Fort Hays State Tigers

Fort Hays State Tigers
Fort Hays State Tigers
University	Fort Hays State University
Conference	The MIAA (primary); GAC (men's soccer)
NCAA	Division II
Athletic director	Curtis Hammeke
Location	Hays, Kansas
Varsity teams	18
Football stadium	Lewis Field
Basketball arena	Gross Memorial Coliseum
Baseball stadium	Larks Park
Mascot	Victor E. Tiger
Nickname	Tigers
Colors	Black and gold;
Website	fhsuathletics.com

The Fort Hays State Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Fort Hays State University, located in Hays, Kansas, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) for most of its sports since the 2006–07 academic year;^[2] while its men's soccer team competes in the Great American Conference (GAC). The Tigers previously competed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 1989–90 to 2005–06 (which they were a member on a previous stint from 1968–69 to 1971–72); in the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1976–77 to 1988–89; in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) from 1972–73 to 1975–76; in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1967–68; and in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) from 1902–03 to 1922–23.

Athletics department overview

Fort Hays State offers eighteen sports at a varsity level. Entering the 2010–2011 school year, Fort Hays State has captured 58 Conference titles. They also have captured nine total national championships.^[3]

Conference membership history

1902–1927: Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
1928–1968: Central Intercollegiate Conference
1969–1975: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
1976–1990: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
1991–2006: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
2006–present: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association

Varsity teams

Fort Hays State competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.

Men's sports	Women's sports
Baseball	Basketball
Basketball	Cross country
Cross country	Golf
Football	Soccer
Golf	Softball
Soccer	Tennis
Track and field^†	Track and field^†
Wrestling	Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

Basketball

Men's

The Fort Hays State basketball program holds several national basketball titles; the men's team claimed national championships in 1984 and 1985 (NAIA), back to back, and in 1996 (NCAA Division II) with a 34–0 record. In 2020, the team upset Division I Kansas State with an 81–68 victory.

Women's

The women's basketball team also brought home the national title in 1991 (NAIA). The team is currently coached by Talia Kahrs.

Football

The football program at Fort Hays began in 1902.^[4] The first year a coach was assigned to the team was 1913 when Ira Van Cleave led the team to a record of 4 wins and 2 losses.^[5] Other coaches in the school's history include Wayne J. McConnell, Jim Gilstrap, James J. Yeager, and former Kansas Governor Andrew Frank Schoeppel. The coach beginning in 2011 is Chris Brown. Fort Hays State captured their first ever MIAA conference championship with a 13–12 win over Northwest Missouri State University on November 4, 2017, as they won their 10th game of the season against no losses with one regular season game against the University of Nebraska at Kearney remaining.