College Sports Established
1906
Location
Abilene, Texas
College Name
Abilene Christian University
Collegiate History
1973 - Present / NCAA Division I
1964 - 1973 / University Division of the NCAA
Conference History
2021 - Present / Western Athletic Conference
2014 - 2021 / Southland Conference
1974 - 2013 / Lone Star Conference
1964 - 1973 / Southland Conference
Nickname
Wildcats - In 1923, Sam Cox of Ozona, Texas, donated a young bobcat that had been captured on his ranch near the banks of the Devil’s River to become the university’s first Wildcat mascot. Bob Thomas made his debut during the West Texas Fair and Rodeo parade, pulled through the streets by two huskies in uniform.
Although the 1923 fair parade was a high spot in Bob’s young life, his days in captivity were numbered, and his post-parade demise was marked by a burial service on ACU’s North First Street campus, near Daisy Hall.
Bob was replaced by a taxidermy mount in 1924 but in January 1926, another live wildcat named Mrs. Bob Thomas was on the job, recruited to live in the back of the campus bookstore.
ACU’s Wildcat tradition has been celebrated for more than a century now, but if it weren’t for a student contest in 1919 we might be cheering the ACU Antelopes instead.
According to No Ordinary University: The Story of a City Set on a Hill, the 1998 ACU history book by Dr. John C. Stevens (’38), the mascot was chosen when students enthusiastically raised $6,300 to build and name a playing field for football, baseball, and intramural sports. They also conducted a competition to name ACC’s mascot. Wildcats won the contest over Antelopes, and the home for ACC sports become known as Wildcat Park.
NCAA Championships
Baseball 0
Men's Basketball 0
Women's Basketball 0
Football 0
Soccer 0
- 1953
- 1993
- 2016
- 2020
-
ACU’s athletic teams officially adopted the Wildcats mascot
In 1953, a pivotal moment occurred for the Abilene Christian University’s athletic identity. During this year, the university officially adopted the Wildcats as the mascot for its athletic teams. The adoption of a mascot is often a symbolic and unifying step for a sports program, creating a sense of identity and pride among athletes, students, and the broader community. This ... -
Abilene Christian Wildcats football team won the Lone Star Conference
The Abilene Christian Wildcats football team achieved a remarkable feat by winning the Lone Star Conference championship. This victory highlighted the team’s excellence on the field and contributed to the overall athletic legacy of Abilene Christian University. This conference championship in 1993 marked a memorable moment in the history of ACU athletics, showcasing the football program’s success during that period. ... -
ACU Women Win Southland Conference Title
In 2016, the Abilene Christian University Wildcats had a significant achievement in basketball. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams secured victories in the Southland Conference tournament. Winning their respective tournaments granted both teams automatic berths in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament. Men’s Basketball Team: The men’s basketball team’s success in the Southland Conference tournament marked a historic moment ... -
ACU officially joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
Abilene Christian University made a significant move in 2020 by officially becoming a full member of the Western Athletic Conference for all sports. Joining a conference is a strategic decision for universities and their athletic programs, often influenced by factors such as regional alignment, competitiveness, and opportunities for exposure and competition. When a university becomes a full member of a ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
History of the Wildcats
A member of the Western Athletic Conference, Abilene Christian sponsors teams in seven men's and eight women's NCAA-sanctioned sports.
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.
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.
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. 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.
Sports Fan Products
