Red River Athletic Conference

History

Chronological timeline

• 1998 – The Red River Athletic Conference was founded. Charter members included Bacone College, [Houston Christian University|Houston Baptist University], Huston–Tillotson University, Jarvis Christian College, Langston University, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Northwood University–Texas, Paul Quinn College, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, the University of the Southwest, Southwestern Adventist University, [Nelson University|Southwestern Assemblies of God University], the University of Texas Permian Basin, Texas College and Wiley College, beginning the 1998–99 academic year.
• 2000 – USAO left the RRAC to join the Sooner Athletic Conference after the 1999–2000 academic year.
• 2001:
• * Northwestern Oklahoma State left the RRAC to join the Sooner after the 2000–01 academic year.
• * Texas Wesleyan University 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 after the 2001–02 academic year.
• * Texas A&M International University joined the RRAC 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 and the Heartland Conference after the 2005–06 academic year.
• * The University of Texas at Brownsville joined the RRAC in the 2006–07 academic year.
• 2007 – Houston Baptist left the RRAC and the NAIA to join the NCAA Division I ranks as an NCAA D-I Independent after the 2006–07 academic year.
• 2008 – Our [Lady of the Lake University] joined the RRAC in the 2008–09 academic year.
• 2010 – Louisiana State University–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 and Texas Wesleyan left the RRAC to join the Sooner after the 2012–13 academic year.
• 2014 – Louisiana State University–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 athletics was discontinued due to the merger with the University of Texas–Pan American to become the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
• * The University of Houston–Victoria joined the RRAC in the 2015–16 academic year.
• 2016 – Texas A&M University–Texarkana 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 left the RRAC to join the NCAA Division III ranks and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference after the 2018–19 academic year.
• 2020 – Texas A&M University–San Antonio joined the RRAC in the 2020–21 academic year.
• 2021 – Louisiana Christian University and Xavier University of Louisiana joined the RRAC in the 2021–22 academic year.
• 2022:
• * Wiley left the RRAC to join the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference after the 2021–22 academic year.
• * Lewis–Clark State College joined the RRAC as an affiliate member for women's tennis in the 2023 spring season.
• 2023:
• * North American University joined the RRAC in the 2023–24 academic year.
• * Carroll College, Montana Technological University, the University of Providence and Rocky Mountain College joined the RRAC as affiliate members for men's golf in the 2024 spring season.
• 2024 – Five institutions left the RRAC as affiliate members, all effective after the 2024 spring season :
• * Lewis–Clark State for women's tennis
• * and Carroll, Montana Tech, Providence and Rocky Mountain for men's golf
• 2025:
• * Huston–Tillotson and Paul Quinn left the RRAC to join the HBCU Athletic Conference after the 2024–25 academic year.
• * The University of North Texas at Dallas joined the RRAC in the 2025–26 academic year.
• * Houston–Victoria was transferred to the Texas A&M University System, becoming Texas A&M–Victoria, effective September 1, 2025. The school remains in the RRAC.
• 2026 – Two institutions will leave the RRAC to join their respective new home primary conferences, both effective beginning 2026–27 academic year:
• * Xavier to join the Southern States Athletic Conference
• * Texas A&M–Texarkana to join the NCAA Division II ranks and the Lone Star Conference

  Member schools

Current members

Former members

Former affiliate members

Membership timeline

Sports

RRAC men's sports sponsored by school

RRAC women's sports sponsored by school