From the inception of the athletics program at the university in 1963 until 1965, the then-Spartans[2] competed as a junior college independent. Houston Baptist College became a four-year university in fall 1965 and their mascot was changed to the Huskies.[3] The Huskies were members of the NCAA College Division from 1969 until 1973 when the NCAA restructured their divisions into Divisions I, II, and III.[4][5] The Huskies were an NCAA Division I team from 1973-1990.[6] After playing for seventeen years as a member of the NAIA, the Huskies began play as an NCAA Division I team again in 2007 and became a full member of the NCAA for the 2011–12 academic year.[7]
After one year of independent status in the NCAA, HCU joined the Great West Conference, and began play as a member in 2008 for all sports but basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, and women's soccer.[8] These teams remained independent until the 2009–2010 season when they joined the other HCU teams. Men's soccer joined the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation since the Great West did not sponsor the sport.
On November 9, 2011, officials from the Southland Conference visited HCU in their expansion drive.[9] On November 21, Houston Baptist accepted an invitation to join the Southland Conference joining July 1, 2013. The school started a football program in 2013 and began Southland play in 2014. There are also plans for a new basketball arena.[10] With the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation dropping men's soccer after the 2012 season, the HCU team moved to the Western Athletic Conference, which began sponsoring the sport from 2013 onwards.[11]
The men's soccer program remained in the WAC through the 2022 season, after which it joined the newly formed men's soccer league of the Ohio Valley Conference.[12]
HCU competes in 17 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer and track and field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track and field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.
^"Myers to Tech; HBC Names Aide". Houston Chronicle. March 10, 1970. p. 22. Retrieved February 24, 2024 – via genealogybank.com.
^The Associated Press (December 31, 1970). "Paynesmen Take No. 5 Position". San Angelo Standard-Times. p. 15. Retrieved February 24, 2024 – via genealogybank.com Note: Houston Baptist is seen as receiving vote(s) in the College Division men’s basketball poll.
^Houston Christian Athletics Department (2021). "HBU Men's Basketball 2021-22 (Media Guide)"(PDF). pp. 60-63 Note: Huskies Men's Basketball did not compete from 1989-1991 but retained Division I membership until 1990.
