Abilene Christian Wildcats

Abilene Christian Wildcats (variously ACU or ACU Wildcats) refers to the sports teams of Abilene Christian University located in Abilene, Texas. The Wildcats joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) on July 1, 2021 after having spent the previous eight years in the Southland Conference. The nickname "Wildcat" is derived from the mascot of the team.

Abilene Christian Wildcats
Logo
UniversityAbilene Christian University
ConferenceWAC
UAC (football)
NCAADivision I (FCS)
Athletic directorZack Lassiter
LocationAbilene, Texas
Varsity teams16
Football stadiumAnthony Field at Wildcat Stadium
ArenaMoody Coliseum
Baseball stadiumCrutcher Scott Field
Softball stadiumPoly Wells Field
Soccer stadiumElmer Gray Stadium
MascotWillie, the Wildcat
NicknameWildcats
Fight songACU Fight Song
ColorsPurple and white[1]
   
Websitewww.acusports.com

Sports sponsored
Men's sports Women's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballBeach volleyball
Cross countryCross country
FootballSoccer
GolfSoftball
TennisTennis
Track and field†Track and field†
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

History

A member of the Western Athletic Conference, Abilene Christian sponsors teams in seven men's and eight women's NCAA sanctioned sports.

On December 6th, 1923, Abilene Christian applied for admission to Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association during the conference annual meeting in Dallas. The Wildcats had been considering joining the conference for several years but funding for the athletic department preventing them to join the conference sooner. [2]

On July 1, 2013, Abilene Christian returned to the Southland Conference as one of four new members. The university, a charter member of the Southland Conference, left the Southland in 1973 to join the Lone Star Conference (LSC) of NCAA Division II. The Wildcats remained members of the Lone Star Conference from 1973 until returning to the Southland Conference in 2013.

Overall, the Wildcats have won a combined 62 team national championships, including 57 as a member of the NCAA trailing behind UCLA, Stanford, USC and Kenyon College for the most NCAA team championships.[3]

In 2007, the LSC included 33 ACU current and former student athletes in its 75-member all-sports team commemorating the conference's 75th anniversary.[4]

On August 23, 2017 the NCAA Board of Directors voted to pass ACU through to full Division I status, thus making them eligible for postseason play.

On January 14, 2021, ACU was one of five institutions announced as future members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), alongside three other Southland members from Texas (Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin) plus Big Sky Conference member Southern Utah.[5] Initially, all five schools were to join in July 2022, but the entry of ACU and the other Texas schools was moved to 2021 after the Southland expelled its departing members.[6]

ACU football competed in a football-only partnership between the WAC and the ASUN Conference in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. After the 2022 season, the conferences fully merged their football leagues, creating what eventually became the United Athletic Conference.[7]

Conference affiliation history
  • 1924–25 to 1932–33 – Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
  • 1933–34 to 1952–53 – Texas Conference
  • 1953–54 to 1952–53 – Independent
  • 1954–55 to 1956–57 – Gulf Coast Conference
  • 1957–58 to 1962–63 – Independent
  • 1963–64 to 1972–73 – Southland Conference
  • 1973–74 to 2012–13 – Lone Star Conference
  • 2013–14 to 2020–21 – Southland Conference
  • 2021 to Present – Western Athletic Conference

Championships

National championships
Sport Division II NAIA Division I
Cross Country (Men's), NCAA Division II2006, 2007
Football, NAIA Division I1973, 1977
Track and Field (Men's Indoor), NCAA Division II, NAIA Division I1988, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 20111978
Golf (Men's), NCAA Division II1993
Track and Field (Women's Indoor), NCAA Division II1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Track and Field (Men's Outdoor), NCAA Division II, NAIA Division I1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 20111952, 1954, 1955, 1978, 1982
Track and Field (Women's Outdoor), NCAA Division II1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2008

Lone Star Conference
Sport Season
Baseball1993, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010
Men's Basketball1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87
Women's Basketball1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99
Men's Cross Country1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Women's Cross Country1983, 1984, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Football1973, 1977, 2008, 2010
Golf (Men's)1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2010
Soccer (Women's)2010
Tennis (Men's)1988, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010
Tennis (Women's)1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
Track and Field (Men's)1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Track and Field (Women's)1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008
Volleyball2004, 2005

Notable non-varsity sports

ACU currently has club sports in Men's Lacrosse, Men's Rugby, Men's Soccer, and Co-Ed Golf. ACU Athletics took over all club sports on the ACU campus in January 2017 and named Todd Rogers as the Director of Club Sports, who oversees all 4 sports. Todd is an Abilene native and a December 2016 graduate of Texas Tech University. As the Director of Club Sports, Rogers will oversee the university's nationally competitive program with the hopes of driving enrollment and adding more club sports in the future.

ACU athletes in halls of fame

College Football – Wilbert Montgomery (1996).

Drake Relays – Bobby Morrow, (1959).

Lone Star Conference – Wilbert Montgomery, football (1996); Billy Olson, men's track and field (1997); Wally Bullington, football (1999); Wes Kittley, track and field (2006).

U.S. Olympic – Bobby Morrow, men's track and field (1989).

Texas Sports – Bobby Morrow (1960), Tonto Coleman (1983), Eck Curtis (1985).

U.S. Track and Field – Bobby Morrow (1975)

WWE – John Layfield (2020; played football at ACU)

Media

All Abilene Christian athletics are broadcast on ESPN+ and KHXS.

References
  1. Abilene Christian University Branding and Editorial Style Guide. July 1, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  2. "To Join T.I.A.A." Abilene Daily ReporterAbilene Daily ReporterAbilene Daily ReporterAbilene Daily ReporterAbilene Daily Reporter. December 2, 1923. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  3. All divisions/collegiate total championships Archived 2011-05-31 at the Wayback Machine ncaa.org, Chipionship History (through June 2, 2013), p.1. Retrieved 2013-06-24.
  4. "Wildcats lead way as LSC honors all-time top performers," ACU Today, Summer 2007, p.32. Retrieved 2008-09-22. Archived October 29, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  5. "WAC Announces Expansion, Plans to Reinstate Football" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  6. "WAC Announces Expedited Entrance for Four Texas Institutions" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  7. "ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands as the United Athletic Conference" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
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