academic year.
• 2025 – Huston–Tillotson University and Paul Quinn College joined the HBCUAC in the 2025–26 academic year.

Member schools

Current members

Former members

Membership timeline

Conference sports