Hello
@purpledawgtcu and welcome to the HBCU Sports Forum! I’m 96lioness (Stephanie).
I’m not a fan of UAPB.... I am a proud 1996 alumna of THE University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and I’m a RIDE-OR-DIE BLACK&GOLDEN Lion! I also love and support the SWAC and HBCUs.
We (UAPB/AM&N/Branch Normal) became a member of the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) in 1936 and were until 1970 (joined NAIA). We came back home to the SWAC in 1997 and are currently to date. Since the inception of the SCG (SWAC Championship Game), we’ve held the Western Division Championship twice 2006 and 2012), and have 1 SWAC Championship (2012). Our basketball team won the overall SWAC Tournament and were the 2010 Basketball Champions, but low APR and non-compliance with NCAA eligibility resulted in stripping of that title. Coincidentally, our women’s soccer team also won that year, and advanced to the NCAA tourney. Our baseball team boasted in claiming the 2013 COTY and POTY, and were also the 2014, 2015, and 2016 Western Divisional Champions. We’ve had success in our Track & Field area (most recently 2018 Men’s Cross Country). UAPB athletics boasts a department of I believe 14 sports (football, baseball, men’s basketball, men’s tennis, men’s golf, men’s T&F, men’s cross country, women’s basketball, women’s T&F, women’s cross country, women’s tennis, softball, women’s soccer, and volleyball).
Our football team has been struggling since our last championship 7 years ago, and unfortunately has landed at the bottom of our division, and second-to-last overall conference. While we’ve suffered from devastating defeats from all 9 conference opponents, we were totally humiliated & utterly annihilated by SDSU last season, horse-kicked 90-6! But we take our losses and move on to the next game.
We’re hoping 2019 will be better for us and are anxious to get into action. Our HFC Cedric Thomas (also an alumnus of UAPB) is going into his 2nd year with the hopes of changing the mindset of our team from that of a willing participant to champion! My boys (as I affectionately refer to the Golden Lions) have surprised our conference a few times over the years and are ready to do so again.
Our 1st matchup this season is against your Horned Frogs, but as Coach Thomas stated, the “measuring stick” of our athleticism stance will be against a SWAC school, our Eastern Divisional opponent, Alabama A&M University!