Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference

Former college athletic conference

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TCAC logo

The Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) was a former college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); which was predominantly for smaller, private colleges in Western and Middle Tennessee.

## History

[edit]

The TCAC was created in 1985 from the western division of the old Volunteer State Athletic Conference. The charter members were Belmont University, Bethel College, Christian Brothers University, Cumberland University, David Lipscomb University, Freed–Hardeman University, Lambuth University, Martin Methodist College, Trevecca Nazarene University, and Union University. The TCAC survived in that form until 1995 when both Belmont and Christian Brothers announced their intentions to go to the NCAA. The remaining teams formed a new conference, the TranSouth Athletic Conference which existed until the 2012–2013 school year.

### Chronological timeline

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* 1985 - The Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) was founded. Charter members included Belmont University, Bethel College, Christian Brothers University, Cumberland University, David Lipscomb University, Freed–Hardeman University, Lambuth University, Trevecca Nazarene University and Union University, beginning the 1985–86 academic year.
* 1994 - Martin Methodist College (now the University of Tennessee Southern) joined the TCAC in the 1994–95 academic year.
* 1996 - The TCAC would cease operations as an athletic conference after the 1995–96 academic year; as many schools left to join their respective new home primary conferences, beginning the 1996–97 academic year: Bethel (Tenn.), David Lipscomb, Freed–Hardeman, Martin Methodist (now UT Southern), Trevecca Nazarene and Union (Tenn.) to form the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TranSouth or TSAC); with Cumberland (Tenn.) and Lambuth to the Mid-South Conference (MSC); Belmont to the Division I ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as an NCAA D-I Independent (which would later join the Atlantic Sun Conference, beginning the 2001–02 academic year); and Christian Brothers to the NCAA Division II ranks and the Gulf South Conference (GSC).

## Member schools

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### Final members

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Institution  | Location  | Founded  | Affiliation  | Enrollment  | Nickname  | Joined  | Left  | Subsequent
conference(s)  | Current
conference

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Belmont University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1890  | Nondenominational | 8,700  | Bruins | 1985  | 1996  | various[a] | Missouri Valley (MVC)[b]
(2022–present)
Bethel College[c] | McKenzie, Tennessee | 1842  | Cumberland
Presbyterian | 2,975  | Wildcats | 1985  | 1996  | various[d] | Mid-South (MSC)
(2020–present)
Christian Brothers University | Memphis, Tennessee | 1871  | Catholic
(R.S.F.) | 1,968  | Buccaneers | 1985  | 1996  | Gulf South (GSC)[e]
(1996–present)
Cumberland University | Lebanon, Tennessee | 1842  | Nonsectarian  | 1,500  | Bulldogs[f] | 1985  | 1996  | Mid-South (MSC)
(1996–2002)
TranSouth (TSAC)
(2002–12)  | Mid-South (MSC)
(2012–present)
David Lipscomb University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1891  | Churches
of Christ | 4,278  | Bisons | 1985  | 1996  | TranSouth (TSAC)
(1996–2001)
D-I Independent
(2001–03)  | Atlantic Sun (ASUN)[b]
(2003–present)
Freed–Hardeman University | Henderson, Tennessee | 1869  | Churches
of Christ  | 2,027  | Lions | 1985  | 1996  | TranSouth (TSAC)
(1996–2013)
American Midwest (AMC)
(2013–20)  | Mid-South (MSC)
(2020–present)
Lambuth University | Jackson, Tennessee | 1843  | United
Methodist | 800  | Eagles | 1985  | 1996  | various[g] | Closed in 2011
Martin Methodist College[h] | Pulaski, Tennessee | 1870  | Public[i] | 1,000  | FireHawks | 1994  | 1996  | various[j] | Southern States (SSAC)
(2023–present)
Trevecca Nazarene University[k] | Nashville, Tennessee | 1901  | Nazarene | 2,345  | Trojans | 1985  | 1996  | TranSouth (TSAC)
(1996–2012)
Great Midwest (G-MAC)[e]
(2012–24)  | Gulf South (GSC)[e]
(2024–present)
Union University | Jackson, Tennessee | 1823  | Baptist | 4,259  | Bulldogs | 1985  | 1996  | TranSouth (TSAC)
(1996–2012)  | Gulf South (GSC)[e]
(2012–present)

Notes

1. ^ Belmont had joined the following subsequent conferences: as an NCAA D-I Independent from 1996–97 to 2000–01; the Atlantic Sun Conference from 2001–02 to 2011–12; and the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) from 2012–13 to 2021–22.
2. ^ a b Currently an NCAA Division I athletic conference.
3. ^ Currently known as Bethel University since 2009.
4. ^ Bethel (Tenn.) had joined the following subsequent conferences: the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC) from 1996–97 to 1997–98 (and again from 2006–07 to 2012–13); the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) from 1998–99 to 2005–06; and the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) from 2013–14 to 2019–20.
5. ^ a b c d Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
6. ^ Cumberland (Tenn.) changed its nickname from Bulldogs to Phoenix in 2016.
7. ^ Lambuth had joined the following subsequent conferences: the Mid-South Conference (MSC) from 1996–97 to 2005–06; the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC) from 2006–07 to 2008–09; and as an NAIA/NCAA D-II Independent from 2009–10 to 2010–11.
8. ^ Currently known as the University of Tennessee Southern since 2021.
9. ^ UT Southern (formerly Martin Methodist) was a private institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church until July 2021.
10. ^ UT Southern (formerly Martin Methodist) had joined the following subsequent conferences: the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC) from 1996–97 to 2012–13; the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) from 2013–14 to 2019–20; and the Mid-South Conference (MSC) from 2020–21 to 2022–23.
11. ^ Formerly known as Trevecca Nazarene College until 1995.

### Membership timeline

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Full member (non-football)

## Sponsored sports

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The TCAC sponsored 9 sports for men and women including baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, softball, and volleyball. Bethel and Cumberland play football in the Mid-South Conference. Defunct Lambuth also played football.