BORN FROM RIVALRY.
BUILT ON FAITH.
The Great Plains Christian Athletic Conference was born from years of natural competition between five Christian football programs spread across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri.
OUR VISION
To be the premier Christian athletic conference in the Great Plains region — a place where young athletes are challenged to pursue excellence on the field and faithfulness off it. We believe athletic competition, conducted in the right spirit, is one of the most powerful tools for discipleship, character formation, and community building.
OUR MISSION
- •Provide structured, competitive athletic opportunities for homeschool and private school student-athletes across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri
- •Foster Christ-centered character development through athletic competition
- •Create a brotherhood of programs united by shared faith and mutual respect
- •Prepare student-athletes for national-level competition through the NHFA and AHFC
- •Support families who have chosen alternative education paths with world-class athletic programs
CONFERENCE HISTORY
The Great Plains Christian Athletic Conference was born from years of natural competition between five Christian football programs spread across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. For over a decade, teams like the Christ Prep Patriots, NOAH Jaguars, OKC Patriots, Lighthouse Christian Chargers, and St. Mary's Academy Crusaders have met on the gridiron — traveling hours across state lines to compete against the few programs that match their identity: faith-driven, family-centered, and fiercely competitive.
In 2026, these programs formalized what had been an informal rivalry into a structured athletic conference. The GPC gives each member team a true conference schedule, meaningful standings, and a collective identity that amplifies what each program has built individually.
Together, these five programs represent over a century of combined football operations, nine national championships, induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and hundreds of young men whose lives have been shaped by the intersection of faith and football.
“We pledge that we do not play for ourselves, but for these brothers standing next to us. Take our labor, multiply it, unite us, make us strong and give us victory.”
— Christ Prep Pre-Game Pledge
OUR VALUES
Faith Above All
Every practice, every game, every interaction is an opportunity to glorify God. Our conference is unapologetically Christian. We don't just play with faith on our jerseys — we play with faith in our hearts.
Competitive Excellence
We believe God is honored when we give our absolute best. Iron sharpens iron. Our conference exists because these programs demanded better competition, and better competition produces better men.
Character Over Trophies
Championships are celebrated, but character is the legacy. We measure success not just by wins and losses, but by the kind of men our athletes become — faithful husbands, devoted fathers, servant leaders.
Brotherhood
On Friday nights, we compete. On every other night, we are brothers. The bonds forged through this conference — between players, coaches, and families — will outlast any scoreboard.
Family-Centered
This conference exists to serve families. Every decision is made with the homeschool and private school family in mind — their schedules, their values, their vision for their children.
WHY A CONFERENCE?
What changes when five independent programs come together under one banner? Everything.
No More Scheduling Headaches
Every team knows who they're playing and when. Structured, predictable, professional.
Meaningful Standings
Conference records create regular-season stakes. Every game matters.
Regional Identity
A recognizable brand that elevates every member program.
National Tournament Pipeline
Arrive at NHFA and AHFC battle-tested, not cold.
Visibility & Credibility
Colleges, media, and communities take conferences seriously.
Attract Families
A real conference with standings and awards is a powerful draw for enrollment.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
The GPC is united by these core beliefs. Every member program, coach, and leader affirms this foundation.
- 1
We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God.
- 2
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- 3
We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His atoning death on the cross, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory.
- 4
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
- 5
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
- 6
We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
— PROVERBS 27:17