The ASUN-WAC football partnership has formally rebranded as the United Athletic Conference, it was announced on Monday.
The 2023 season for the United Athletic Conference will be the first for the partnership as a single entity. The conference now “…fully operates like a single-sport conference with an independent budget, policies and governing documents. The group will recognize its own league champion and at-large FCS playoffs automatic qualifier under a singular conference banner beginning with the 2023 football season.”
The United Athletic Conference 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.
In December, the ASUN-WAC partnership, now known as the United Athletic Conference, released their football schedule for the 2023 season.
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.
The team with the best record in conference play (and who owns any applicable tiebreakers in the case of matching league records) will be declared the United Athletic Conference champion and FCS playoffs automatic qualifier.
The United Athletic Conference plans to reveal their official marks, website, and more information in the coming months.
I read somewhere else that the UAC has an ultimate goal to move up to FBS status. Who knows what college football looks like in 2 years with all the love of money that permeates the sport. College football is becoming NFL lite.
We could have fun with this Brand by nicknaming it the U ltimate Athletic C hampionships after Ultimate Fighting Championships.
Whadaya Think ?
I do root for the 1AA FB conferences to gain sustainable Traction in the NIL Wars.
IMO, the NDSU 🦬 R the only Championship Subdivision Team with Name recognition by 1A Fans.
The former Big names, JMU, Appalachian State, Boise State, Sam Houston State R playing in Other 1A Dependent Five Conferences.
Love this idea personally. good for them
Hope they didn’t pay someone a lot of money for that branding. It’s the most generic name they could have come up with.
Western Sun Conference would have been a lot better.
Interesting name. Yeah, United Athletic Conference could have been more creative in its BRANDING.