Trending
Source: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images / Getty
There are changes afoot in Black college sports. This month, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference announced it would change its name to the HBCU Athletic Conference and add three more schools.
The move was a part of four strategic pillars overseen by Commissioner Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes and the Council of Presidents. Barnes said they worked with a branding group to help with the new name.
“1035, a Black-owned branding company out of Atlanta, was working with us,” she told HBCU Legends. “It was our focus group conversation. Everybody wants to be committed to the brand. We had to figure out how to continue to deliver on the strategic plan put forward as a team.”
The GCAC was formed in 1981 and encompasses eight men’s sports and four women’s sports. The first teams were women’s basketball and men’s tennis, and others were established shortly thereafter. The original schools were Belhaven University, Dillard University, Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian University), Spring Hill College, Tougaloo College, William Carey University, and Xavier University of Louisiana.
The recent addition of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina; and Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio bring the conference to its current total of 13 teams. The conference will now have the tagline Where Winners Thrive.
“Our motto, ‘Where Winners Thrive’ not only nurtures athletic prowess but also the holistic development of our student athletes,” Barnes said when the announcement was made. “From the court, field and track to the classroom, work room and boardroom, the HBCUAC has a winning culture. The addition of these three schools enhances our league’s geographical diversity and creates a deeper level of competition and collaboration.
The conference also renewed its sponsorship deal with Hope Credit Union for another three years.
“I am super grateful to [Hope Credit Union] Bill Bynum and his team for their belief and support. Our missions are very much aligned,” Barnes said. “They serve under-resourced communities as well as in terms of financial services and banking.”
She added, “Just like HBCUs are serving, 90-something-percent of eligible students need that support from low-income homes. So when you start looking at the populations you’re serving, it makes sense for us to need a partnership.”
HBCU Athletic Conference Renamed & Schools Added As Rebrand Continues was originally published on cassiuslife.com
Rest In Power: Notable Black Folks Who We’ve Lost In 2024
Black Barbershop Owner Attacked By Donald Trump After He Claimed He Was Misled About “Blacks For Trump” Event
Reality Star KeKe Jabbar’s Cause of Death Revealed
Lil Durk’s 10 Year Old Son Allegedly Shoots Stepfather
Essence Fest: Maxine Waters Reminds Us Who Trump Really Is While Kamala Keeps Her Cool
George Clooney Gets Roasted By Xitter For Op-Ed Demanding Biden Drop Out
Diddy Slammed For White Water Rafting Amidst Legal Woes
Red Lobster Thinks Flava Flav Can Save Them: Here’s How
We care about your data. See our privay policy.
An Urban One Brand
Copyright © 2024 Interactive One, LLC. All Rights Reserved.