WACO, Texas --Xavier University of Louisiana will become an official member institution of the Red River Athletic Conference with the start of the 2021-22 academic year according to a joint announcement between the RRAC and XULA today. XULA was unanimously approved for membership in a vote by RRAC presidents, and the university has officially accepted the invitation. 

With the addition of XULA, the RRAC will grow to 13 members overall and three in the state of Louisiana. Xavier was previously a member of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference for the last 40 years and will become the sixth HBCU in the RRAC. 

"The move to the Red River Athletic Conference is the result of several considerations we made as we continue to evaluate our position in intercollegiate athletics," XULA President Reynold Verret said. "One consideration was the opportunity to expand our reach in key geographic areas for future students. Another consideration was the ability to have regular athletic competition in areas where our alumni reside. This move also will give nearly all our teams the opportunity to compete for conference championships and automatic bids to NAIA national tournaments."

In the fall of 2021, XULA will compete for RRAC championships in the sports of men's and women's cross country and volleyball. The Gold Rush and Gold Nuggets will also challenge for titles in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's track & field, men's and women's tennis, baseball and softball. XULA is adding baseball and softball in spring 2021 in advance of the transition. In addition, XULA will join Our Lady of the Lake as the only RRAC programs with competitive cheer. XULA also competes in indoor track & field, which is not an official RRAC sport. 

"We are excited to join the Red River Athletic Conference," says XULA Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Director of Athletics Jason Horn. "Many of our current student-athletes and other Xavier students and alumni hail from Shreveport, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and other cities within the conference's footprint in Texas and Louisiana."

"We are proud to add Xavier University of Louisiana to our conference," says RRAC Commissioner Tony Stigliano. "XULA has a great history in the NAIA and has been a frequent opponent for our current members. Our conference is strengthened by the quality of XULA's athletics program, and the university will be an excellent fit with the RRAC as an institution and geographically."    

About Xavier University of Louisiana

Being America's only historically Black and Catholic University is only the first among many distinctions that have set Xavier University of Louisiana apart for more than nine decades. Despite its relatively small size (3,300 students), Xavier is a nationally recognized leader in the STEM and the health sciences, producing more African American students who graduate from medical schools each year than any other university in the United States. Its College of Pharmacy is among the top producers of African American pharmacists.

Its liberal arts-based programs in such areas as art, business, education, psychology, and political science — as well as recent additions in bioinformatics, data science, neuroscience, crime and social justice, and jazz studies — offer students an unbeatable combination of traditional classroom study, hands-on research, service-learning opportunities, and life experiences. The winning Xavier formula to provide students with a well-balanced curriculum and an environment that nurtures their intellect and feeds their souls.

For more information about Xavier University of Louisiana, visit us online at www.xula.edu or follow us on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter @XULA1925. To book interviews and/or to speak with our experts in the field of pharmacy, education, premed, public health, science, technology, math, business, English, communications, and the arts, contact Lance Sumler at (504) 520-5240 or [email protected].

About Red River Athletic Conference
Founded in 1998, the RRAC is expanding to 13 member institutions in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. The RRAC is a member of the NAIA and places an emphasis on the values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership as a full participant in the NAIA Champions of Character program. Based in Waco, Texas, the RRAC holds championships in 11 men's and women's sports annually and recognizes student-athletes for academic performance and athletic achievement.