[Red River] RRAC forms strategic partnership with Barnes & Noble College

WACO, Texas -- The Red River Athletic Conference is proud to announce a five-year partnership with Barnes & Noble College to serve as an official strategic partner and sponsor of RRAC academic awards.

BNC's industry-leading First Day Complete access-for-all academic program, which improves affordability, access and student success, will be available to RRAC members.  To demonstrate its commitment, BNC will serve as the title sponsor of the RRAC GPA Award and RRAC Scholar-Athlete honors.

The GPA Award is given annually to the RRAC member college with the highest collective GPA among its student-athletes. Scholar-Athlete recognition is merited by any RRAC student-athlete earning a 3.0 GPA or better in the most recent academic year.

"We are thrilled to support the student-athletes of the Red River Athletic Conference," says Ken Wincko, Vice President of Marketing, Barnes & Noble College. "Barnes & Noble College values RRAC's commitment to supporting excellence both on and off the field. As the conference's preferred bookstore partner, Barnes & Noble College is focused on making a positive impact, not only on athletic success, but in the classroom, helping schools find new ways to make course materials more affordable and accessible for every student."

"The partnership with Barnes & Noble College emphasizes the RRAC's commitment to well-rounded student-athletes," adds RRAC Commissioner Tony Stigliano. "Barnes & Noble College supports students and brings innovative solutions to colleges that dramatically improve bookstores and revenue at a time when our schools are facing many challenges. We are proud to partner with the incredible team at BNC."

About Barnes & Noble College

Barnes & Noble College currently operates 769 campus bookstores and their school-branded e-commerce sites, serving more than 6 million college students and faculty nationwide. As a strategic partner, Barnes & Noble College is a retail and learning company. The company is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.