Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championship heads to Shreveport

SHREVEPORT, LA – Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner Dr. KiKi Baker Barnes announced Thursday that the 2023 GCAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship will be held in Shreveport, La., and hosted by the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. This year’s competition takes place at Lee Hedges Stadium April 14 and 15.

“I want to thank Sara Nelms and the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission for hosting our championship,” said Commissioner Baker Barnes. “Our conference continues pushing for greater partnerships and having our championship in Shreveport is another path to creating high-quality experiences for our students, coaches, and staff.”

“We are thrilled to host the 2023 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Lee Hedges Stadium, and we look forward to bringing the event back in 2024 and 2025,” said Sara Nelms, Director of Sports for the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. “Our community is ready to welcome athletes and visitors as we continue to make Shreveport-Bossier the preferred destination for sporting events across the south!”

Home of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, Shreveport bustles with opportunities for athletics and community engagement, a key factor for the GCAC’s host selection.

“Our championships also serve the purpose of us connecting with and giving back to the community,” said Baker Barnes, who was raised in neighboring Minden. “Shreveport’s activities and initiatives make it an exciting place for us to have our championship.”

Additional details about the 2023 GCAC Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship will be made available in the coming weeks at gcaconf.com.

About the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference
The GCAC is celebrating its 40th 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). The University of the Virgin Islands joins the conference July 1, 2023, becoming the ninth member of the GCAC.

About Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission
The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission is a division of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau in partnership with the City of Bossier City, City of Shreveport, Caddo Parish Commission, Bossier Parish Police Jury, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, and the Red River Waterway Commission. The Sports Commission works in bringing government, business, and hospitality partners together.