The Great American Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States

South Central United States

The South Central United States or South Central states is a region of the United States located in the south central part of the country. It evolved out of the archaic southwest, which originally was literally the western U.S. South...

. It participates in the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

's Division II, and is scheduled to begin play in the 2011-12 school year.

Members

The conference's charter members previously competed in the Lone Star Conference

Lone Star Conference

The Lone Star Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico...

 and Gulf South Conference

Gulf South Conference

The Gulf South Conference is a College Athletic Conference which operates in the southeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...

 before forming the GAC in 2010. The new conference is intended to reduce travel costs for its member universities.

On May 11, 2011, the conference invited Northwestern Oklahoma State

Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Northwestern Oklahoma State University, also known as NWOSU, is a university in Alva, Oklahoma, United States, with satellite campuses in Enid and Woodward. A state university, it offers both bachelor's and master's degrees.-Establishment:...

 and Southern Nazarene University

Southern Nazarene University

Southern Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Bethany, Oklahoma, United States.-History:The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions. While SNU claims its founding date as 1899, that founding date refers to an...

 to the conference for the 2012-2013. The universities will continue to play in the Sooner Athletic Conference

Sooner Athletic Conference

The Sooner Athletic Conference is an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . Its 12 member institutions are located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas....

 during 2011 and join the conference in 2012 but will not be eligible for NCAA postseason competition until the 2014-15 academic year as part of their transition from NAIA

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...

 to Division II

Division II

Division II is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It offers an alternative to both the highly competitive level of intercollegiate sports offered in NCAA Division I and to the non-scholarship level offered in Division III...

.

Institution	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Nickname	Joined
Arkansas Tech University Arkansas Tech University Arkansas Tech University is a comprehensive regional institution located in Russellville, Arkansas, United States. The university offers programs at both baccalaureate and graduate levels in a range of fields. As of 2004, the University also operates a small satellite campus in the town of Ozark...	Russellville, Arkansas Russellville, Arkansas Russellville is the county seat and largest city in Pope County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 27,920, according to the 2010 Census. It is home to Arkansas Tech University and Arkansas Nuclear One, Arkansas' only nuclear power plant...	1909	Public	10,464	Wonder Boys Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys The men's teams at Arkansas Tech University are known as the Wonder Boys. They are a charter member of the Great American Conference of the NCAA Division II.-Football:...  and Golden Suns Arkansas Tech Golden Suns The women's teams at Arkansas Tech University are known as the Golden Suns. They are a charter member of the Great American Conference of the NCAA Division II.-Cross Country:-Volleyball:...	2011
University of Arkansas at Monticello University of Arkansas at Monticello The University of Arkansas at Monticello is a public university and college for vocational and technical education located in Monticello, Arkansas, United States....	Monticello, Arkansas Monticello, Arkansas Monticello is a city in Drew County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 9,327. The city is the county seat of Drew County. It is the home of the University of Arkansas at Monticello.-History:...	1909	Public	3,400	Boll Weevils and Cotton Blossoms	2011
East Central University East Central University East Central University is a four year public university in Ada, Oklahoma, located in the south central region of the state. The university also has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, Ardmore, and Durant....	Ada, Oklahoma Ada, Oklahoma Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the city population was estimated at 17,019....	1909	Public	5,727	Tigers	2011
Harding University Harding University Harding University is located in Searcy, Arkansas, in the United States, about north-east of Little Rock. It is a private liberal arts Christian university associated with the Churches of Christ. The university takes its name from James A...	Searcy, Arkansas Searcy, Arkansas Searcy is the largest city and county seat of White County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,663. It is the principal city of the Searcy, AR Micropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of White County...	1924	Private/Church of Christ	6,810	Bisons	2011
Henderson State University Henderson State University Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...	Arkadelphia, Arkansas Arkadelphia, Arkansas Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...	1890	Public	3,584	Reddies	2011
Northwestern Oklahoma State University Northwestern Oklahoma State University Northwestern Oklahoma State University, also known as NWOSU, is a university in Alva, Oklahoma, United States, with satellite campuses in Enid and Woodward. A state university, it offers both bachelor's and master's degrees.-Establishment:...	Alva, Oklahoma Alva, Oklahoma Alva is a city in Woods County, Oklahoma, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 4,945 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Woods County....	1897	Public	1,889	Rangers	2013
Ouachita Baptist University Ouachita Baptist University Ouachita Baptist University is a private, liberal arts, undergraduate institution located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, which is about 65 miles southwest of Little Rock. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas...	Arkadelphia, Arkansas Arkadelphia, Arkansas Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 10,548. The city is the county seat of Clark County. The city is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State...	1886	Private/Southern Baptist	1,448	Tigers	2011
Southeastern Oklahoma State University Southeastern Oklahoma State University Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...	Durant, Oklahoma Durant, Oklahoma Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010...	1909	Public	3,889	Savage Storm	2011
Southern Arkansas University Southern Arkansas University Southern Arkansas University is a public four-year institution located in Magnolia, the seat of Columbia County in Arkansas, United States, not far from the Louisiana state line.-Location:Southern Arkansas University is located in Magnolia, which, as of the census...	Magnolia, Arkansas Magnolia, Arkansas Magnolia is a city in Columbia County, Arkansas, United States, that was founded in 1853. At the time of its incorporation in 1858, the city had a population of about 1,950. The city grew slowly as an agricultural and regional cotton market until the discovery of oil just east of the city in March,...	1909	Public	3,224	Muleriders	2011
Southern Nazarene University Southern Nazarene University Southern Nazarene University is a Christian liberal arts college located in Bethany, Oklahoma, United States.-History:The history of the institution is one of various mergers and, therefore, one of differing institutions. While SNU claims its founding date as 1899, that founding date refers to an...	Bethany, Oklahoma Bethany, Oklahoma Bethany is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 20,307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bethany is located at ....	1899	Private/Church of the Nazarene	2,110	Crimson Storm Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm features 17 men's and women's varsity sports teams at Southern Nazarene University. In 1999, the Crimson Storm athletic nickname replaced the "Redskins", and the "Thundercat" was debuted as the mascot in 2003. The Crimson Storm participates in the NAIA's Division I,...	2012
Southwestern Oklahoma State University Southwestern Oklahoma State University Southwestern Oklahoma State University is a public university in Weatherford and Sayre, Oklahoma. It is one of seven state regional universities in the state of Oklahoma.The current president of SWOSU is Randy Beutler.-History:...	Weatherford, Oklahoma Weatherford, Oklahoma Weatherford is a city in Custer County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 10,833 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Weatherford is located at , elevation 1,647 feet ....	1901	Public	4,850	Bulldogs	2011

