The Arkansas–Fort Smith Lions (also UAFS Lions and UA Fort Smith Lions) are the athletic teams that represent the

University of Arkansas–Fort Smith The University of Arkansas–Fort Smith (UAFS) is a public university in Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States. Part of the University of Arkansas System, UAFS is the sixth-largest university in Arkansas with a fall 2020 enrollment of approximate ...

, located in Fort Smith,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

, in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

Division II intercollegiate sports. The Lions compete as members of the

Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Its fourteen me ...

(MIAA) for all 10 varsity sports.

History

In the fall of 2009, UAFS formally entered provisional

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...

status. The "provisional" status was scheduled to be removed in 2010. However, on July 9, 2010, the university's membership application was rejected by the NCAA Division II Membership Committee, which led to the university filing an appeal. On July 8, 2011, the university was granted full NCAA Division II membership. Previously, the university competed in the

National Junior College Athletic Association The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...

(NJCAA), specifically at the

Bi-State Conference The Bi-State Conference, also known as Region II, is a junior college athletic conference for many technical and community colleges within the South Central states of Arkansas and Oklahoma, sponsored by the National Junior College Athletic Associ ...

of Region II. On June 27, 2023, UAFS announced that it would be moving its athletic programs from the

Lone Star Conference The Lone Star Conference (LSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in the South Central states, with schools in Texas ...

to the

. University officials cited reduced travel times and better potential for rivalries as reasons for the move.

Conference affiliations

NCAA

Heartland Conference The Heartland Conference was a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II level, which was founded in 1999. The majority of members were in Texas, with additional members in ...

(2009–2019) *

(2019–2024) *

(2024–present)

Varsity teams

List of teams

Men's sports * Baseball * Basketball * Cross Country * Golf * Tennis Women's sports * Basketball * Cross Country * Golf * Tennis * Volleyball

Individual sports

Men's basketball

National Champions National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...

: 1981, 2006 * Region II Champions: 2001, 2002, 2006 * Bi-State Conference Champions: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Women's basketball

* National Champions: 1995 * Region II Champions: 2004, 2005, 2006 * Bi-State Conference Champions: 2003

Women's volleyball

* Region II Champions: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 * Bi-State Conference Champions: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 The volleyball program also holds the distinction of being named an NJCAA Academic All-American Team seven years in a row (1999–2005).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions Culture of Fort Smith, Arkansas