A Division II football program in Florida is set to jump to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) this week, according to a Yahoo Sports report Monday. The move was first noted by The Big Mountain Podcast.
The West Florida Argonauts, currently competing in the Gulf South Conference, are expected to formally announce their transition to the FCS on Thursday. Per the report, the Argonauts will join the United Athletic Conference (UAC).
West Florida’s move from Division II to Division I is expected to be finalized this week, as the Argonauts join the United Athletic Conference (UAC) in football and ASUN in all other sports, league sources tell @YahooSports.@TBM_JY first reported the possibility of the move.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) March 30, 2026
The UAC is a football‑only partnership between the ASUN Conference and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). All other West Florida sports will reportedly compete in the ASUN.
Located in Pensacola, Fla., the University of West Florida currently plays at the 6,500‑seat PenAir Field. Construction is underway on the new Darren Gooden Stadium, which is expected to be completed in fall 2027.
With West Florida’s addition, the UAC would expand to eight football‑playing members. The Argonauts would join Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Tarleton State, and West Georgia.
To avert the usual WAC/UAC confusion in the comments: the WAC currently still exists for Olympic sports, and will fully adopt the UAC branding in July.
UT Permian Basin and Arkansas Tech should be next to the UAC.
@Bulldog🐶 Lover, speaking of Sun Belt, UL Monroe should defintatley consider dropping down to the FCS, the UAC will be more than welcoming.
Ferris State and GVSU should’ve considered moving to FCS too
Sure, the FCS is not weak enough already, let’s not stop there, invite the NAIA to join in too.
Ferris State is going to move soon though, they just built a new practice facility that i better than their playing field.
UAC Schedules are set for this year. Last year W Florida played
Lenoir-Rhyne W
@ Kentucky Wesleyan W
Shorter W
@ N Greenville W
@ Northeastern W
Chowan W
@ W Alabama W
W Virginia St W
@ Delta State W
Valdosta L
N Greenville W – 1st Round DII Playoffs
Newberry L – 2nd Round DII Playoffs
Set? So you don’t think they will revise their “set” schedules to add WFU? Only EKU and UCA have 12 games set at this point and with a little creative shuffling they can make that work.
Not sure what the relevance of last year’s D-II schedule has to do with this at all, I don’t doubt this is a short stay at FCS along the lines of UCF, USF, FIU and FAU as they move to the FBS.
The UAC is reportedly releasing a revised schedule on Thursday that includes West Florida.
Good to see that the A-Sun found their 8th full member, and now the UAC has 8 football members.
Safe to assume this is why they are football only UAC and ASUN for the rest? Helping both get to 8 instead of just joining the UAC for everything
@Phil The UAC only has football, it’s an alliance between the WAC and ASUN. Abilene Christian and Tarleton State are in the WAC for all other sports, such as it is for the moment, but the others are in the ASUN.
JM, check the news. The UAC is becoming an all-sports conference next year. Although officially the WAC is just re-branding as the UAC. They will keep ACU, Tarleton, and UT-Arlington, and invite the football schools from the A-Sun (Austin Peay, Central Ark, EKU, N Alabama, W Georgia). They also invited UA-Little Rock from the OVC.
The UAC will have 9 full members, and 8 football members (UTA & UALR don’t have football, and UWF will be a football-only member).
And within 5 years, I would bet they move to the American, CUSA or SBC, which makes it all a mute point.
Darrell, not Darren (nor Darrin, Dagwood, Durwood, nor Dum-dum… :) )
.
https://news.uwf.edu/uwf-breaks-ground-on-darrell-gooden-stadium/