The Texas Eastern Conference (TEC) is a junior college athletic conference with member schools located in Texas. The conference was founded in 1958 with four charter members: Kilgore College, Paris Junior College, Texarkana College, and Tyler Junior College.[1] Kilgore joined after having been a member of the Longhorn Conference and then briefly aligned with the Pioneer Conference. Henderson County Junior College—now known as Trinity Valley Community College—was added to the conference in late 1959, in time to compete in the basketball season that winter.[2] Lon Morris College, which did not have a football team, joined as the TEC's sixth member just after the new year in 1960, also in time for the basketball season.[3] Jacksonville Baptist College—now known as Jacksonville College—joined as the TEC's seventh member in the fall of 1960.[4]
In 1964, the Texas Junior College Football Federation (TJCFF)—now known as the Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC)—was formed to sponsor only football. All four members of the TEC that still had a football program—Henderson County, Kilgore, Texarkana, and Tyler—joined the TJCFF, but remained TEC members for all other sports.[5]
- ^ Allen, Ted (May 4, 1958). "Allen's Alley; Junior College Loops Make Circuit". Kilgore News Herald. Kilgore, Texas. p. 2. Retrieved July 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
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- ^ "HCJC Joins TEC". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Tyler, Texas. January 1, 1960. p. 2, section 3. Retrieved July 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ Owens, Mack (January 6, 1960). "Lon Morris Joins TEC". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Tyler, Texas. p. 1, section 2. Retrieved July 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Vernon Harton to Pilot Jacksonville Cage Crew". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. August 7, 1960. p. 6D. Retrieved July 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "9 Texas Junior Colleges Form New Conference". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Corpus Christi, Texas. Associated Press. December 14, 1963. p. 6A. Retrieved May 27, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
