Red River Athletic Conference


The Red River Athletic Conference is a List of [college athletic conferences in the United States|college athletic conference] affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The conference's 13 member institutions are located in Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas.

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 of the NCAA Division III as a provisional member. 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 and Louisiana Christian University 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 invited founding Red River member Wiley College 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.
On July 1, 2025, the RRAC announced the addition of the University of [North Texas at Dallas] as a full conference member. UNTD was previously a full member of the Sooner Athletic Conference.

Chronological timeline

Current members

The RRAC currently has 13 full members, with a slight majority being private schools.
InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedBasketball?
Jarvis Christian UniversityHawkins, Texas1912Disciples of Christ800Bulldogs1998both
Louisiana Christian UniversityPineville, Louisiana1906Southern Baptist950Wildcats and Lady Wildcats|Wildcats]2021both
Louisiana State University of AlexandriaAlexandria, Louisiana1959Public5,330Generals2014both
Louisiana State University ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana1967Public9,736Pilots2010both
North American UniversityStafford, Texas2007Nonsectarian923Stallions2023both
University of North Texas at DallasDallas, Texas2000Public3,797Trailblazers2025both
Our Lady of the Lake UniversitySan Antonio, Texas1895Catholic
2,096Saints2008both
Hobbs, New Mexico1962Nondenominational1,034Mustangs1998both
Texas CollegeTyler, Texas1894C.M.E. Church644Steers1998both
San Antonio, Texas2009Public7,584Jaguars2020both
Texarkana, Texas1971Public2,109Eagles2016both
Victoria, Texas1973Public3,784Jaguars2015none
Xavier University of LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana1925Catholic
3,181Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets|Gold Rush] &
Gold Nuggets
2021both

;Notes:

Former members

The RRAC has 16 former full members, all but five were private schools:
InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftCurrent
conference
Bacone CollegeMuskogee, Oklahoma1880Tribal collegeN/AWarriors19982015Closed in 2024
Houston Baptist UniversityHouston, Texas1960Baptist4,189Huskies19982007Southland
Huston-Tillotson UniversityAustin, Texas1881UMC & UCC1,029Rams19982025HBCU
Langston UniversityLangston, Oklahoma1897Public1,910Lions19982018Sooner
Northwestern Oklahoma State UniversityAlva, Oklahoma1897Public1,929Rangers19982001Great American
Northwood UniversityCedar Hill, Texas1966NonsectarianN/AKnights19982013Closed in 2014
Paul Quinn CollegeDallas, Texas1872A.M.E. Church602Tigers19982025HBCU
Houston, Texas1947Catholic
3,813Celts20112019Southern
Chickasha, Oklahoma1908Public914Drovers19982000Sooner
Southwestern Adventist UniversityKeene, Texas1893Seventh-day
Adventist
817Knights19982002USCAA Independent
Southwestern Assemblies of God UniversityWaxahachie, Texas1927Assemblies of God1,725Lions19982013Sooner
Texas A&M International UniversityLaredo, Texas1969Public8,536Dustdevils20022006Lone Star
Texas Wesleyan UniversityFort Worth, Texas1890United Methodist2,595Rams20012013Sooner
Brownsville, Texas1991PublicN/AOcelots20062015N/A
Odessa, Texas1973Public5,899Falcons19982006Lone Star
Wiley UniversityMarshall, Texas1873United Methodist636Wildcats19982022HBCU

;Notes:

Former affiliate members

The RRAC had five former affiliate members, three are public schools and two are private schools:
InstitutionLocationFoundedAffiliationEnrollmentNicknameJoinedLeftRRAC
sport
Primary
conference
Carroll CollegeHelena, Montana1909Catholic
1,103Fighting Saints20232024Men's golfFrontier
Lewis–Clark State CollegeLewiston, Idaho1893Public3,706Warriors &
Lady Warriors
20222024Women's tennisCascade
Montana Technological UniversityButte, Montana1889Public1,622Orediggers20232024Men's golfFrontier
University of ProvidenceGreat Falls, Montana1932Catholic
677Argonauts20232024Men's golfFrontier
Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings, Montana1878various991Battlin' Bears20232024Men's golfFrontier

;Notes:

Membership timeline


DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1998 till:2030
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:40 top:5
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for another sport only
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved in another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb # 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: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2015 text:Bacone
bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2015 till:2019 text:Sooner
bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:2019 till:2024 text:NAIA Ind.
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2007 text:Houston Christian
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2008 text:D-I Ind
bar:2 shift: 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
bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:2025 till:end text:HBCUAC
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Jarvis Christian
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2018 text:Langston
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:end text:Sooner
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2001 text:Northwestern Oklahoma State
bar:6 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2001 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
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2014 text:Sooner
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2025 text:Paul Quinn
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2025 till:end text:HBCUAC
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Southwest
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2002 text:Southwestern Adventist
bar:10 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2002 till:end text:USCAA
bar:11 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2013 text:Southwestern Assemblies of God
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Sooner
bar:12 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2006 text:Texas–Permian Basin
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2016 text:Heartland
bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:2016 till:end text:Lone Star
bar:13 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Texas College
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2000 text:USAO
bar:14 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:end text:Sooner
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2022 text:Wiley
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:HBCUAC
bar:16 color:FullxF from:2001 till:2013 text:Texas Weslayan
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Sooner
bar:17 color:FullxF from:2002 till:2006 text:Texas A&M International
bar:17 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2019 text:Heartland
bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:2019 till:end text:Lone Star
bar:18 color:FullxF from:2006 till:2015 text:Texas–Brownsville
bar:19 color:FullxF from:2008 till:end text:Our Lady of the Lake
bar:20 color:FullxF from:2010 till:end text:Louisiana State–Shreveport
bar:21 color:FullxF from:2011 till:2019 text:Saint Thomas
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:2019 till:end text:SCAC
bar:22 color:FullxF from:2014 till:end text:Louisiana State–Alexandria
bar:23 color:FullxF from:2015 till:2025 text:Houston–Victoria
bar:23 shift: color:FullxF from:2025 till:end text:Texas A&M–Victoria
bar:24 color:FullxF from:2016 till:2026 text:Texas A&M–Texarkana
bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:Lone Star
bar:25 color:FullxF from:2020 till:end text:Texas A&M–San Antonio
bar:26 color:FullxF from:2021 till:end text:Louisiana Christian
bar:27 color:FullxF from:2021 till:2026 text:Xavier
bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:SSAC
bar:28 color:AssocOS from:2022 till:2024 text:Lewis–Clark State
bar:29 color:FullxF from:2023 till:end text:North American
bar:30 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text:Carroll
bar:31 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text:Montana Tech
bar:32 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text:Providence
bar:33 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:2024 text:Rocky Mountain
bar:34 shift: color:FullxF from:2025 till:end text:North Texas–Dallas
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1998
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textcolor:black
pos: tabs:
text:^"Red River Athletic Conference membership history"
  1. > If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following three options 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.
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Golf
Soccer
Softball
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball

RRAC men's sports sponsored by school

RRAC women's sports sponsored by school