The University of West Georgia will transition to Division I football effective July 1, 2024, the school announced Friday.
“This move to NCAA Division I marks a turning point for our university, amplifying the impact of collegiate athletics and our student-athletes and igniting a new era of spirited competition,” said Dr. Brendan Kelly, UWG’s president. “Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are thrilled to come together as a Pack to achieve this transition and are eager to leave an indelible legacy for future generations of Wolves.”
The school will join the ASUN as its primary conference. This will make the Wolves the 11th member of the UAC (United Athletic Conference), the football-only combination of the ASUN and WAC.
The university, based in Carrollton, Ga., has won a Division 3 national championship (1982), four Division 2 Gulf South Conference titles (1997, 1998, 2000, 2015), and nine trips to the Division 2 playoffs. West Georgia finished last season 8-2 (5-2 Gulf South) and is 1-0 this season, having defeated Limestone of Division 2 Conference Carolinas, 21-19.
“Transitioning to Division I will not only enhance our athletics programs but also leave a lasting legacy that reinforces our dedication to excellence, unity and fostering a spirit of belonging and connectedness among our entire university community,” said Jason Carmichael, UWG’s director of athletics. “This strategic move represents a defining moment in our athletic program’s history, bolstering our competitiveness on the national stage. We are grateful for the support of our partners, and we look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.”
West Georgia will join UT Rio Grande Valley as future members of the UAC. The Vaqueros will begin play in the league in 2025.
Hopefully their transition turns out better than North Alabama’s.
Maybe they’ll not get big heads like Georgia State and Kennesaw State and actually stay in FCS for a while.
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It is unusual for a state with a population like Georgia’s (and Atlanta), that for a long time only UGa and Georgia Tech were its Division I FBS programs. (Georgia Southern’s done reasonably well. I’m not sure Georgia State not Southern is still quite there — but love what they did for an on-campus stadium… Let’s not even get started about Kennesaw State’s messy transition….)
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Good luck West Georgia!