The Central Arkansas Bears and Sugar Bears represent the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in NCAA Division I ASUN Conference, The football team competes in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). 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.
The Central Arkansas Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for University of Central Arkansas (UCA) located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which started play in 2023. For the 2021 season, UCA was a de facto associate member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), and in 2022 it played in its full-time home of the ASUN Conference. Central Arkansas's first football team was fielded in 1908. The team plays its home games at the 12,000-seat Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas. The Bears are coached by Nathan Brown, in his seventh year.
The 2011 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 12th-year head coach Clint Conque, the Bears compiled an overall record of 9–4 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play placing second in the Southland. Central Arkansas received an at-large bid into the NCAA Division I FCS Football Championship playoffs, where the Bears defeated Tennessee Tech in the first round before falling to Montana in the second round.
The 2012 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by 13th year head coach Clint Conque and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 9–3, 6–1 in Southland play to share the conference championship with Sam Houston State. Due to their victory over Sam Houston State, the Bears received the Southland's automatic bid into the FCS Playoffs where they lost in the second round to Georgia Southern.
The 2013 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by 14th-year head coach Clint Conque and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference.
The 2014 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by first-year head coach Steve Campbell and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They are a member of the Southland Conference. The Bears finished the season 6–6 overall and 5–3 in conference play to finish in a three way tie for third place.
The 2014 Southeastern Louisiana Lions football team represented Southeastern Louisiana University in the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lions were led by third-year head coach Ron Roberts and played their home games at Strawberry Stadium. They are a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 9–4 overall, 7–1 in conference play to finish in a share for the Southland title. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost in the first round to fellow Southland Conference champion Sam Houston State 21–17.
The 2015 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by second-year head coach Steve Campbell and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 7–4, 7–2 in Southland play to finish in a tie for second place. They were not invited to the FCS Playoffs.
The 2016–17 Central Arkansas Bears basketball team represented the University of Central Arkansas during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bears were led by third-year head coach Russ Pennell and played their home games at the Farris Center in Conway, Arkansas as members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 8–24, 7–11 in Southland play to finish in a five-way tie for eighth place. They lost in the first round of the Southland tournament to Sam Houston State.
The 2017 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bearkats were led by fourth-year head coach K. C. Keeler and played their home games at Bowers Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 12–2, 8–1 in Southland play to finish in second place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs where they defeated South Dakota in the first round and Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to North Dakota State.
The 2017 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by fourth-year head coach Steve Campbell and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 10–2, 9–0 in Southland play to be crowned Southland Conference champions. They received the Southland's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost to New Hampshire in the Second Round.
The 2018 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team represented the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Cardinals played their home games at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium in San Antonio, Texas. They were led by first year head coach Eric Morris. They finished the season 6–5, 6–2 in Southland play to win a share of the Southland Conference championship. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Montana State. The Cardinals were set to play the Iowa State Cyclones during the first weekend in December, but the game was cancelled.
The 2017–18 Central Arkansas Sugar Bears basketball team represented the University of Central Arkansas during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Sugar Bears were led by sixth-year head coach Sandra Rushing and played their home games at the Farris Center in Conway, Arkansas. They were members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 25–10, 14–4 in Southland play, to finish in third place. They advanced to the semifinals of the Southland women's tournament where they lost to Stephen F. Austin. They received an invite to the WBI where they defeated SIU Edwardsville, Weber State and Nevada in the first round, quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advanced to the championship game where they lost to Yale in the championship game.
The 2018 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bears were led by first-year head coach Nathan Brown and played their home games at Estes Stadium. They were a member of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 6–5, 5–4 in Southland play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place.
The 2016–17 Central Arkansas Sugar Bears basketball team represented the University of Central Arkansas during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Sugar Bears were led by fifth year head coach Sandra Rushing and played their home games at the Farris Center as members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 26–5, 16–2 tied for first place in conference play. They were champions of the Southland women's tournament. They received an invitation to the NCAA tournament marking their second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. Their season ended in the first round with a loss to the Texas Longhorns.
The 2019 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Bears were led by second-year head coach Nathan Brown and played their home games at Estes Stadium. UCA finished the regular season 9–3 overall, 7–2 in Southland Conference play, earning a share of the 2019 Southland Conference championship, and a first round bye in the FCS playoffs with a #8 seeding.
The 2019–20 Central Arkansas Bears basketball team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bears were led by interim head coach Anthony Boone, who took over for then sixth-year head coach Russ Pennell following Pennell's resignation on January 7, and played their home games at the Farris Center in Conway, Arkansas as members of the Southland Conference. They finished the season 10–21, 9–11 in Southland play to finish in ninth place. They failed to qualify for the Southland Conference tournament.
The 2020 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Bears were led by third-year head coach Nathan Brown and played their home games at Estes Stadium.
The 2009 McNeese State Cowboys football team represented McNeese State University as a member of the Southland Conference in the 2009 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Cowboys were led by fourth-year head coach Matt Viator and played their home games at Cowboy Stadium. They finished the season with an overall record of 9–3 and a conference mark of 6–1, sharing the Southland title with Stephen F. Austin and losing in the first round of the FCS playoffs to New Hampshire, 49–13.
The 2008 Central Arkansas Bears football team represented the University of Central Arkansas as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Clint Conque, the Bears compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, winning the Southland title. Despite winning the Southland Conference, the Bears were ineligible for the FCS playoffs due to their transition from NCAA Division II. Central Arkansas played home games at Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas.
