Lincoln Blue Tigers
The Lincoln Blue Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Lincoln University, located in Jefferson City, Missouri, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) since the 2010–11 academic year (which they were a member on a previous stint from 1970–71 to 1998–99, but later left because it had not had a football team since after the 1989 fall season). The Blue Tigers previously competed in the Heartland Conference, of which it was a founding conference member, from 1999–2000 to 2009–10.
| Lincoln Blue Tigers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Lincoln University |
| Conferences | The MIAA |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Athletic director | Kevin Wilson |
| Location | Jefferson City, Missouri |
| Varsity teams | 14 (7 men’s, 7 women’s) |
| Football stadium | Dwight T. Reed Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Jason Gymnasium |
| Baseball stadium | LU Baseball Field |
| Mascot | Stripes |
| Nickname | Blue Tigers |
| Fight song | "LU Fight Song" |
| Colors | Navy blue and white[1] |
| Website | lubluetigers |
 | |
Sports sponsored
Lincoln sponsors fourteen intercollegiate varsity sports:
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Cross country |
| Football | Golf |
| Golf | Soccer |
| Soccer | Softball |
| Track and field† | Track and field† |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor | |
Football
The Blue Tigers sponsored football from their first tenure in the MIAA until after the 1989 fall season, before revitalizing it and rejoined the MIAA in 2010.[2]
Women's track and field
The Lincoln Blue Tigers women's track and field team made NCAA Division II history by winning the Outdoor Track and Field Championships five consecutive times, from 2003 to 2007. They won a sixth title in 2009 and a seventh in 2014.[3][4]
Former programs
In May 2016 Lincoln dropped its baseball and women's tennis programs. In June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic Lincoln dropped its women's bowling program.[5]
National championships
The Blue Tigers have won fourteen NCAA Division II team championships.
Team
| Association | Division | Sport | Year | Opponent/Runner-up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA (14) | Division II (14) | Women's Indoor Track and Field (5) | 2004 | Adams State | 62–58 (+4) |
| 2006 | Abilene Christian | 87–501⁄3 (+362⁄3) | |||
| 2009 | Grand Valley State | 1001⁄2–48 (+521⁄2) | |||
| 2010 | Ashland Grand Valley State |
56–47 (+9) | |||
| 2016 | Hillsdale | 60–58 (+2) | |||
| Women's Outdoor Track and Field (9) | 2003 | St. Augustine's | 98–67 (+31) | ||
| 2004 | Adams State | 85–81 (+4) | |||
| 2005 | Cal State Bakersfield | 108–53 (+55) | |||
| 2006 | Abilene Christian | 93–86 (+7) | |||
| 2007 | Abilene Christian | 821⁄2–69 (+131⁄2) | |||
| 2009 | Adams State | 85–82 (+3) | |||
| 2014 | Johnson C. Smith | 64–59 (+5) | |||
| 2018 | Saint Augustine's | 60–481⁄2 (+111⁄2) | |||
| 2019 | Adams State | 64–54 (+10) |
Songs
Fight song
Lincoln University doesn't have a name for their fight song, but it is sung to the tune of "The Washington and Lee Swing".[6]
Alma mater
Sung to the tune of "Ach, wie ist's möglich dann", an old German folk song published in 1827 and variously credited to Friedrich Wilhelm Kücken or Friedrich Silcher, Lincoln's fight song is called "Lincoln, O, Lincoln". (The West Point and Wake Forest alma maters also use the same tune.)[6]
Notable alumni
- Dusty Decker, Negro league infielder[7][8]
- Leo Lewis, member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
- Zeke Moore, National Football League (NFL) defensive back
- Lemar Parrish, eight-time Pro Bowl NFL defensive back in the 1970s and early 1980s, head coach of the Blue Tiger football team from 2005 to 2008
References
- This Is Lincoln. A guide to branding our Lincoln University. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
- Lincoln returns to MIAA – St. Joseph News-Press – February 2, 2009
- "DII Women's Outdoor Track & Field". NCAA.com.
- "Lincoln University of Missouri Blue Tigers – Lincoln University Track & Field to be Inducted Into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame". Lincoln University.
- "Lincoln drops women's bowling from athletic program". News Tribune. Jefferson City, Missouri. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- "LUPA Handbook – We Cherish Our Traditions". p. 4. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-10-18.
- Courier staff (October 11, 1930). "Missouri Classic Attracts". Pittsburgh Courier. p. 14. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- Courier-Journal staff (April 10, 1938). "Decker Is Signed to Manage Black Colonels". The Louisville Courier-Journal. p. 58. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
