HT accepts invitation into the HBCU Athletic Conference

DALLAS – Huston-Tillotson University has accepted an invitation for membership into the HBCU Athletic Conference, the conference and university announced Monday.
 
The HT athletics program will join the NAIA-affiliated HBCUAC on July 1, 2025, and begin play as a full member program in time for the 2025-26 season. Huston-Tillotson and fellow Red River Athletic Conference institution Paul Quinn College will be welcomed to the HBCU Athletic Conference as the league's 14th and 15th and member schools.
 
The switch in conference affiliation will be the first such transition for HT in more than a quarter-century after joining the RRAC as a charter member in 1998.
 
"Joining the HBCUAC is a game-changer for HT," Huston-Tillotson's 7th President and CEO Dr. Melva K. Wallace said. "This move elevates our athletic program, increases our recruiting power, and places our student-athletes in a league where their talent and hard work will be seen and celebrated.
 
"It opens the door to stronger rivalries, greater exposure, and the kind of competitive excellence that builds champions on and off the field."
 
Under the leadership of commissioner Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes, the HBCU Athletic Conference took its current in July 2024. Since she was named the commissioner in 2022, the conference has nearly doubled in size from eight member schools in 2020, to 15 when HT and Paul Quinn College join the conference in July 2025.
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Huston-Tillotson University and Paul Quinn College to the HBCU Athletic Conference," Dr. Baker Barnes said. "Both institutions bring a rich tradition of athletic and academic excellence, and their addition strengthens our conference's mission to elevate HBCU athletics while creating more opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest levels."
 
The HBCU Athletic Conference will be a natural fit for the Rams. HBCUs made up a majority of the Red River Athletic Conference until approximately 2010, and the move to the HBCUAC is expected to generate excitement in the HT community about joining a league comprised of institutions with similar profiles and resources.
 
"As we prepare to join the HBCU Athletic Conference, we are not just changing our competitive landscape, but we are also re-affirming our commitment to a tradition of excellence within historically black colleges and universities," HT Director of Athletics Thomas Henderson said. "The move to the HBCUAC allows us to engage with institutions that share a similar mission and heritage, providing our student-athletes with experiences that enrich both their academic and athletic journeys.
 
"Our athletes, coaches, and supporters are looking forward to this new chapter, where the HBCUAC not only provides a competitive arena but a home that celebrates and uplifts the contributions of HBCUs in higher education and athletics."
 
The HBCUAC began play in 1981-82 as the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, the name it held until 2024. League members Dillard (La.) and Tougaloo (Miss.) were charter members of the conference. Conference membership has consisted entirely of HBCUs since 2010.
 
In addition to Dillard and Tougaloo, HBCU Athletic Conference membership currently includes Fisk (Tenn.), Oakwood (Ala.), Philander Smith (Ark.), Rust (Miss.), Southern–New Orleans, Stillman (Ala.), Talladega (Ala.), the University of the Virgin Islands, Voorhees (S.C.), Wilberforce (Ohio), and Wiley (Texas).
 
Information from the HBCU Athletic Conference was used in this story. To read the HBCUAC's press release about the addition of HT and Paul Quinn, click here.
 
– HT –