Press Association (NSPA) Magazine Pacemaker Award. In 2006, Connotations was placed in the NSPA's Hall of Fame for receiving the highest rating that NSPA awards in its critique service twelve times in the schools' recent history In 1994, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association awarded Connotations the CSPA's Scholastic Gold Circle Awards for its Overall Design, Cover Design (Two or More Colors), Title and Contents Page, and Typography. Athletics The Fayetteville Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs are highly competitive in the state's largest classification, 7A, and are members of the West conference of that classification. State championships include: 14-time Boys' Golf (1950–52, 1959–63, 2004, 2013-2017) 13-time Girls' Golf (1973, 1975, 1977, 1985, 2001, 2003, 2005–11) 12-time Boys' Cross Country Running (1965, 1969–75, 1983–86) 10-time Boys' Swimming (1972–74, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1985–86, 2000–01) 8-time Boys' Tennis (1970, 1972–73, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1989–90) 8-time Girls' Gymnastics (between 1998 and 2005) 7-time Baseball (1960, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013) 6-time Girls' Basketball (1979, 1993–94, 2009, 2011, 2015) 7-time Cheerleading (2000, 2006, 2007, 2010–12, 2017, 2019) 5-time Boys' Basketball (1948, 1975, 1978, 1987, 2009) 5-time Girls soccer, 4-time Runner-up (2002, 2004, 2006, 2009) 5-time Football (2007, 2011–12, 2015, 2016) 5-time Girls' Swimming (1976, 1981, 1999, 2002, 2018) 4-time Volleyball (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020) 2-time Dance (2016, 2019) 2-time Softball (2006–07) In 2006, Sports Illustrated ranked Fayetteville High School in the nation's Top 20 High School Athletic Programs, stating: "Located across the street from the University of Arkansas, this school has won a state-best 24 titles in 10 sports since 1996. The Purple Bulldogs’ girls’ gymnastics team has won eight straight state championships, and the girls’ soccer team took four straight from 1998 to 2001, plus one in 2010. Since 1996 the boys’ basketball team has made five appearances in the state semifinals and went to the title game in March. Fayetteville has also won four state championships in indoor track, which is not a recognized sport in the state." 2007 saw the Bulldogs win their first state football championship after 103 years of playing football, defeating Springdale Har-Ber 28-7 in Little Rock. Eight years later, they would duplicate the feat, defeating Har-Ber 28-7 again to claim their fourth state championship. In March 2009, FHS concluded undefeated seasons in both boys and girls basketball and won 7A state championships. The girls finished 32-0 while the boys finished 30-0, with the boys carding a No. 8