| Sam Houston Bearkats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Sam Houston State University |
| Conference | Conference USA |
| NCAA | Division I (FBS) |
| Athletic director | Bobby Williams |
| Location | Huntsville, Texas |
| Varsity teams | 17 (18 in 2025) |
| Football stadium | Bowers Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Johnson Coliseum |
| Baseball stadium | Don Sanders Stadium |
| Softball stadium | Bearkat Softball Complex |
| Soccer stadium | Pritchett Field |
| Other venues | McAdams Tennis Center York Track & Field Complex |
| Mascot | Sammy Bearkat |
| Nickname | Bearkats |
| Fight song | Bearkat Fight Song |
| Colors | Orange and white[1] |
| Website | gobearkats |
 | |
The Sam Houston Bearkats are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Sam Houston State University, located in Huntsville, Texas. Sam Houston's colors are orange and white. Sam Houston sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS-formerly known as Division I-A) for football) in Conference USA (CUSA), having joined that conference on July 1, 2023 after spending 34 years in the Southland Conference and two years in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). SHSU's primary rival is Stephen F. Austin (SFA) and tensions between the two schools can run high before major sporting events that pit one against the other.
As a whole, the Sam Houston athletic department captured the Southland Conference Commissioner's Cup in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2018 and 2019 for all-around athletic department[2] and topped the Southland Conference for all-academic recognition. The Kats are the only athletic department in the Southland Conference to get the Commissioner's Cup for 3 consecutive years while the 7 total cups are the most in league history.
Sam Houston boasts both the best average student athlete GPA as well as the highest number of student athletes named to the Southland Conference honor roll.[3] This is particularly evident in the men's basketball program, which fielded 6 of the 13 student athletes who gained Academic All-Conference honors, including junior Ryan Bright, who was also named student athlete of the year for men's basketball.
Sam Houston's move to the WAC was announced on January 14, 2021 as part of a major expansion of that conference. Also announced as future WAC members were three other Southland members from Texas (Abilene Christian, Lamar, SFA) plus Big Sky Conference member Southern Utah.[4] Initially, all five schools were to join in July 2022, but the entry of SHSU and the other Texas schools was moved to 2021 after the Southland expelled its departing members.[5]
Sam Houston was announced as a future member of Conference USA effective July 1, 2023 on November 5, 2021.[6]
- ^ "Athletic Branding". Sam Houston State University Department of Marketing and Communications. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "Sam Houston State Retains Straight Commissioners Cup". Southland Conference. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
- ^ http://www.gobearkats.com/fls/19900/pdf/mbb_guide_32_36.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=19900[permanent dead link]
- ^ "WAC Announces Expansion, Plans to Reinstate Football" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
- ^ "WAC Announces Expedited Entrance for Four Texas Institutions" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
- ^ "Conference USA Adds Four Members" (Press release). Conference USA. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.