Stillman College Joins NAIA Conference, Will Host GCAC Basketball Tournaments

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Stillman College announced on Thursday in front of a packed crowd inside Birthright Auditorium that the school's athletics has been selected as the 13th member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC).

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The GCAC is the only Historical Black College & University (HBCU) conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and also announced plans, along with Visit Tuscaloosa, to host its men's and women's basketball championships on the Stillman College campus — bringing with it an expected economic impact of $750,000 from Feb. 28, 2024 through March 3, 2024.

Click here to learn more about the conference and its member schools.

The conference's Council of Presidents voted unanimously to extend membership to Stillman College beginning July 1, 2024. This is viewed as a return to the college's roots after previously competing off-and-on in the NCAA’s historical black Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) from 1978-2016.

“Stillman College is pleased to join the NAIA’s only HBCU conference. Not only do we look forward to the friendly rivalries, but we also look forward to forging relationships with the other GCAC member institutions that will extend beyond competitive sports,” Stillman College President Yolanda W. Page said. “I hope that academic partnerships will be among the benefits of our membership.”

Stillman College Athletic Director and head baseball coach Terrance Whittle said the move marks a historic moment for the institution as it joins the only HBCU conference in the NAIA.

"We believe our athletics footprint, geographical location, institutional values, academic standards, and historical lineage align with the GCAC standards,” Whittle said. “We look forward to Stillman’s championship programs reigniting past conference rivalries and creating new rivalries. We want to thank the Council of Presidents and Commissioner Dr. [KiKi] Baker Barnes for the opportunity to join this historical conference as we continue to uplift and educate our communities and our students.”

GCAC Championships

As part of Thursday's big announcement on the Stillman College campus, Visit Tuscaloosa also announced that the school had been selected to host the GCAC 2024 Hope Credit Union Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in early 2024.

“We are excited for Stillman College, as well as our executive director of sports, Stan Adams, on the announcement of the 2024 GCAC Basketball Championships,” Visit Tuscaloosa President & CEO Kelsey Rush said. “Together, they successfully demonstrated why Tuscaloosa is a premier location for this tournament and we hope it is the beginning of a long-standing relationship. We look forward to welcoming players and fans to our community as we deliver an elite-level tournament experience.”

Securing the conference basketball championships was also thanks in part to former Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports President and CEO Don Staley, whose consulting firm SNAP Consulting played an integral role in the deal.

“When I arrived in Tuscaloosa three months ago, I stated that Stillman would be a contributing member of the Tuscaloosa community,” Page said. “Being a co-sponsor of this conference tournament demonstrates that Stillman is poised to impact the city's economy positively. I sincerely hope the Tuscaloosa community will support the tournament.”

During the event, the GCAC also said it will host its HBCU Admission Fair on Stillman’s campus, which will provide students from the area the opportunity to learn about HBCU culture, academics, and athletics.

“Bringing on Stillman as a new member in 2024 and having them partner as a host for the 2024 tournament allows us to lay strong foundations in the communities we hold our championships,” Baker Barnes said. “Our HBCU Admission Fair brings every school to our championship and gives youth the opportunity to explore the possibilities of their future. Hosting a championship in Tuscaloosa also provides the community with an up-close view on our culture while impacting the local economy. Our schools and fans come to town and patronize stores, restaurants, hotels and other attractions. It’s more than athletics. It’s about connecting with and uplifting our communities.”

Stillman College says championship ticket sales and the GCAC Tournament Central website will launch on Nov. 12.

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