 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2018) |
| McKendree Bearcats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | McKendree University |
| Conference | GLVC (primary) MIVA (men's volleyball through 2024–25) WWPA (men's and women's water polo) |
| NCAA | Division II |
| Location | Lebanon, Illinois |
| Varsity teams | 39 (18 men's and 18 women's and 3 co-ed) |
| Football stadium | Leemon Field |
| Basketball arena | Melvin Price Convocation Center |
| Baseball stadium | Hypes Field |
| Mascot | Bogie |
| Nickname | Bearcats |
| Colors | Purple and white[1] |
| Website | mckbearcats |
 | |
The McKendree Bearcats are the intercollegiate athletic programs that represent McKendree University, located in Lebanon, Illinois, United States. They are a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC); achieving D-II full member status in the 2013–14 academic year.
Prior to joining the NCAA, the Bearcats previously competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as members of the American Midwest Conference (with the exception of football where they played in the Midwest League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) from 1987–88 to 2010–11, as well as an NAIA/NCAA Division II Independent during the 2011–12 school year. They also competed in the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) from 1912–13 to 1937–38.
In addition to GLVC sponsored sports, McKendree also fields NCAA-sanctioned teams in women's bowling as an independent program and men's volleyball at the National Collegiate (Division I/II) level in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA). The women's bowling team won the NCAA National Collegiate Bowling Championship in 2017 and 2022.[2] They were runner-up in the 2018 event.[3] The school also fields teams outside of the NCAA structure in two NCAA-sponsored sports and four non-NCAA sports. In the NCAA sports of men's ice hockey and women's lacrosse, McKendree is respectively a member of the ACHA Division II in the Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) and the Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (WILA). The non-NCAA sports sponsored by McKendree are men's and women's bowling, men's and women's powerlifting, and co-ed bass fishing.
- ^ "McKendree University Athletics Sports Information". Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ^ "McKendree Prepares to Defend NCAA Title Close to Home". McKendree University. April 10, 2018.
- ^ "McKendree Earns Runner-Up Finish at 2018 NCAA Bowling Championship". McKendree University. April 14, 2018.