The Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC) was a former college athletic conference which was predominantly for smaller, private colleges in Western and Middle Tennessee.
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, Blue Mountain College, Christian Brothers University, Cumberland University, David Lipscomb University, Freed-Hardeman University, Lambuth University, 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. Lipscomb would follow in 1996. The remaining teams formed a new conference, the TranSouth Athletic Conference which exists to the present.
Institution | Location | Conference Tenure | New Conference | Classification |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belmont University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1985-1995 | Atlantic Sun Conference | NCAA Division I |
Bethel College | McKenzie, Tennessee | 1985-1996 | TranSouth Conference | NAIA Division 1 |
Blue Mountain College | Blue Mountain, Mississippi | 1985-1996 | TranSouth Conference | NAIA Division 1 |
Christian Brothers University | Memphis, Tennessee | 1985-1995 | Gulf South Conference | NCAA Division II |
Cumberland University | Lebanon, Tennessee | 1985-1996 | TranSouth Conference | NAIA Division 1 |
David Lipscomb University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1985-1996 | Atlantic Sun Conference | NCAA Division I |
Freed-Hardeman University | Henderson, Tennessee | 1985-1996 | TranSouth Conference | NAIA Division 1 |
Lambuth University | Jackson, Tennessee | 1985-1996 | TranSouth Conference | NAIA Division 1 |
Trevecca Nazarene University | Nashville, Tennessee | 1985-1996 | TranSouth Conference | NAIA Division 1 |
Union University | Jackson, Tennessee | 1985-1996 | TranSouth Conference | NAIA Division 1 |
The TCAC sponsored 9 sports for men and women including baseball, basketball, golf, tennis, softball, and volleyball. Bethel, Cumberland, and Lambuth play football in the Mid-South Conference.