Jump to content

Arkansas State Indians

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 65.112.121.29 (talk) at 17:41, 29 February 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Arkansas State Indians
UniversityArkansas State University
ConferenceSunbelt Conference
DivisionDivision I
Athletic directorDean Lee
StandortJonesboro, Arkansas
Varsity teams12
Football stadiumIndian Stadium
ArenaConvocation Center
MascotRed, The Indian Tribe, Jumping Joe, and Running Joe
NicknameIndians
ColorsMaroon and Black
   
Websiteasuindains.com

The Arkansas State University Indians are athletic teams affiliated with the Sun Belt Conference in sports and maintains NCAA Division I status in the major sports including football where Arkansas State is a Football Bowl Subdivision program.

Fight Song

On, On, On to victory
Brave team you're second to none
Let's make this game history
along with the others we've won
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
with all your might
so that the world may see that
I-N-D-I-A-N-S means Victory!

From http://www.asuindians.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&KEY=&ATCLID=204955

Nickname

The school's sports teams are nicknamed "Indians" in honor of the Osage Nation that inhabited the area until the 1800s. [1] [2] The name “Indians” officially became the school’s athletic nickname in 1931 following “Aggies” in 1911 (sometimes called “Farmers”), “Gorillas” in 1925, and then “Warriors” in 1930. [3]

On June 18, 2007, Arkansas State's Mascot Review Committee unanimously approved a recommendation for Arkansas State to retire the "Indians" nickname and all Native American mascots and imagery. The time frame for finding a new mascot is yet to be determined.[4] Chancellor Robert L. Potts promised a broad-based search to be guided by a Mascot Selection Steering Committee. The move for the name change comes in response to the NCAA's 2005 ban on ethnically or racially derogatory mascots at championship events.[5]

The panel selecting the new nickname first narrowed the list down to twelve finalists: A's, Black Wolves, Red Wolves, Diamonds, Express, Mallards, Mustangs, Red Dragons, Red Storm, Ridge Runners, Ridge Riders and Thunderbirds. A meeting was held on December 3, 2007 to review the list,[6] which was narrowed in January 2008 to Red Wolves, Ridge Riders or Express Train. [1]

On January 31, 2008, Arkansas State University’s Mascot Selection Steering Committee [7] decided to use the Wolves as a mascot. Arkansas State officially retired the Indian mascot on February 28, 2008 during the basketball game.

History

As a member of the Southland Conference, Arkansas State was the NCAA small college football national champion in 1970. Under head coach Bennie Ellender, the Indians defeated Central Missouri State University in the Pecan Bowl, held in Arlington, Texas to win the national championship and complete an 11-0 undefeated season. The division national championship, in what is now known as NCAA Division II, capped three straight bowl appearances by the Indians. At the time, the division competed in four separate regional bowl games with the national champion chosen by the polls after the bowls.

During the 1970s, ASU competed at the NCAA Division I level and, in 1975, finished 11-0. ASU was one of only two undefeated Division I football teams that year and one of only four institutions to have gone undefeated and not win a National Championship at the Division I-A level. Since ASU was a member of the Southland Conference, and the league did not have a bowl game tie-in, ASU was not selected for post-season play. As a result of this inequity, the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana was created, though ASU has never played in the bowl game.

During the 1980s under coach Larry Lacewell, ASU was a powerhouse in NCAA Division I-AA, making four appearances in the playoffs, including a loss in the national championship game in 1986.

Football

During the 2005 football season, Arkansas State finished the regular season as Sun Belt Conference champions with a record of 6 wins and 5 losses and was extended an invitation to the New Orleans Bowl. This was the school's first bowl game since the trip to the 1970 Pecan Bowl and subsequent national championship. The Indians lost to The University of Southern Mississippi in the game, which was played that year in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Rivalries

Starting in 2004, Arkansas State has rekindled a rivalry with the Memphis Tigers. In 2004, the 24th ranked Memphis Tigers defeated Arkansas State 47-35 before the largest crowd to ever watch a game at Indian Stadium, 30,427. In 2006, Arkansas State beat Memphis at the Liberty Bowl Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee after a last second Hail Mary touchdown to secure the win, 26-23. The teams met again in 2007 at Indian Stadium, where the Indians rallied in the second half to beat the Tigers 35-31 after trailing 31-6 at halftime. Both schools have met 54 times, with the Tigers leading the series 27-22-5.Along with the Memphis Tigers, the Troy Trojans are considered to be one of Arkansas State's rivals.

Arkansas is the only state in the United States that does not have an in-state rivalry between two Division I football teams (University of Arkansas and Arkansas State).

Basketball

Arkansas State shares an in-state rivalry with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans (UALR). Recently the basketball series has gone in favor of Arkansas State, having a winning streak against UALR of 5 games (updated 2006-2007 season).

In 1987, Arkansas State University received a bid to play in the National Invitation Tournament. The first game was against the University of Arkansas. The Indians led for the majority of the game; however, after half time, Arkansas rallied from a 20 point deficit and won in overtime. In 1999, ASU went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

In the 2006-2007 season, ASU won the Sunbelt West Division Championship, finishing just ahead of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. The Indians would fall to the North Texas Mean Green in the finals of the SBC Conference Tournament.

Baseball

Keith Kessinger coaches the baseball team. Under Kessinger the team has finished mostly in the middle of the pack in the SBC. ASU has claimed several victories over major teams in the last few years, including the University of Mississippi, University of Kentucky, and Michigan State University.

Well known Sports-figures from Arkansas State

References

  1. ^ "NCAA May Force ASU To Drop Indian Mascot".
  2. ^ "NCAA won't allow Indian mascots at playoff games". Noble Savage Media. Retrieved 2007-10-17.
  3. ^ "Mascot Retirement".
  4. ^ "Mascot Review Committee Adopts Resolution to Recommend Change".
  5. ^ Associated Press (2007-07-25). "Arkansas State chancellor forms committee to solicit ideas for new mascot". Associated Press/ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
  6. ^ Associated Press (2007-11-15). "Arkansas State U. Panel Narrows List of Names for New Mascot". Associated Press/DiverseEducation.com.
  7. ^ http://www.asuindians.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7200&ATCLID=1378831
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arkansas_State_Indians&oldid=194932241"