Great American Conference


The Great American Conference is a collegiate athletic conference of twelve schools, with headquarters located in Russellville, Arkansas. It is affiliated in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 's Division II level. Athletic competition began play during the 2011–12 school year. Its twelve member schools are located in Arkansas and Oklahoma in the South Central United States. In addition, there are two affiliate members who compete in track and field where their home conference does not sponsor the sport.

History

The conference's charter members previously competed in the Lone Star Conference and the Gulf South Conference 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 and Southern Nazarene University to the conference for the 2012–13 academic year. Those universities continued to compete in the Sooner Athletic Conference during the 2011–12 season before joining the conference.
As of July 11, 2014, the NCAA Division II Membership Committee recommended the membership application for Oklahoma Baptist University to set up the move from the NAIA to NCAA Division II and it joined the conference for the 2015–16 season.

Membership

Current members

Affiliate members

Both affiliate members will leave the GAC after the 2018–19 school year, as each will join a conference that sponsors the sports that it now houses in the GAC.
InstitutionLocationFoundedTypeEnrollmentNicknameColorsJoinedSportPrimary
Conference
Oklahoma Christian UniversityOklahoma City, Oklahoma1950Private
2,479Eagles & Lady Eagles2015track & field outdoor ;
track & field outdoor 		Lone Star
Rogers State UniversityClaremore, Oklahoma1909Public4,227Hillcats2015track & field outdoor ;
track & field outdoor 		MIAA

Membership timeline


DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:2011 till:2023
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:20 top:5
Colors =
id:line value:black
id:Full value:rgb # all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # non-football
id:AssocF value:rgb # football-only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # associate
PlotData =
width:15 textcolor:darkblue shift: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Arkansas Tech
bar:2 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Arkansas–Monticello
bar:3 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:East Central
bar:4 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Harding
bar:5 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Henderson State
bar:6 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Ouachita Baptist
bar:7 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Southeastern Oklahoma State
bar:8 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Southern Arkansas
bar:9 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Southwestern Oklahoma State
bar:10 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:Northwestern Oklahoma State
bar:11 color:Full from:2012 till:end text:Southern Nazarene
bar:12 color:Full from:2015 till:end text:Oklahoma Baptist
bar:13 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2019 text:Oklahoma Christian
bar:14 color:AssocOS from:2015 till:2019 text:Rogers State
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:2012

Sports

The GAC sponsors championships in eight men's and eight women's sports.
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Football
Golf
Soccer
Softball
Tennis
Track & Field Outdoor
Volleyball

Men's sponsored sports by school

Women's sponsored sports by school

Other sponsored sports by school

Awards

Scholar-Athlete of the Year

The male and female scholar-athlete of the year awards are voted upon by the league's faculty athletic representatives or designees.
YearMaleFemale
2011–12Travis Kincheloe, Football Emily Kennemer, Softball
2012–13Mickey Hammer, Cross Country Amy Madden, Softball
2013–14Kevin Rodgers, Football Kristen Celsor, Basketball
2014–15Davis Richardson, Baseball Arielle Saunders, Basketball
2015–16Colin Pasque, T&F Outdoor Autumn Suydam, Softball
2016–17Colin Pasque, T&F Outdoor Kori Bullard, Volleyball / Basketball

Athlete of the Year

The male and female athlete of the year awards are voted upon by the league's sports information directors or designees.
YearMaleFemale
2011–12Johnie Davis, Basketball Kayla Jackson, Softball
2012–13Kevin Rodgers, Football Rosie Silva, Basketball
2013–14Kevin Rodgers, Football Rebecka Surtevall, Golf
2014–15Michael Hearne, Golf Rebecka Surtevall, Golf
2015–16Corey Wood, Baseball Jalissa Gum, Softball
2016–17Trevor Rucker, Baseball Maddie Dow, Softball

All-Sports Trophy

The All-Sports Trophy is presented to the athletic department with the highest point total at the end of the athletic year. Points are recorded in all sponsored sports with six or more participants. The regular season standings will determine the points for the sports of baseball, men's basketball, women's basketball, football, women's soccer, softball, women's tennis, and volleyball. The conference championship will determine the points for the sports of men's cross country, women's cross country, men's golf, and women's golf.
SeasonSchool
2011–12Arkansas Tech
2012–13Arkansas Tech
2013–14Arkansas Tech
2014–15Arkansas Tech
2015–16Arkansas Tech
2016–17Harding

NACDA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup Rankings

The NACDA Learfield Sports Directors' Cup is an annual award given by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to the U.S. colleges and universities with the most success in collegiate athletics.
YearATUUAMECUHUHSUNWOSUOKBUOBUSOSUSAUSNUSWOSU
2011–12171—194216195——79—201——
2012–13147——116110——125231211—94
2013–1471228—142148——188175191—176
2014–1574—17214686——109225209230177
2015–16101208214138120——196117198261121
2016–1711019021762140———180217232235

Conference Champions

Current champions

Fall 2016

Winter 2016–17

Spring 2017

Total conference championships

Total conference postseason championships and football regular season championships won by each school.

