ASUN-WAC announce single conference, 2023 football schedule

By Kevin Kelley -

The ASUN Conference and Western Athletic Conference (WAC) have announced a single conference model for the 2023 season and have also released their 2023 football schedule.

The ASUN and WAC are entering the third year of their partnership. The two conferences competed as the AQ7 in the fall of 2021 and as separate conferences in 2022 with a single FCS Playoff automatic qualifier.

“Announcing our 2023 schedule is a major step in the evolution of this partnership,” said WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton. “Operating in this single sport model creates the legitimacy and strength shared by similarly structured conferences.”

The ASUN-WAC will include nine football-playing schools in 2023 — Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, and Utah Tech. The conference will add the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in 2025 when the school begins play in football.

“This partnership has built competitive opportunities, created a new AQ for the FCS playoffs, and brought a great group of like-minded institutions together to play football,” said ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart. “We are planning for a long and strong relationship in this group and it provides certainty and security for our football programs and for the strength of both the WAC and the ASUN in all sports.”

Due to existing non-conference agreements, each ASUN-WAC team will play a six-game conference football schedule in 2023. The league is currently building the 2024 schedule, which will include an eight-game conference slate for each institution.

2023 ASUN-WAC Football Schedules

2023 ASUN-WAC Football Schedule

* Conference games only.

Saturday, Sept. 9
North Alabama at Tarleton

Saturday, Sept. 23
Abilene Christian at Central Arkansas
Austin Peay at Stephen F. Austin

Saturday, Sept. 30
Central Arkansas at Southern Utah
Eastern Kentucky at North Alabama

Saturday, Oct. 7
Southern Utah at Tarleton
Stephen F. Austin at Utah Tech

Saturday, Oct. 14
North Alabama at Abilene Christian
Tarleton at Eastern Kentucky

Saturday, Oct. 21
Abilene Christian at Stephen F. Austin
Austin Peay at Southern Utah
Utah Tech at North Alabama

Saturday, Oct. 28
Abilene Christian at Southern Utah
North Alabama at Austin Peay
Tarleton at Central Arkansas
Eastern Kentucky at Utah Tech

Saturday, Nov. 4
Utah Tech at Abilene Christian
Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky
Central Arkansas at North Alabama
Stephen F. Austin at Tarleton

Saturday, Nov. 11
Tarleton at Abilene Christian
Utah Tech at Austin Peay
Eastern Kentucky at Central Arkansas
Southern Utah at Stephen F. Austin

Saturday, Nov. 18
Central Arkansas at Austin Peay
Stephen F. Austin at Eastern Kentucky
Southern Utah at Utah Tech

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