The program dates back to 1905, when it played three games against Williamsburg Institute. After the 1905 season, the program did not field a team for the next 16 years from 1906 to 1921. The program resumed in 1922 and experienced a period of significant success during a 13-year period under coach J. R. Bacon from 1929 to 1941, including a 5–0–2 season in 1934. Union beat the Louisville Cardinals in the first four meetings between the two programs from 1932 to 1935, before losing in 1936.[3][4]
The program was shut down in 1942 due to the lack of players during World War II.[5] The Union football program did not restart again until 1984. Since football was resumed, the program has had little success, experiencing a 25-game losing streak that ran from 1998 to 2000. The program did win one Mid-South Conference co-championship in 1992 and played one game (a loss) in the NAIA championship series in 2008.[3][6]
References
^"Members". Mid-South Conference. Retrieved June 11, 2017.