The ASUN and United Athletic Conference will enter a strategic alliance in 2026, the leagues announced Thursday.
This follows our reporting Wednesday that the leagues were in talks to form the partnership as part of a rebranded WAC that would become the UAC (United Athletic Conference).
“We are proud to launch this innovative Division I conference alliance, creating an environment where institutions can elevate their programs, leverage collective resources, and champion a new era of intercollegiate athletics,” ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon, who will lead the alliance, said. “This strategic alliance reflects our dedication to empowering the next generation of leaders, both on and off the field, ensuring a legacy of success and impact for years to come.”
“We find ourselves in a transformative era where conferences and institutions are proactively seeking opportunities to collaborate, forge scheduling alliances, unlock new revenue streams, and prepare for a modernized world of intercollegiate athletics,” Bacon added. “This alliance achieves all these objectives simultaneously for our two conferences. We are now prepared to sprint into a new future with a structure that will provide unprecedented support.”
As reported yesterday, the new UAC will consist of eight members, with seven fielding football squads.
This will populate the UAC with Tarleton, Abilene Christian, UT-Arlington, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, and West Georgia. UT-Arlington does not currently field a football team, having disbanded it 40 years ago.
The seven remaining ASUN schools — Bellarmine, Lipscomb, Queens, Jacksonville, North Florida, Stetson, and Florida Gulf Coast — either do not field football or play in a non-scholarship FCS league.
“As collegiate athletics enters a transformational era, bold leadership is essential,” WAC Commissioner Rebekah Ray said. “Our alliance with the ASUN positions our institutions for long-term success and greater competitive opportunities. This important step includes a period of transition, highlighted by the rebranding of our conference. While we look ahead, we remain committed to honoring the storied history and tradition of the Western Athletic Conference. We are excited to embark on this next chapter as the United Athletic Conference and to collaboratively build the consortium with our partners.”
The alliance will begin in July 2026.
I’m glad the U.A.C. was formed & is a bulwark & gathering point for a conference, the Western Athletic Conference.
The Trust 4 conference Minion, the N.ational C.ollege A.thletic A.ssociation must have been told by it’s handlers that approving California State Sacramento’s move to 1A highest FB status in 2025 poses some short term threat to the SEC-B18g10 current steamroller plans.
The n.c.a.a. approves an exceptional circumtance petition to waive the rules for the PAC 2 Beavers, Red Cougars.
It won’t approve an application for the Hornets to begin their transition to Division 1A FB in 2025?
Believable. Sad. Excuses for treating the Non Trust 69 Unis differantly.
SAC St does not have the proper funding secured, their push to jump to the FBS was hastily put together as a last minute effort. The NCAA deserves much criticism but Sac ST’s bid isn’t anywhere it’s cracked up to be.
The A-Sun will add at least one more school, likely a non-football from the Big South, SoCon, or D2 (Gulf South or Conference Carolinas).
The UAC is fine at 8 for now, but they might have to add if Tarleton gets plucked by C-USA.
Doesn’t the UAC need to add one football playing school since they only have seven to keep their autobid to the playoff?
What the National COLLEGIATE Athletic Association did for Sac State was probably merciful.
It isn’t the fault Oregon State or Washington State by any means. Maybe Sac State should have waited to see the outcome before they made all of these steps.
What John Furgele is always so fond of saying on here is that Sacramento is the 20th largest TV market in the nation. That doesn’t matter if you don’t put a quality product on the field, and what has Sac State done to merit membership in the FBS? One women’s basketball title and a couple of football championships with a couple of playoff wins, nothing past the quarterfinals.
Now, granted, Texas State doesn’t have much more of a resume, but they are already at that level and they are right in the center of the next Texas metroplex in a state where a lot of high school teams draw more fans than Sac State for a game. We’ll just have to see if it works.
I thought Sac State would be let in, I can’t remember a program that was denied, and there have been many that should not have moved. I think the line should be drawn and the flow of teams from start up or D-II and D-III from spending their mandatory time at FCS and moving to FBS. It has to end somewhere, and I said early on in this move I could see Sac State ending up like Idaho.
The NCAA save them from that end because your program doesn’t want to end up where Idaho has been. They don’t have a TV market at all in Moscow, but what they did have was a top 20 basketball team in the late 70’s and early 80’s and a football team that regularly made the I-AA playoffs.
I am sure, above all else, the SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, PAC?? and MWC are not threatened by wherever Sac State ends up, whether it is now or in the future.
Sacramento State may end up being football only in the UAC, which would be a temporary measure until they secure an invitation from either the MW or Pac-12.
Z-Man I would like Sacramento State to begin Independent & then secure an invitation from either Mountain West or PAC 12.
Independence is a liability now (unless you’re Notre Dame), not like it was decades ago. This is why I keep saying UConn should be MAC football only.
Sorry I am happy where UConn is as Independent.
If you want to fight go join the Navy Buddy.
Z-man, why would Sac State leave the Big Sky for the UAC? They would most surely go back to the Big Sky before they did that.
Dan, once again, not only do the PAC? and the MWC not want Sac State no one does. They didn’t get an invitation to join a conference, which is why they tried to apply as a D-I Independent.
You can wish in one and you know what in the other, but I hope this is the start of FBS being more selective on teams moving up in divisions.
Good News JM I do respect CFB Teams that they have desire to switch that something Z-Man really needs to work on instead making up his obscured realignment.
@John and FBSchedules
My comments were censored on the Florida State post about Dan Rakows continual disrespect towards Z-Man. I am unsure how me brining attention to this platform and Admins about the constant ramblings and disrespect from Dan can lead to my comments being censored. Another example for FBSchedules allowing this behavior to still happen without being checked.
censored page: https://fbschedules.com/florida-state-adds-etsu-to-2027-football-schedule/
over 20+ comments and now only 8.
I have removed several comments involving repetitive insults and instances of a user impersonating another. Due to my recent vacation, I was unable to address each comment individually. Please note that I am not managing a discussion forum and prefer to maintain a respectful and constructive environment.
FB1 Z-Man is getting tons & tons & tons of criticism by other people who are disrespecting him too because his is a very mean person comes up with cuckoo ideas about CFB.
FB1 Another cause for Constant ramblings is that I am very afraid that Z-man will be a constant looser with many cuckoo posts that he made throughout years & I am sounding panic alarm right now.
We have not been best of friends thankfully not enemies however I really care for Z-Man & I have grave concerns that his autism is really bothering him & he might leave this Earth in future & I do not want him to die.
We kindly request that all users refrain from persistent criticism of one another. Continued violations may necessitate disabling comments across the site.
@Kevin – I’d prefer that. I’ve been using your platform since you started. Years before Dan’s first comment about being a fan of every team, wanting all fcs teams to move up, all games to be played at 3:30pm cst on cbs, and whatever bs he’s slinging around atm.
I prefer you close comments for everyone and just report the CFB news again. Thank you for all you do and continue to do. I prefer to keep this institution clean and let these fools ramble somewhere else.
I will accept your guidelines FB1 & officially decided to DIVORCE Z-Man.
FB1 My relationship with Z-Man is OVER & I am Done with him.
Main reason I am done with Z-Man so FBS Schedules can have a clean institution & now really care about this web page & I guarantee will have excellent relationship with each other.
Enjoy yourself everybody & may good news be yours.
The WAC has a bad habit of collapsing and reviving.
Heaven only knows what will happen next with WAC.