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.[5]
The GAC and the
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) announced a partnership in June 2018 to combine their men's tennis and men's soccer leagues in both sports from the 2019–20 academic year. Under the agreement, the MIAA will organize the tennis league and the GAC will organize the soccer league.[6]
Chronological timeline
2011 - The Great American Conference (GAC) was founded. Charter members included six schools from the state of Arkansas (Arkansas Tech, Arkansas–Monticello, Harding, Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist, and Southern Arkansas from the Gulf South Conference) and three schools from the state of Oklahoma (East Central, Southeastern Oklahoma State, and Southwestern Oklahoma State from the Lone Star Conference) effective beginning the 2011-12 academic year.
2012 - Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene joined the GAC effective in the 2012-13 academic year.
2015 - Oklahoma Baptist joined the GAC effective in the 2015-16 academic year.
2019 - Oklahoma Christian and Rogers State left the GAC as affiliate members for men's and women's track & field outdoor effective after the 2019 spring season (2018-19 academic year).
The male and female scholar-athlete of the year awards are voted upon by the league's faculty athletic representatives or designees.
Year
Male
Female
2011–12
Travis Kincheloe, Football (SOSU)
Emily Kennemer, Softball (ECU)
2012–13
Mickey Hammer, Cross Country (SAU)
Amy Madden, Softball (SNU)
2013–14
Kevin Rodgers, Football (HSU)
Kristen Celsor, Basketball (HU)
2014–15
Davis Richardson, Baseball (HU)
Arielle Saunders, Basketball (HU)
2015–16
Colin Pasque, Track & Field (SNU)
Autumn Suydam, Softball (ECU)
2016–17
Colin Pasque, Track & Field (SNU)
Kori Bullard, Volleyball / Basketball (OBU)
2017–18
Ty Reasnor, Football (ATU)
Kori Bullard, Volleyball / Basketball (OBU)
2018–19
Dylan McDearmon, Baseball (ATU)
Mariah Ewy, Softball (ECU)
2019–20
Mills Bryant, Football (HU)
Abbie Winchester, T&F / Cross country (ECU)
2020–21
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.
Year
Male
Female
2011–12
Johnie Davis, Basketball (ATU)
Kayla Jackson, Softball (UAM)
2012–13
Kevin Rodgers, Football (HSU)
Roselis Silva, Basketball (ATU)
2013–14
Kevin Rodgers, Football (HSU)
Rebecka Surtevall, Golf (ATU)
2014–15
Michael Hearne, Golf (SNU)
Rebecka Surtevall, Golf (ATU)
2015–16
Corey Wood, Baseball (UAM)
Jalissa Gum, Softball (ATU)
2016–17
Trevor Rucker, Baseball (SAU)
Maddie Dow, Softball (SAU)
2017–18
Zach James, Golf (SOSU)
Brooke Goad, Softball (SAU)
2018–19
Bryce Bray, Football (HU)
Hailey Tucker, Basketball (SWOSU)
2019–20
Jhonathan Dunn, Basketball (SNU)
Kim Moosbacher, Tennis (OKBU)
2020–21
Dorian Chaigneau, Track & Field (HU)
Mahina Sauer, Softball (SNU)
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.
Season
School
2011–12
Arkansas Tech
2012–13
Arkansas Tech
2013–14
Arkansas Tech
2014–15
Arkansas Tech
2015–16
Arkansas Tech
2016–17
Harding
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.
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.
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.[5]
The GAC and the
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) announced a partnership in June 2018 to combine their men's tennis and men's soccer leagues in both sports from the 2019–20 academic year. Under the agreement, the MIAA will organize the tennis league and the GAC will organize the soccer league.[6]
Chronological timeline
2011 - The Great American Conference (GAC) was founded. Charter members included six schools from the state of Arkansas (Arkansas Tech, Arkansas–Monticello, Harding, Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist, and Southern Arkansas from the Gulf South Conference) and three schools from the state of Oklahoma (East Central, Southeastern Oklahoma State, and Southwestern Oklahoma State from the Lone Star Conference) effective beginning the 2011-12 academic year.
2012 - Northwestern Oklahoma State and Southern Nazarene joined the GAC effective in the 2012-13 academic year.
2015 - Oklahoma Baptist joined the GAC effective in the 2015-16 academic year.
2019 - Oklahoma Christian and Rogers State left the GAC as affiliate members for men's and women's track & field outdoor effective after the 2019 spring season (2018-19 academic year).
The male and female scholar-athlete of the year awards are voted upon by the league's faculty athletic representatives or designees.
Year
Male
Female
2011–12
Travis Kincheloe, Football (SOSU)
Emily Kennemer, Softball (ECU)
2012–13
Mickey Hammer, Cross Country (SAU)
Amy Madden, Softball (SNU)
2013–14
Kevin Rodgers, Football (HSU)
Kristen Celsor, Basketball (HU)
2014–15
Davis Richardson, Baseball (HU)
Arielle Saunders, Basketball (HU)
2015–16
Colin Pasque, Track & Field (SNU)
Autumn Suydam, Softball (ECU)
2016–17
Colin Pasque, Track & Field (SNU)
Kori Bullard, Volleyball / Basketball (OBU)
2017–18
Ty Reasnor, Football (ATU)
Kori Bullard, Volleyball / Basketball (OBU)
2018–19
Dylan McDearmon, Baseball (ATU)
Mariah Ewy, Softball (ECU)
2019–20
Mills Bryant, Football (HU)
Abbie Winchester, T&F / Cross country (ECU)
2020–21
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.
Year
Male
Female
2011–12
Johnie Davis, Basketball (ATU)
Kayla Jackson, Softball (UAM)
2012–13
Kevin Rodgers, Football (HSU)
Roselis Silva, Basketball (ATU)
2013–14
Kevin Rodgers, Football (HSU)
Rebecka Surtevall, Golf (ATU)
2014–15
Michael Hearne, Golf (SNU)
Rebecka Surtevall, Golf (ATU)
2015–16
Corey Wood, Baseball (UAM)
Jalissa Gum, Softball (ATU)
2016–17
Trevor Rucker, Baseball (SAU)
Maddie Dow, Softball (SAU)
2017–18
Zach James, Golf (SOSU)
Brooke Goad, Softball (SAU)
2018–19
Bryce Bray, Football (HU)
Hailey Tucker, Basketball (SWOSU)
2019–20
Jhonathan Dunn, Basketball (SNU)
Kim Moosbacher, Tennis (OKBU)
2020–21
Dorian Chaigneau, Track & Field (HU)
Mahina Sauer, Softball (SNU)
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.
Season
School
2011–12
Arkansas Tech
2012–13
Arkansas Tech
2013–14
Arkansas Tech
2014–15
Arkansas Tech
2015–16
Arkansas Tech
2016–17
Harding
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.
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.