Welcome to the HBCU Athletic Conference!
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) was founded in 1981 as the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. The league was developed out of a series of meetings held over a four-year period. A number of private, four-year institutions in the Gulf Coast region had similar educational standards, enrollments, budgets, and athletic philosophies and decided to work together to form a new athletic conference.
Between April and May 1981, a constitution was developed, officers were elected, and the decision was made to proceed with conference competition in men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, and men’s tennis during the 1981-82 academic year.
Charter members were as follows:
- Belhaven College (Jackson, Miss.)
- Dillard University (New Orleans, La.)
- Louisiana College of Pineville (Pineville, La.)
- Spring Hill College (Mobile, Ala.)
- Tougaloo College (Tougaloo, Miss.)
- William Carey College (Hattiesburg, Miss.)
- Xavier University (New Orleans, La.)
In August 1981, the GCAC became an affiliate conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Thomas Howell served as the first conference commissioner from 1981 to 2014. Steve Martin served as commissioner from 2014-2019. After serving as interim commissioner from 2019-2022, Kiki Baker Barnes, PhD was named the league’s first full-time commissioner, also making her the first Black woman commissioner in the NAIA.
Part of Baker Barnes’ undertaking was the approval by the Council of Presidents for conference expansion and rebranding of the league to fit its membership. After nearly three years of planning, the league emerged as the HBCU Athletic Conference on July 1, 2024. The new identity set out to showcase the vibrant legacy of its member institutions and share stories of impact at the intersection of heritage and higher education.
The conference tagline is Where Winners Thrive, which encapsulates the spirit of the conference – a spirit that not only nurtures athletic prowess but also the holistic development of student-athletes while enhancing their experiences at HBCUs.
Prior to its name change, the conference secured a title sponsorship agreement with Hope Credit Union, the nation’s leading Black- and women-owned financial institution. Commissioner Baker Barnes went on to nail down the most extensive media rights and funding deal in NAIA history, partnering with Urban Edge Network to provide streaming television services for all member schools. In its first year, the network had nearly 1.2 million views across all its channels (main network and member schools). In its second year (2023-24), viewership exploded to 11.9 million views from July 1, 2023 to May 30, 2024. The 2024 Hope Credit Union Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships garnered 4.5 million views.
The conference continuously seeks partnerships with organizations that share its vision for promoting excellence in collegiate athletics. Through these partnerships, the HBCUAC aims to create unparalleled opportunities for its student-athletes.