FORT SMITH (KFSM) – After years of being the smallest football playing school in the state, Union Christian is leaving the Arkansas Activities Association.
The Eagles competed in the 2A-4 conference in recent history but will join the Oklahoma Christian School Athletic Association for the 2016-17 school year.
Union Christian will also transition from 11-man to 8-man football next season.
“We are very excited about the opportunities that the change to Oklahoma Christian School Athletic Association provides,”Union Christian athletic director David Peach said in a press release. “The change allows Student Athletes to be immediately eligible to play, whereas currently under the Arkansas Activities Association there is a mandatory 365 day waiting period on students transferring from public to private schools and international students. However, since the association is NFHS certified, we are still allowed to schedule and play nonconference games against local schools which we have enjoyed competing against over the last 10 years. We believe the change provides opportunity for all our students to play, freedom to continue to play tough local opponents, and the legitimacy of playing for a State Championship at the end of each season.”
The OCSAA is comprised of 42 member schools with nearly half in the Tulsa metro. Fellow Arkansas schools Providence Academy in Rogers and Ambassadors for Christ Academy in Bentonville are also members of the conference.
“We are very excited about this change for our students,” Union Christian superintedent Paul Bridges said. “We have found athletic eligibility is a big factor in a family’s decision to make an educational change, and many times the thought of sitting out for 365 days trumps the benefit of what our school can offer to a student. With this change, we eliminate the waiting period and join a growing and thriving Athletic Association. The OCSAA has been very
welcoming towards Union.”
Union Christian has an enrollment of 70 in the high school and just 290 students in the entire school system.
