The Central Arkansas Bears and Sugar Bears represent the
University of Central Arkansas
The University of Central Arkansas (Central Arkansas or UCA) is a public university in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1907 as the Arkansas State Normal School, the university is one of the oldest in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As the state's only ...
(UCA) in
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...
's Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA football) as a member of the
ASUN Conference. The athletic program is supported by the efforts of a diverse group of over 400 male and female student-athletes. Its men's teams are called the Bears and the women's are the Sugar Bears.
UCA joined the ASUN in July 2021 after having been a member of the
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it ...
. While the ASUN does not currently sponsor football, it has committed to launching an FCS football league in the near future. Until ASUN football is established, UCA is a de facto associate member of the
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Texas.
Due to mos ...
(WAC), competing in a football partnership between the two leagues officially branded as the "ASUN–WAC Challenge".
Sports sponsored
Gulf South Conference to Southland Conference
From 1993 to 2006, UCA competed in the West Division of the
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
History
Originally known as the Mi ...
. In 2005–2006, UCA's men's athletic teams won that conference's All Sports Trophy. However, on July 1, 2006, UCA began the transition to Division I and joined the
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it ...
, with the Bears also becoming Associate members of the
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest.
History
The MVC was established ...
for men's soccer.
In 2008, the UCA Bear Football Team defeated more Southland Conference opponents than any other conference team and were declared "Unofficial Southland Conference Champions." (Neither the Southland Conference nor the NCAA would recognize UCA as the champions due to the transition period from Division II.)
NAIA
Prior to moving to Division II, UCA competed in
NAIA Division I for most sports, winning the national football championship three times (1984 , 1985 and 1991) and finishing runner-up once (1976). Between 1979 and 1992, UCA won or shared 13 out of 14
Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
The Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) was an athletic conference in existence from 1927 or 1928 to 1995 affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference membership consisted entirely of colleges ...
championships (AIC) and went to the playoffs 12 times in that span. A number of former Bears have found success in the NFL, including Tom McConnaughey, Jacob Ford,
Landon Trusty
Landon Trusty (born October 9, 1981 in Hot Springs, Arkansas) was an American football tight end.
Trusty was most recently on the Injured reserve for 2006 season with the Denver Broncos of the NFL after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament
...
,
Willie Davis,
Tyree Davis
Tyree Bernard Davis (born September 23, 1970 in Altheimer, Arkansas) is a former professional American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at ...
,
Dave Burnette
David Lynn Burnette (born March 24, 1961) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Central Arkansas.
Early years
Burnette atten ...
,
Curtis Burrow
Curtis Burrow is a former placekicker in the National Football League.
Biography
Burrow was born on December 11, 1962 in Brinkley, Arkansas, United States.
Career
Burrow was a member of the Green Bay Packers during the 1988 NFL season. He pl ...
, Andre Collins, David Evans, and most notably
Monte Coleman
Monte Leon Coleman (born November 4, 1957) is a former American football linebacker who played for sixteen seasons with the Washington Redskins from 1979 to 1994. He was the head football coach for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Footba ...
.
Scottie Pippen
Former
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
player
Scottie Pippen
Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. (born September 25, 1965), usually spelled Scottie Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the ...
played basketball at Central Arkansas. Pippen was a walk-on his first year at UCA, but by the start of his sophomore year, he had grown to and would be a starter for the next three seasons. Pippen was drafted by the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
with the fifth pick in the 1987
NBA draft, and then traded to the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...
for
Olden Polynice
Olden Polynice (born November 21, 1964) is a Haitian former professional basketball player. He played center for the Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association ...
. Pippen won six NBA championships (1991–1993 and 1996–1998) while playing for the Bulls (1987–1998). While still an active player, Pippen was voted as one of the NBA's Top 50 Players of All-Time, and the Chicago Bulls retired his jersey number (#33). His jersey at UCA is also retired, and hangs in the rafters. Pippen also played for the
Houston Rockets (1998–1999) and the
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...
(1999–2003). Pippen is retired, and lives with his family in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida; his son
Scotty Jr. currently plays college basketball at
Vanderbilt.
References
External links
*
{{Arkansas Sports