Abilene Christian Wildcats (variously ACU or ACU Wildcats) refers to the sports teams of Abilene Christian University

Abilene Christian University

Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...

. The nickname "Wildcat

Wildcat

Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...

" is derived from the mascot of the team. The teams compete in Division II of NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 sports. The Abilene Christian Wildcats joined the Lone Star Conference

Lone Star Conference

The Lone Star Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. Member institutions are located in the southwestern United States, with schools in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico...

 (LSC) of Division II of the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 in 1973. In 2007, the conference included 33 ACU current and former student athletes in its 75-member all-sports team commemorating the conference's 75th anniversary.

The Abilene Christian University Athletic Department receives many donations, particularly from alumni Overall, The Abilene Christian Wildcats have won a combined 62 team national championships, including 55 as a member of the NCAA trailing behind UCLA, Stanford, and USC

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

 in the most championships.

Team National Championships

Women's Track and Field (22)

2008 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2000 - NCAA Division II indoor

1999 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1999 - NCAA Division II indoor

1998 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1998 - NCAA Division II indoor

1997 - NCAA Division II indoor

1996 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1996 - NCAA Division II indoor

1995 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1995 - NCAA Division II indoor

1994 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1994 - NCAA Division II indoor

1993 - NCAA Division II indoor

1991 - NCAA Division II indoor

1990 - NCAA Division II indoor

1989 - NCAA Division II indoor

1988 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1988 - NCAA Division II indoor

1987 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1986 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1985 - NCAA Division II outdoor

Men's Track and Field (36)

2011 – NCAA Division II indoor

2008 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2007 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2006 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2005 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2005 - NCAA Division II indoor

2004 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2004 - NCAA Division II indoor

2003 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2003 - NCAA Division II indoor

2002 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2002 - NCAA Division II indoor

2000 - NCAA Division II outdoor

2000 - NCAA Division II indoor

1999 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1999 - NCAA Division II indoor

1998 - NCAA Division II indoor

1997 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1997 - NCAA Division II indoor

1996 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1996 - NCAA Division II indoor

1994 - NCAA Division II indoor

1993 - NCAA Division II indoor

1988 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1988 - NCAA Division II indoor (co-champion)

1987 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1986 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1985 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1984 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1983 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1982 - NCAA Division II outdoor

1982 - NAIA outdoor

1978 - NAIA indoor (co-champion)

1955 - NAIA outdoor

1954 - NAIA outdoor

1952 - NAIA outdoor

Football (2)

1977 - NAIA Division I

1973 - NAIA Division I

Golf (1)

1993 - NCAA Division II

Men's Cross Country (2)

2007 - NCAA Division II

2006 - NCAA Division II

Lone Star Conference Team Championships (157)

Football (4) -- 1973, 1977, 2008, 2010

Men's Cross Country (24) -- 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Women's Cross Country (15) -- 1983, 1984, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Men's Basketball (3) -- 1984-85, 1985–86, 1986–87

Women's Basketball (8) -- 1982-83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1997–98, 1998–99

Golf (9) -- 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 2010

Men's Track and Field (26) -- 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Women's Track and Field (23) -- 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008

Men's Tennis (11) -- 1988, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010

Women's Tennis (22) -- 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010

Baseball (7) -- 1993, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010

Volleyball (2) -- 2004, 2005

Women's Soccer (1) -- 2010

NACDA United States Sports Academy Directors' Cup

1995-96—1. Cal-Davis; 2. ACU; 3. North Dakota St.

1996-97—1. Cal-Davis; 2. ACU; 3. CSU-Bakersfield

1997-98—1. CSU-Bakersfield; 2. Cal-Davis; 3. ACU

1998-99—1. Adams State; 2. (tie) ACU, Cal-Davis

1999-00—1. Cal-Davis; 2. North Dakota State; 12. ACU

2000-01—1. Cal-Davis; 2. North Dakota State; 6. ACU

2001-02—1. Cal-Davis; 2. Grand Valley St.; 14. ACU

2002-03—1. Cal-Davis; 2. Grand Valley St.; 7. ACU

2003-04—1. Grand Valley St.; 2. California-San Diego; 15. ACU

2004-05—1. Grand Valley St.; 2. Nebraska-Omaha; 9. ACU

2005-06—1. Grand Valley St.; 2. ACU

2006-07—1. Grand Valley St.; 2. California-San Diego; 3. ACU

2007-08—1. Grand Valley St.; 2. ACU; 3. Minnesota State-Mankato

ACU Athletes in Halls of Fame

College Football—Wilbert Montgomery (1996).

Drake Relays—Bobby Morrow, (1959), Oliver Jackson (1978), Bill Woodhouse (1980), George Adrian (1982).

Lone Star Conference—Wilbert Montgomery, football (1996); Billy Olson, men's track and field (1997); Claudia Schleyer, women's basketball (1998); Wally Bullington, football (1999); Jennifer Clarkson-Frazier, women's basketball (2001); Wes Kittley, track and field (2006).

NCAA Division II Track and Field—Cliff Felkins (1998); Marlene Lewis (1998); Sylvia Dyer-Barnier (2002); Yolanda Henry (2003); Mark Witherspoon (2004); James Browne (2005); Brian Amos (2005); Dale Jenkins (2005); Yolande Straughn (2005).

