One of the most famous players to come out of the Central Arkansas Bears program is Scottie Pippen. Pippen played for the Bears from 1983-1987, and was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Gulf South Conference selection during his college career.

After leaving Central Arkansas, Pippen went on to have a highly successful career in the NBA, where he won six championships as a member of the Chicago Bulls and was named to the NBA All-Star team seven times. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team ten times and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

In addition to Pippen, other notable former Central Arkansas Bears athletes include NFL players Robert Rochell and Jonathan Woodard, and Major League Baseball player Jonathan Davis.