Wildcats

Abilene Christian Wildcats

General Information

NCAA Division: Division I

Conference: Western Athletic Conference (2021-present)

Past Conferences: Southland

City: Abilene, Texas

Stadium: Moody Coliseum

NCAA Tournaments: 2 (2019, 2021)

Championships:

National Championships: None
Conference Tournament Titles: 2 (2019, 2021)
Conference Regular Season Titles: None

Abilene Christian Wildcats Team History

The Abilene Christian Wildcats are a Division I team based in Abilene, Texas. Abilene Christian joined the Western Athletic Conference in 2021 following an eight-year stint in the Southland Conference.

Abilene Christian has been to the NCAA Tournament twice, most recently in 2021 when it scored a major upset under Joe Golding. On the heels of their Southland Tournament championship, the 14th-seeded Wildcats overcame long odds to knock off No. 3 seed Texas 53-52 in the first round. It was the first time a No. 14 seed had beaten a No. 3 since Stephen F. Austin in 2016. In the second round, Abilene Christian lost 67-47 to No. 11 seed UCLA.

The school’s only prior NCAA Tournament appearance was a first-round loss to second-seeded Kentucky in 2019. Abilene Christian also won the Southland Tournament that season en route to a program-record 27 victories.

Conference changes are nothing new to the Wildcats, as they rejoined the Southland in 2013 following a 40-year absence. Abilene Christian was one of five original members of the Southland in 1963, and there it remained until 1972-73 when it departed for the Division II Lone Star Conference. Abilene Christian was a regular contender, making the Division II NCAA Tournament nine times between 1959-99. The Wildcats reached the Sweet 16 five times and advanced to the Elite Eight in 1966.

Its postseason history also includes appearances in the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Tournament and 2022 College Basketball Invitational, where it lost in the semifinals to Middle Tennessee.
Brette Tanner was elevated to head coach in 2021, replacing Golding, who had left for UTEP. Golding won a program-record 134 games at his alma mater from 2014-21 and was named Southland Coach of the Year in 2019.

In 2021-22, their first season in the WAC, the Wildcats went 25-11, including 11-7 in conference play. They were picked to finish fourth in the 2022-23 WAC preseason coaches and media polls.