Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Changes Name to HBCU Athletic Conference
February 29th, 2024
Announcement of new brand and deepened partnership with Hope Credit Union underscores commitment to increasing economic opportunity among HBCUs and their stakeholders.
TUSCALOOSA, AL — On February 29, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) announced that it will officially become the “HBCU Athletic Conference,” honoring the unique legacy and importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Beginning July 1, 2024, the conference will also add HBCUs Stillman College, Voorhees University and Wilberforce Universities to its roster of schools.
“Today, the nation watches as we give our HBCU students the opportunity to take up space,” said Dr. Kiki Baker Barnes, Commissioner of the HBCU Athletic Conference. “Whether it’s on the field, in classrooms, or at their local bank, we want to ensure that HBCU students feel seen and represented. We couldn’t think of a better partner for this mission than Hope Credit Union. HOPE has continued to help push the boundaries of our shared vision to close the racial wealth gap, starting with some of our most important institutions – our campuses.”
United Negro College Fund research illustrates the outsized impact of HBCUs on the advancement of Black economic mobility: Though HBCUs represent fewer than 3 percent of American colleges and universities, they enroll 10 percent of all African American students and produce 17 percent of all African American graduates while disproportionately enrolling low-income, first-generation and academically underprepared college students.
“Stillman College is excited about the Hope Credit Union – HBCU Athletic Conference partnership. The tangible benefits for our students will be life-changing”, said Dr. Yolanda W. Page, President of Stillman College.
In 2022, Hope Credit Union (HOPE), one of the nation’s leading and most impactful Black- and women-owned financial institutions, became GCAC’s official financial institution and lead sponsor for the Men’s and Women’s Basketball and Baseball tournaments. The agreement announced today extends the partnership through June 2027. In addition to the sponsorships, HOPE will work with GCAC institutions to increase economic mobility among their staff, students, alumni, and surrounding communities.
According to HOPE CEO Bill Bynum, “This partnership is a natural extension of our commitment to improving the financial health and wealth of under-resourced people and places in the Deep South. The contributions of HBCUs to America’s innovation, culture, and economy far exceed the resources they receive. Investing in them and in the HBCU Athletic Conference is good business, and it’s good for the country.
Learn more about the HBCU Athletic Conference and Hope Credit Union partnership.
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About HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference, formerly GCAC, is celebrating its 42nd year as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The GCAC is one of only five conferences comprised of members representing Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States. The GCAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Oakwood University (AL), Philander Smith College (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Tougaloo College (MS), and Wiley College (TX). On July 1, 2024, the conference will also add HBCUs Stillman College (AL), Voorhees University (SC), and Wilberforce Universities (AL) to its roster of schools.
About HOPE
HOPE (Hope Enterprise Corporation, Hope Credit Union, and Hope Policy Institute) provides financial services; aggregates resources; and engages in advocacy to mitigate the extent to which factors such as race, gender, birthplace and wealth limit one’s ability to prosper. Since 1994, HOPE has generated more than $3.9 billion in financing that has benefitted more than 2.7 million people in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Learn more at www.hopecu.org.
