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 .
^ "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 .