Central Arkansas Bears football

Central Arkansas Bears

2016 Central Arkansas Bears football team

First season

1908

Athletic director

Brad Teague

Head coach

Steve Campbell
3rd year, 23–12 (.657)

Stadium

Estes Stadium

Seating capacity

9,000^[1]

Field surface

Location

NCAA division

Conference

All-time record

528–363–42 (.588)

Claimed nat'l titles

3 (NAIA)

Conference titles

Colors

Purple and Gray^[2]

Rivals

McNeese State

Website

UCASports.com

For information on all University of Central Arkansas sports, see Central Arkansas Bears and Sugar Bears

The Central Arkansas Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for University of Central Arkansas located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Southland Conference. Central Arkansas's first football team was fielded in 1908. The team plays its home games at the 8,035 seat Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas. The Bears are coached by Steve Campbell, in his second year.

History

The Central Arkansas Bears were formed in 1901 by William Hawkins. Although they finished 1-4-3 in their first season, and have an unusual record of 23-54-22 in its first twenty years of existence, the Bears would play for 7 championships in that span.

UCA would enjoy its greatest success over a fourteen-year period from 1979 to 1992, when the Bears won or shared thirteen of the fourteen conference championships, as member's of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC). The AIC included in-state schools such as Arkansas Tech, Harding University, Henderson State University, Ouachita Baptist, Southern Arkansas University, University of Arkansas at Monticello, and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. During that time frame, UCA won or shared twelve consecutive AIC titles from 1981 - 1992, as well as three NAIA national championships, in 1984, 1985, and 1991. The Bears were a constant presence in the NAIA Top 20, and made the playoffs twelve out of fourteen seasons.

In 1993, the Bears left the AIC and the NAIA, and moved up in competition to the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference. Central Arkansas would stay in the West Division of the GSC through the 2006 season, winning the GSC title in 2005. UCA moved up yet again in 2007, joining the Southland Conference, a member of the NCAA Division I-AA, where they currently compete. The Bears have since won two Southland championships in 2008 and 2012. Central Arkansas also made the playoffs in 2011 and 2012, winning their first I-AA playoff game in 2011 over Tennessee Tech.

Notable former players

Notable alumni include:

Championships

Conference championships

1939, 1959, 1960, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2005, 2008, 2012

The conference championships won between 1979 and 1992, were as members of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC), an NAIA Division I conference.

The 2005 conference championship was as a member of the Gulf South Conference, an NCAA Division II conference.

The 2008 and 2012 conference titles were as a member of the Southland Conference, an NCAA Division I-AA conference, or Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

National Championships

1984, 1985, 1991

All three national titles were won on the NAIA Division I level. The head coach in 1984 and 1985 was Harold Horton. The head coach in 1991 was Mike Isom.

UCA was the national runners-up in 1976, after losing to Texas A&I in the national championship game.

FCS Playoffs results

The Bears have appeared in the FCS playoffs three times with an overall record of 2–2.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
2011	First Round Second Round	Tennessee Tech Montana	W 34–14 L 14–41
2012	Second Round	Georgia Southern	L 16–24
2016	First Round Second Round	Illinois State Eastern Washington	W 31-24 12/3/16

Division II Playoffs results

The Bears have appeared in the Division II playoffs two times with an overall record of 2–2.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
2001	First Round	Catawba	L 34–35
2005	First Round Second Round Quarterfinals	Albany State (GA) Presbyterian North Alabama	W 28–20 W 52–28 L 38–41

NAIA Playoffs results

The Bears have appeared in the NAIA playoffs 12 times with an overall record of 12–9–2. They are three time NAIA National Champions (1984, 1985, 1991), with 1984 and 1985 being Co–Champions after ending in a tie in the National Championship Game.

Year	Round	Opponent	Result
1976	Semifinals National Championship Game	Elon Texas A&M-Kingsville	W 10–7 L 0–26
1978	Quarterfinals	Western State	L 17–22
1980	Quarterfinals	Texas A&M-Commerce	L 21–27
1981	Quarterfinals	Cameron	L 27–48
1983	Quarterfinals Semifinals	Northeastern State (OK) Mesa State	W 18–7 L 17–34
1984	Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game	Moorhead State (MN) Central Washington Carson-Newman	W 30–6 W 44–6 T 19–19
1985	Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game	Pittsburg State Henderson State Hilldale	W 32–22 W 21–9 T 10–10
1987	First Round Quarterfinals	Northwestern Oklahoma State Cameron	W 31–7 L 7–14
1988	First Round	Southeastern Oklahoma State	L 14–21
1990	Quarterfinals Semifinals	Northeastern State (OK) Mesa State	W 26–14 L 9–10
1991	Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game	Northeastern State (OK) Moorhead State (MN) Central State	W 30–14 W 38–18 W 19–16
1992	Quarterfinals Semifinals	Southwestern Oklahoma State Central State	W 14–2 L 23–30

Rivalries

McNeese State

Main article: Red Beans and Rice Bowl

The two teams have met 10 times on the football field with the series tied 5–5. Due to conference scheduling requirements, the most recent game was played in 2016.

**McNeese State–Central Arkansas: All-Time Record**
Games played	First meeting	Last meeting	Central Arkansas wins	Central Arkansas losses	Win %
10	September 17, 1994 (lost 7-21)	October 15, 2016 (won 35-0)	5	5	.500

References

↑ "UCA Game Notes" (PDF). Central Arkansas Athletics. August 25, 2013. p. 2. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
↑ UCA Standards Guide (PDF). 2015-03-28. Retrieved 2016-04-02.

External links

Official website

Central Arkansas Bears football

Venues	Estes Stadium (1939–present)

Bowls & rivalries	Red Beans and Rice Bowl (McNeese State) 1937 Charity Bowl 1947 Kickapoo Bowl

People	Head coaches

Seasons	1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Southland Conference football

Teams	Abilene Christian Wildcats Central Arkansas Bears Houston Baptist Huskies Incarnate Word Cardinals Lamar Cardinals McNeese State Cowboys Nicholls State Colonels Northwestern State Demons Sam Houston State Bearkats Southeastern Louisiana Lions Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

Championships & awards	All-time standings

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