Women’s basketball began the same year Arkansas State Normal School (now UCA) began operations – 1908. During that first year, the women’s team played six games against three opponents: Central College, Little Rock St. Mary’s High School and Little Rock High School. In those days it was not unusual for the schedule to be made up primarily of high school opponents.
The women’s games during the first year were very low scoring affairs. Their first year record was (1-5) and three of their games were against Central College of Conway. In their first game with Central College, UCA lost by a score of 4 to 14. In their second game, they scored half as many points and lost 2 to 12. In the third game with Central College, UCA scored twice as many points as it did in the second game but still lost 4 to 7.
During the 1910-1911 basketball season the women’s team played eleven games, with nine of those games played against high school teams. It wasn’t until the 1930-1931 season that all opponents of the UCA women’s basketball team were colleges. The high schools that provided contests for UCA during the early years were Little Rock Mount St. Mary’s, Little Rock High School, Morrilton, Dardanelle, Conway, Plumerville, Jacksonville, Russellville, Searcy, Lake Village, North Little Rock, England, Pottsville and Sparkman. In addition to the high school opponents, the women’s team also played the YWCA teams from Little Rock and Memphis.
UCA’s college opponents for women’s basketball from 1908 to 1932 included Central College of Conway, University of the Cumberlands, Hendrix College, Arkansas Tech University, University of Memphis, Arkansas State University, Southern Arkansas University, Henderson State University, Crescent College, University of Arkansas at Monticello, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and College of the Ozarks. During this period the women’s basketball schedule was somewhat erratic in terms of opponents and number of games played. They might play only three games one year, but the next year play seven games or more.
Until 1920, the women’s team, like the men’s, had no mascot. Sports writers usually referred to the women’s team as the Normal Sextet. During the early years the women played three on three half-court basketball, therefore, the term “sextet.” When the men became known as the “Bears” in 1920, the women’s team was then called the “Bearettes.” As a rule, from 1908 to 1932, the “Bearettes” played anywhere from four to seven games a season. Two exceptions to this rule were the 1910-1911 season when 11 games were played, and the 1915-1916 season when they engaged in 10 basketball contests.
Following the 1931-1932 season, UCA abruptly ended women’s basketball and did not resume the sport again until 1976. The reason(s) for this cessation of play has been somewhat of a mystery. This author has found no UCA documents explaining why women’s basketball was stopped. According to Mrs. Mary Ferguson who attended UCA in the late 1930s, “It was believed at the time that basketball was a rough sport and was not good for the health of the young women who played the game.” Mrs. Ferguson’s comments were supported by a national movement in the late 1920s that sought to ban women’s basketball.
Others who were interviewed by this author and are somewhat contemporary with Mrs. Ferguson echoed her comments. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, it was widely believed that basketball was too rigorous a sport for women to engage in and could be injurious to their health. That belief was supported by the fact that the Women’s Division of the National Amateur Athletic Federation (WDNAAF) pronounced that basketball was unhealthy and inappropriate for women, and in 1925 the WDNAAF passed a resolution outlawing extramural competition. The WDNAAF was very influential and in 1927 was successful in its efforts to cancel the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Women’s Basketball Tournament.
According to womensbasketballonline.com/history/timeline1900_29.html, which is a timeline of women’s basketball, “The WDNAAF holds its first conference (1923). It attacks competitive athletics, especially basketball as being unhealthy and inappropriate. Concern that women’s scholastic athletics will begin to resemble men’s (quasi-professional, corrupt, promoting betting) they promote a “Sports for Sports sake” philosophy.”
In 1925, the WDNAAF begins to receive widespread support and according to WomensBasketballOnline.com, “WDNAAF passes a resolution outlawing extramural competition, opposing gate receipts at women’s games, all travel for women’s games, and all publicity of women’s sports. The National Association of Secondary School Principals supports the resolution. They pressure high school sports associations to disband tournaments and are most successful in Eastern states and large city schools, less so in rural states.”
In 1929, the State of Colorado banned all female athletics. According to WomensBasketballOnline.com, “Girls’ athletics came to an abrupt halt in 1928-1929, when Arvada High School’s Superintendent Clifton B. Raybourn determined that “it was hazardous to their health” and stopped girls’ athletics. The Colorado Medical Association agreed with the health concern and the State of Colorado lost girls’ competitive athletics.”
Although this author cannot be adamant in stating the reason(s) for the cessation of women’s basketball at UCA, the preponderance of evidence suggests that it was cancelled due to the belief that it was dangerous to the health and well being of the female athletes. UCA women were allowed to participate in other sports (all intramural), including volleyball, ping-pong, shuffle-board, archery, tennis, darts and softball. Of these sports, volleyball was by far the most popular. In 1936, five teams were created and they competed with each other on an intramural basis.
Once UCA stopped its women’s basketball program in 1932, it did not begin again until 44 years later, in 1976. When women’s basketball did return to UCA, the women did not play in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC) as the men’s team did, but played in the Arkansas Women’s Intercollegiate Sports Association (AWISA). UCA women’s teams competed in AWISA until they entered the AIC during the 1983-1984 season.
There were many differences between the team of 1931-1932 and the team of 1976-1977. They were no longer called the “Bearettes” but were known as the “Sugar Bears.” They also played many more games than the early teams. The 1976-1977 team played 23 games, earned a 15-8 record their first year back on the court, and scored many more points than the early teams. The 1976-1977 team played 14 games in which they scored 70 points or more – a far cry from the 26 points scored in their highest scoring game during the 1931-1932 season.
The “Sugar Bears” won the AIC Championship in 1984 and 1985. They also won three NAIA District 17 Tournaments in 1984, 1985 and 1991, and a Gulf South Conference title in 2005. From 1995 to 2005, the Sugar Bears played in five NCAA Tournaments in Division II and made the Elite Eight in 2003 and 2005.
In 2006, UCA moved to NCAA Division I and into the Southland Conference, becoming eligible for conference titles or post season play with the 2010-2011 season. During the 2010-2011 season the “Sugar Bears” under Coach Matt Daniel were 21-12 overall and 11-5 in the Southland Conference.
Author’s Note: Sources for this article include The Echo, The Scroll, the record book for women’s basketball at ucasports.com maintained by Steve East, Dr. H.B. Hardy, Jr., Mary Ferguson, “The Centennial History of the University of Central Arkansas” by Jimmy Bryant and http://womensbasketballonline.com/history/timeline1900_29.html
Jimmy Bryant, director of UCA Archives