U.S. Olympic—Bobby Morrow, men's track and field (1989).

Texas Sports—Bobby Morrow (1960), Oliver Jackson (1978), A.M. (Tonto) Coleman (1983), Eck Curtis (1985); James Segrest (2006).

U.S. Track Coaches—Oliver Jackson (1998); Bill McClure (2002); Don Hood (2006).

U.S. Track and Field—Bobby Morrow (1975).

Penn Relays—Bill Woodhouse (2004); 1995 Men's sprint medley relay team (Joseph Styles, Kevin Dilworth, Robert Guy, Savieri Ngidhi), 2006.

ACU Academic Achievements

Academic All-America Honorees (58)

Football (8)

1963 - Jack Griggs

1970 - Jim Lindsey

1974 - Greg Stirman

1976 - Billy Curbo

1977 - Billy Curbo

1985 - Paul Wells

1987 - Bill Clayton

1988 - Bill Clayton

1989 - Bill Clayton

1989 - Sean Grady

1990 - Sean Grady

2007 - Nathan Young

Men's Basketball (3)

1974-75 - Paul Palmer

1974-75 - Greg McElvy

1998-99 - Jared Mosley

Women's Basketball (4)

1985-86 - Claudia Schleyer

1988-89 - Suzanne Johnson

1995-96 - Jennifer Clarkson

1999-00 - Jackie Bucher

Men's Track and Field (4)

1990 - Wendell Edwards

1991 - Wendell Edwards

1992 - Wendell Edwards

1993 - Brian Amos

1995 - Glenn Griffin

1995 - Marlon Williams

1997 - Glenn Griffin

Women's Track and Field (9)

1986 - Camille Coates

1991 - Candi Evans

1992 - Candi Evans

1994 - Kim Bartee

1995 - Kim Bartee-Neece

1995 - Brandy Beeman

1995 - Ranessa Crawford

1995 - Lindsay Welsh

1997 - Delloreen Ennis

1997 - Carlene Vassell

1998 - Ranessa Crawford

Volleyball (3)

1992 - Cathe Crow

2005 - Lindsey Martin

2005 - Michelle Bernhardt

Baseball (4)

1975 - Bill Whitaker

1993 - Bryan Frazier

1997 - Casey Cross

2006 - Joel Wells

Men's Tennis (2)

1993 - Robby Scott

1994 - Robby Scott

1995 - Robby Scott

1995 - John Cole

1997 - John Cole

Women's Tennis (8)

1988 - Lori Miller

1988 - Donna Sykes

1989 - Donna Sykes

1990 - Carla Martin

1992 - Denise Hunter

1992 - Anne Howell

1994 - Keri Whitehead

1997 - Julie Mavity

1998 - Julie Mavity

1999 - Julie Mavity

2000 - Jenny Wallace

Golf (9)

1988 - Chris Goodspeed

1989 - Grady Bruce

1990 - Steve Miller

1990 - Clint Johnson

1991 - Larry Bryan

1991 - Clint Johnson

1992 - Matt Welch

1995 - Darin Newhouse

1997 - Greg LaBelle

1997 - Jeff White

Women's Cross Country (2)

1992 - Misty Taylor

1996 - Jennifer Lyons

Men's Cross Country (2)

1993 - Jerome Vermeulen

1994 - Jerome Vermeulen

1994 - Thomas Korir

NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship Winners (29)

Football (7)

1971 - Jim Lindsey

1983 - Grant Feasel

1985 - Dan Remsberg

1986 - Craig Huff

1986 - Jason Embry

1990 - Bill Clayton

2007 - Nathan Young

Women's Basketball (6)

1986 - Claudia Schleyer

1990 - Suzanne Johnson

1992 - Cathe Crow

1996 - Jennifer Clarkson

1998 - Caroline Omamo

2000 - Jackie Bucher

Women's Track and Field (3)

1995 - Kim Bartee-Neece

1998 - Ranessa Crawford

2005 - Katie Eckley

Men's Tennis (3)

1995 - Robby Scott

1996 - Wes Sheffy

1998 - Lee Griffith

Men's Track and Field (5)

1966 - Charles Christmas

1992 - Wendell Edwards

2000 - Oscar Meneses

2003 - Alfred Rugema

2004 - Manuel Brandeborn

Men's Basketball (1)

1999 - Jared Mosley

Volleyball (2)

2006 - Lindsey Martin

2010 – Shawna Hines

Baseball (1)

2006 - Joel Wells

Softball (1)

2007 - Samantha Borgeson

Athletic administration

Jared Mosley - Director of Athletics

Wally Bullington

Wally Bullington

Wally "Coach Bully" Bullington is a former American football player, coach, and sports figure from the state of Texas. He served Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas for 39 years as football player, assistant football coach, head football coach and athletic director before he retired...

- Director of Athletics Emeritus

Vince Jarrett - Associate Director of Athletics

John Houser

John Houser

John Houser may refer to:* John Sherrill Houser , American sculptor and painter* John Wesley Houser, Jr. , American football player...

- Assistant Director of Athletics / Operations

Barry Pupella - Assistant Director of Athletics / Compliance

Lance Fleming - Director of Athletics Media Relations

Ann Varner - Director of Athletics Academic Services

Notable athletes and coaches

In 2009, Wide Receiver Johnny Knox was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 5th round 140th overall.