Facilities

SchoolFootball
stadium		CapacityBasketball
arena		CapacityBaseball
stadium		Capacity
Arkansas TechThone Stadium at Buerkle Field6,500Tucker Coliseum3,500Tech Field600
Arkansas–MonticelloWillis Convoy Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium4,500Steelman Fieldhouse1,500Weevils Field600
East CentralNorris Field5,000Kerr Activities Center3,500Ken Turner Field250
HardingFirst Security Stadium6,500Rhodes Field House3,000Jerry Moore Field311
Henderson StateCarpenter-Haygood Stadium at Ruggles Field9,600Duke Wells Center3,000Clyde Berry Field1,000
Northwestern Oklahoma StateRanger Field6,000Percefull Fieldhouse2,100Myers Stadium500
Oklahoma BaptistCrain Family Stadium2,900Mabee Arena2,400Bison Field at Ford Park400
Ouachita BaptistCliff Harris Stadium5,225Bill Vining Arena2,500Rab Rodgers Field500
Southeastern Oklahoma StatePaul Laird Field9,000Bloomer Sullivan Arena3,600The Ballpark in Durant420
Southern ArkansasWilkins Stadium6,000W.T. Watson Athletic Center2,500Steve Goodheart Field1,000
Southern NazareneSNU Stadium2,500Sawyer Center5,000Cypert Athletic Complex300
Southwestern Oklahoma StateASAP Energy Field at Milam Stadium8,600Pioneer Cellular Event Center4,000Bulldog Field300

National Championships

NCAA Division II

Team and individual titles won prior to joining the GAC or by members in sports not sponsored by the GAC.
YearSchoolSport
2000Southeastern Oklahoma StateBaseball
2015Dallas Smith Wrestling

NAIA

YearSchool
1966Oklahoma Baptist
1981Southern Nazarene
2010Oklahoma Baptist

YearSchool
1982Southwestern Oklahoma State
1983Southwestern Oklahoma State
1985Southwestern Oklahoma State
1987Southwestern Oklahoma State
1989Southern Nazarene
1990Southwestern Oklahoma State
1992Arkansas Tech
1993Arkansas Tech
1994Southern Nazarene
1995Southern Nazarene
1996Southern Nazarene
1997Southern Nazarene
2003Southern Nazarene
2004Southern Nazarene

YearSchool
1993East Central
1996Southwestern Oklahoma State
1999Northwestern Oklahoma State

YearSchool
1999Southern Nazarene
2002Southern Nazarene

YearSchool
2012Oklahoma Baptist
2013Oklahoma Baptist
2014Oklahoma Baptist
2015Oklahoma Baptist

YearSchool
2013Oklahoma Baptist
2014Oklahoma Baptist
2015Oklahoma Baptist

YearSchool
2013Oklahoma Baptist

YearSchool
2005Oklahoma Baptist
2007Oklahoma Baptist
2010Oklahoma Baptist
2011Oklahoma Baptist
2013Oklahoma Baptist
2014Oklahoma Baptist
2015Oklahoma Baptist

YearSchool
1990Oklahoma Baptist
2007Oklahoma Baptist

YearSchool
2012Oklahoma Baptist

Championships and Postseason

GAC Champions

NCAA Championships Results

;Men
YearSchool / IndividualFinish
2011East Central11th
2014Juan Pacheco 50th
2015East Central16th

;Women
YearSchool / IndividualFinish
2012Ewa Zaborowska 18th
2015Harding17th

Football

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Bowl Games

The GAC has a tie-in with the Live United Texarkana Bowl in which the highest non-playoff team will receive an automatic selection to the game. The C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl began a Division II game in 2012 with the GAC receiving the at-large selection in each of the first four years of the game. The Corsicana Bowl which began in 2017 has a at-large selection option with the GAC.
YearGameSchoolOpponentScore
2012C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas BowlSouthern ArkansasMcMurryL 35–36
2013C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas BowlOuachita BaptistTarleton StateCancelled
2013Live United Texarkana BowlHardingTexas A&M–CommerceW 44–3
2014C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas BowlEast CentralTexas A&M–CommerceL 21–72
2014Live United Texarkana BowlSoutheastern Oklahoma StateCentral MissouriL 21–48
2015C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas BowlArkansas TechEastern New MexicoW 51–35
2015Live United Texarkana BowlSouthwestern Oklahoma StateCentral OklahomaL 21–38
2016Live United Texarkana BowlSouthern ArkansasTexas A&M–KingsvilleL 17–24

Men's Soccer

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

Women's Soccer

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Volleyball

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Men's Basketball

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Women's Basketball

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Baseball

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Golf

GAC Champions

NCAA Championships Results

;Men
;Women
YearSchool / IndividualFinish
2013Rebecka Surtevall T 12th
2013Ashlynn Hall T 39th
2013Emily Plyler T 49th
2014Arkansas Tech9th
2014Southwestern Oklahoma State12th
2015Arkansas Tech10th
2016Caroline Fredensborg T 39th
2017Henderson StateT 9th
2017Arkansas Tech11th

Softball

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Men's Tennis

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Women's Tennis

GAC Champions

GAC All-Time Standings

NCAA Tournament Results

Track & Field Outdoor

GAC Champions