Note: Future members in red.

Sports

The GAC sponsors championships in six men's and seven women's sports including:
Men

• Baseball
  Baseball
  Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
  
  
• Basketball
  Basketball
  Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
  
  
• Cross Country
  Cross country running
  Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
  
  
• Football
  College football
  College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
  
  
• Golf
  Golf
  Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
  
  
• Soccer in 2012
• Tennis
  Tennis
  Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
  
  

Women

• Basketball
  Basketball
  Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
  
  
• Cross Country
  Cross country running
  Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
  
  
• Golf
  Golf
  Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
  
  
• Soccer
• Softball
  Softball
  Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
  
  
• Tennis
  Tennis
  Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
  
  
• Volleyball
  Volleyball
  Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
  
  

Men

Season	Cross Country	Soccer	Football	Basketball	Baseball	Golf	Tennis
2011-12 2011–12 Great American Conference Championships The Great American Conference will host championship events for 12 of its 13 sports. The only sport without a conference championship game is football...	East Central	n/a	Ouachita Baptist
2012-13

Women

Season	Cross Country	Soccer	Volleyball	Basketball	Softball	Golf	Tennis
2011-12 2011–12 Great American Conference Championships The Great American Conference will host championship events for 12 of its 13 sports. The only sport without a conference championship game is football...	Harding	East Central	Arkansas Tech
2012-13

Conference venues

School	Football stadium	Capacity	Basketball arena	Capacity	Baseball stadium	Capacity
Arkansas Tech	Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field	6,500	Tucker Coliseum	3,500	Tech Field	600
Arkansas-Monticello	Willis Convoy Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium	5,000	Steelman Fieldhouse	1,500	Weevils Field	600
East Central	Norris Field	5,000	Kerr Activities Center	4,000	East Central Field	250
Harding	First Security Stadium	6,500	Rhodes Field House	3,000	Jerry Moore Field	311
Henderson State	Carpenter-Haygood Stadium	9,600	Duke Wells Center	3,000	Clyde Berry Field	1,000
Ouachita Baptist	A.U. Williams Field	5,225	Bill Vining Arena	2,500	Rab Rodgers Field	500
Southeastern Oklahoma	Paul Laird Field	9,000	Bloomer Sullivan Arena	3,600	The Ballpark in Durant	420
Southern Arkansas	Wilkins Stadium	6,000	W.T. Watson Athletic Center	2,600	Steve Goodheart Field	1,000
Southwestern Oklahoma	Milam Stadium	4,000	Rankin Williams Fieldhouse	2,400	Bulldog Field	300

Future conference venues

School	Football stadium	Capacity	Basketball arena	Capacity	Baseball stadium	Capacity
Northwestern Oklahoma State	Ranger Field	6,000	Percefull Fieldhouse	2,100	Myers Stadium	500
Southern Nazarene	SNU Stadium	2,500	Sawyer Center	5,000	Cypert Athletic Complex	300

External links