The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) have renewed their football alliance for the fall 2022 season, it was announced on Wednesday.
The alliance will feature five teams from the ASUN — Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, Kennesaw State, and North Alabama — and five teams from the WAC — Abilene Christian, Lamar, Stephen F. Austin, Southern Utah, and UIW.
Both conferences previously met the six-team automatic qualifier threshold for the 2022 season, but that status changed when Jacksonville State from the ASUN and Sam Houston from the WAC each announced their intention to move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Under NCAA rules, both teams are ineligible for the FCS Playoffs this fall.
“The ASUN and the WAC made history this past year with the creation of a new AQ through a collaborative partnership,” said ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart. “Extending it to ensure the AQ opportunity we created is available to all the partners that helped build it makes great sense, especially under the primary ASUN Beam: Students First. The WAC has outstanding football and we look forward to extending our ASUN-WAC partnership.”
Unlike last season, the ASUN and WAC will not have a scheduling alliance in 2022 as all of their schedules were previously completed. Both conferences will have their own championships and one of those winners will earn the ASUN-WAC automatic qualifier to the FCS Playoffs. The process for selecting the automatic qualifier will be announced at a later date.
“During this transformational time of the NCAA, the WAC applauds the creative and adaptive leadership our member institutions exhibit. This strategic partnership has established a guidestone for strength and stability in the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics” said WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton. “Our goal remains to become one of the premier FCS conferences in the country and partnering with the ASUN now and in the future allows us to continue to move towards that target at record speed.”
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Kevin Kelley,
I forgot that Tarleton State Texans are still officially transitioning to 1-AA (fcs).
I hope the light speed college FB changes don’t wipe out the WAC’s Momentum for the 5th or 6th Time in it’s 59 Year History.
IMO, the WAC has worked hard for so many Decades & has been viewed as the lowest FB Conference while working strategically & tactically to “get some Respect”.
I’m a BYU Fan & followed the WAC. I’m a secondary Fan of Boise State & UT State who were in the WAC. I’m a fan of the diminished WAC who’ve worked harder to survive than most other non Trust Five Conferences.
The WAC has to operate in 3 Time Zones, as a 1-AA, !-AAA, !-A Conference.
The American, who’s 1-A struggles to operate in 3 time Zones.
If a few Years from now, in the college sports arms Race, a current 1-AA Conference is squeezed out of existence, the way the MW squeezed the WAC out of 1-A Football with C-USA’s & SBC’s help, I root for The Southland to be squeezed out of Existence.
Dixie State (Utah Tech) is also still in the transition process.
Kevin Kelley,
Dan-ke very much.