Arkadelphia is a city in Clark County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,380. The city is the county seat of Clark County. It is situated at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Two universities, Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University, are located here. Arkadelphia was incorporated in 1857.
Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) is a private Baptist university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The university's name is taken from the Ouachita River, which forms the eastern campus boundary. It is affiliated with the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, a state convention affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
Clifford Allen Harris is an American former professional football player who was a safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, he appeared in five Super Bowls and was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls. Harris retired from football at 31 to focus on his work within the oil business.
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Home games are played at stadiums on or near the two largest campuses of the University of Arkansas System: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Sam Pittman is the head coach and has served since 2020.
Dennis Clay Nutt is a retired American professional basketball player. He is the head basketball coach at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
The Harding Bisons football program represents Harding University in college football as a Division II member of the Great American Conference. Harding is located in Searcy, Arkansas. The Bisons are led by head coach Paul Simmons, a former Harding linebacker. They were NCAA Division II national champions in 2023.
The Henderson State Reddies is the school mascot and athletic emblem for Henderson State University, located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Henderson athletic teams compete in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports and they are members of the Great American Conference for all 12 varsity sports.
The Henderson State Reddies football program is a college football team that represents Henderson State University. The team is a member of the Great American Conference which is in the Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are currently coached by Scott Maxfield, who is in his seventh year at the university. Home games are played at Carpenter-Haygood Stadium in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Henderson State shares the longest rivalry in Division II football with Ouachita Baptist University Tigers, the Battle of the Ravine, which began in 1895. Gus Malzahn, deemed the father of the Hurry Up, No Huddle offense played wide receiver for the Reddies, and is one of their most famous alumni.
The Ouachita Baptist Tigers are composed of 16 teams representing Ouachita Baptist University in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, golf, soccer, swimming, and tennis. Men's sports include baseball, football, and wrestling. Women's sports include volleyball, cross country, and softball. The Tigers compete in the NCAA Division II and are members of the Great American Conference. The wrestling team competes as a single-sport member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The men's and women's swimming teams compete in the New South Intercollegiate Swim Conference.
Kiehl Frazier (kaɪl) is a former American football quarterback and safety. He attended Ouachita Baptist University in 2014, having attended Auburn University the previous three years. Frazier played backup to returning quarterback Clint Moseley for the starting quarterback position for the 2011-2013 Auburn Tigers football team.
Omon Fitzgerald Hill is a former American football player and coach and college administrator. Hill served as the head football coach at San Jose State University from 2001 to 2004, compiling a record of 14–33. He was the president of Arkansas Baptist College from 2006 to 2016.
The Great American Conference sponsors championship events for 12 of its 13 sports. The football champion is the team with the best conference record.
James Lewis Ranchino, known as Jim Ranchino, was a pollster, political consultant, and political scientist on the faculty of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He died of a massive heart attack while awaiting to appear on Little Rock ABC television station KATV on the night of the 1978 general election.
The 1897 Arkansas Industrial Cardinals football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 1897 college football season. Arkansas opened its 1897 season with its sixth game in four years against the team from Fort Smith High School. The Cardinals next competed in their third intercollegiate game, playing Drury College to a 6–6 tie. On November 20, 1897, Arkansas won its first ever intercollegiate football game against Ouachita College, a liberal arts college in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
The 1914 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) during the 1914 college football season. Led by second-year head coach William L. Driver, the Rebels compiled an overall record of 5–4–1, with a mark of 2–1–1 in conference play.
Jesse N. "Buddy" Benson was an American football player and coach.
Sam Pittman is an American football coach who is the head football coach at the University of Arkansas. Prior to being hired at Arkansas, he was the associate head coach and offensive line coach at the University of Georgia. Prior to his hiring at Arkansas, Pittman spent almost his entire career, going back to the mid-1990s, as an offensive line coach at various college football programs. He also became known as one of the country's top recruiters.
The 1946 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football season was the season of college football played by the eight member schools of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) as part of the 1946 college football season. Led by head coach John Tucker, the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys from Russellville, Arkansas, compiled a 9–1 record and won the AIC championship. None of the AIC teams was ranked in the Associated Press poll or played in a bowl game.
The 2024 Harding Bisons football team represents Harding University in the 2024 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Great American Conference (GAC). The Bisons are led by eighth-year head coach Paul Simmons and play their home games at First Security Stadium in Searcy, Arkansas.
The 2024 Ouachita Baptist Tigers football team represented Ouachita Baptist University during the 2024 NCAA Division II football season as a member of the Great American Conference (GAC). Led by twenty-fifth year head coach Todd Knight, the Tigers played their home games at Benson–Williams Field at Cliff Harris Stadium in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Knight was named the American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year for Region 4.
