Southwest Baptist Bearcats

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Southwest Baptist Bearcats
Southwest Baptist Bearcats logo.svg
University Southwest Baptist University
Conference GLVC
NCAA Division II
Athletic directorMike Pitts
Location Bolivar, Missouri
Varsity teams18
Football stadium Plaster Stadium
Basketball arenaJane and Ken Meyer Sports and Wellness Center
NicknameBearcats
ColorsPurple and white
   
Website www.sbubearcats.com
SBU wordmark.png

The Southwest Baptist University Bearcats are the sports teams of Southwest Baptist University located in Bolivar, Missouri. They participate in the NCAA's Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). The Bearcats had competed in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) since 1986. In 2014, the Bearcats as well as the Lincoln Blue Tigers began competing in the GLVC as a football member-only team. [1]

Contents

In fall 2016, Southwest Baptist University became one of the first 15 colleges and universities in the nation to offer esports as a varsity athletics program, with scholarships available. SBU is a charter member of the Collegiate Esports Association (CESPA). [2]

On May 31, 2018, Southwest Baptist announced it would be withdrawing its membership from the MIAA to join the Great Lakes Valley Conference full-time, effective July 1, 2019. [3]

SBU began a varsity Cheer and Stunt team beginning in the 2018–19 season. [4]

The next sports to be added will be men's and women's swimming & diving and men's volleyball, all in 2025–26. [5]

Sports sponsored

Men's sportsWomen's sports
BaseballBasketball
BasketballCheer and Stunt [a]
Cross countryCross country
eSportsGolf
Football Soccer
GolfSoftball
SoccerSwimming & diving (in 2025–26)
Swimming & diving (in 2025–26)Tennis
TennisTrack and field
Track and fieldVolleyball
Volleyball (in 2025–26)
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor
  1. SBU considers cheer and stunt to be a single program, but they are separate though closely related sports. Cheerleading has no NCAA recognition at all, while the NCAA recognizes stunt as part of its Emerging Sports for Women program.

Football

The Bearcats football team is currently coached by Robert Clardy. Clardy is the 9th head football coach in Southwest Baptist University history. Clardy graduated from SBU in 2008. During his time at SBU, he played quarterback from the SBU Bearcats football team. After graduation, Clardy became the Quarterbacks coach from 2008 to 2010, was promoted to Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback Coach from 2011 to 2012, and was promoted to Assistant Head Coach / Wide Receivers Coach in 2013. He became Head Coach in 2015. The SBU Bearcats football team earned an NCAA National Playoff appearance in 2016 after winning the conference title. The team finished 22nd in the final NCAA Division II AFCA poll. [6]

Men's basketball

The Bearcats men's basketball team is currently under the direction of Clark Sheehy. Sheehy took over in 2014. He was previously coach at John Brown University in Arkansas.

Softball

The Bearcats softball team appeared in one Women's College World Series in 1971. [7]

National championships

Team

SportAssociationDivisionYearRunner-upScore
Men's Tennis (1) NAIA (1) Single (1)1984 Lander 29–28

Athletic facilities

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Trent J. Edwards II is an American football quarterback for the Frisco Fighters of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He played college football for Southwest Baptist and the University of Indianapolis. Edwards has had a lot of success in indoor football leagues, winning the IFL Most Valuable Player in 2023.

References

  1. "Great Lakes Valley Conference". glvcsports.com.
  2. "SBU Launches Varsity eSports Program for Fall 2016". Southwest Baptist University. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  3. "Southwest Baptist joining GLVC". May 31, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  4. "Southwest Baptist University Adding STUNT As a Sport in 2018–19". Southwest Baptist University. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  5. "SBU Athletics Adding NCAA Swimming, Men's Volleyball" (Press release). Southwest Baptist Bearcats. May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  6. "Southwest Baptist University Athletics – Robert Clardy – 2018 Football Coaching Staff – Southwest Baptist University". www.sbubearcats.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  7. Plummer, William; Floyd, Larry C. (2013). A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States: Turnkey Communications Inc. ISBN   978-0-9893007-0-4.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Southwest Baptist University, (1994–2007). Southwest baptist university athletics. Retrieved January 6, 2008, from Facilities
  9. 1 2 3 4 Southwest Baptist University, (2007–2008). Campus buildings and facilities. Southwest Baptist University Catalog, 92(3), 7–8.
  10. "The Natatorium". Archived from the original on October 28, 2007.