Union Christian leaving AAA

Union Christian Academy, a private school in Fort Smith, is leaving the Arkansas Activities Association after the 2015-2016 academic year to compete in the Oklahoma Christian School Athletic Association.

The Eagles, who have competed in Class 2A in the 4-2A Conference, also will transition from 11-man to 8-man football for the 2016 season.

Union Christian Athletic Director David Peach said in a news release that the association change will allow the school’s athletes to be eligible immediately to play. Under the AAA rules, there is a 365-day waiting period on students transferring from public to private schools. Peach also said Union Christian will schedule nonconference games against local schools it has competed against for more than a decade.

The OCSAA has 42 member schools with nearly half of the schools located in the Tulsa metropolitan area. Two other Arkansas schools are members of the OCSAA: Providence Academy in Rogers and Ambassadors for Christ Academy in Bentonville.

Under the AAA’s 2014-2016 classification numbers, Union Christian was the smallest football-playing school with 75 students.