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The United Athletic Conference

A Collegiate Sports Synthesis: Exploring the formation, evolution, and future of NCAA Division I FCS athletics.

Conference Overview ๐Ÿ‘‡ View Member Teams ๐Ÿ‘ฅ

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Conference Overview

Formation and Purpose

The United Athletic Conference (UAC), colloquially known as "The United," emerged in 2023 as a strategic alliance primarily for football competition within the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). It represents a significant consolidation, born from the existing football leagues of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The conference aims to streamline competition and enhance the visibility of its member institutions' athletic programs.

Timeline and Evolution

Officially established on July 1, 2023, the UAC's roots trace back to the ASUN-WAC Challenge in 2021, a cooperative effort to ensure FCS postseason qualification. The conference is slated to transition into an all-sports conference in 2026, incorporating a broader range of NCAA-sanctioned sports and inheriting automatic qualifiers for championships, notably in men's and women's basketball.

Geographic Footprint

The UAC's membership spans across several states, reflecting a diverse regional presence. For the 2025 season, member institutions are located in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. This geographical distribution is central to the conference's operational structure and scheduling.

Historical Context

Genesis: ASUN-WAC Challenge

The foundation of the UAC was laid in 2021 when both the WAC and ASUN, facing challenges in maintaining sufficient football-playing members for automatic FCS postseason qualification, formed the ASUN-WAC Challenge. This partnership, initially dubbed "AQ7," allowed seven teams to compete for a single automatic bid, highlighting the need for greater collaboration among these institutions.

Merger and Rebranding

Following the successful, albeit complex, alliance in 2021 and 2022, the ASUN and WAC football conferences officially merged. Announced in December 2022 and confirmed in April 2023, the new entity was formally rebranded as the United Athletic Conference (UAC). This merger aimed to create a more stable and competitive FCS football environment.

Future All-Sports Vision

A pivotal development occurred on June 26, 2025, with the announcement that the UAC would expand into an all-sports conference effective July 1, 2026. This strategic move involves integrating remaining WAC members and ASUN football members, solidifying the conference's structure and securing NCAA automatic qualifiers across multiple sports. The addition of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock from the Ohio Valley Conference further shapes this future landscape.

Member Institutions

Current Football-Only Members

These institutions currently compete under the UAC banner primarily for football, with plans for broader athletic participation in the future.

Institution Location Joined Primary Conference
Abilene Christian University Abilene, Texas 2021 WAC (UAC in 2026)
Austin Peay State University Clarksville, Tennessee 2022 ASUN (UAC in 2026)
University of Central Arkansas Conway, Arkansas 2021 ASUN (UAC in 2026)
Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky 2021 ASUN (UAC in 2026)
University of North Alabama Florence, Alabama 2022 ASUN (UAC in 2026)
Southern Utah University Cedar City, Utah 2022 WAC (Big Sky in 2026)
Tarleton State University Stephenville, Texas 2023 WAC (UAC in 2026)
Utah Tech University St. George, Utah 2023 WAC (Big Sky in 2026)
University of West Georgia Carrollton, Georgia 2024 ASUN (UAC in 2026)

Future All-Sports Members (Joining 2026)

These institutions are set to become full members of the UAC in 2026, expanding the conference's scope beyond football.

Institution Location Joining Current Conference
Abilene Christian University Abilene, Texas 2026 WAC
University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas 2026 OVC
Austin Peay State University Clarksville, Tennessee 2026 ASUN
University of Central Arkansas Conway, Arkansas 2026 ASUN
Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky 2026 ASUN
University of North Alabama Florence, Alabama 2026 ASUN
Tarleton State University Stephenville, Texas 2026 WAC
University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, Texas 2026 WAC
University of West Georgia Carrollton, Georgia 2026 ASUN

Sponsored Sports

Conference Sponsorship Overview

The UAC will sponsor championship competition in a comprehensive array of NCAA-sanctioned sports. By 2026, the conference will feature 8 men's and 9 women's sports, reflecting a commitment to broad-based athletic development.

Teams in UAC Competition (as of 2026)
Sport Men's Women's
Baseball 9 โ€“
Basketball 9 9
Cross Country 9 9
Football 7 โ€“
Golf 9 9
Soccer โ€“ 8
Softball โ€“ 8
Tennis 4 5
Track & Field (Indoor) 7 8
Track & Field (Outdoor) 7 8
Volleyball (Indoor) โ€“ 9

Men's Sports Participation

An overview of the men's varsity sports sponsored by UAC member schools, indicating participation levels.

School Baseball Basketball Cross Country Football Golf Tennis Track & Field (Indoor) Track & Field (Outdoor) Total UAC Sports
Abilene Christian Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 8
Austin Peay Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No 6
Central Arkansas Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 7
Eastern Kentucky Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 7
Little Rock Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes 6
North Alabama Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No 6
Tarleton State Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 7
UT Arlington Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 8
West Georgia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes 7

Women's Sports Participation

An overview of the women's varsity sports sponsored by UAC member schools, highlighting participation and future additions.

School Basketball Cross Country Golf Soccer Softball Tennis Track & Field (Indoor) Track & Field (Outdoor) Volleyball (Indoor) Total UAC Sports
Abilene Christian Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
Austin Peay Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
Central Arkansas Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 8
Eastern Kentucky Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 8
Little Rock Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes 7
North Alabama Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes 7
Tarleton State Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
UT Arlington Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 8
West Georgia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes 8

Athletic Facilities

Campus Venues

Explore the primary athletic venues utilized by UAC member institutions for football, basketball, baseball, soccer, and softball.

School Football Stadium Capacity Basketball Arena Capacity Baseball Park Capacity Soccer Stadium Capacity Softball Park Capacity
Abilene Christian Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium 12,000 Moody Coliseum 3,600 Crutcher Scott Field 4,500 Elmer Gray Stadium 1,000 Poly Wells Field 1,000
Austin Peay Fortera Stadium 10,000 F&M Bank Arena 5,500 Raymond C. Hand Park 777 Morgan Brothers Field 800 Cathi Maynard Park 200
Central Arkansas Estes Stadium 10,000 Farris Center 6,000 Bear Stadium 1,000 Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex 1,000 Farris Field 500
Eastern Kentucky Roy Kidd Stadium 20,000 Baptist Health Arena 6,500 Turkey Hughes Field 500 EKU Soccer Field 400 Gertrude Hood Field 400
Little Rock Non-football school Jack Stephens Center 5,600 Gary Hogan Field 2,550 Coleman Sports Complex 300 Non-softball school
North Alabama Braly Municipal Stadium 14,215 Flowers Hall 3,900 Mike D. Lane Field 1,500 Bill Jones Athletic Complex โ€” Hilda B. Anderson Softball Complex โ€”
Tarleton State Memorial Stadium 24,000 EECU Center 8,000 Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex 750 Tarleton Soccer Complex 750 Tarleton Softball Complex 500
UT Arlington Non-football school College Park Center 7,000 Clay Gould Ballpark 1,600 Allan Saxe Field 300 Allan Saxe Field 622
West Georgia University Stadium 10,000 The Coliseum 6,469 Cole Field 500 University Soccer Field 250 University Softball Field 500
Departing Football-Only Members (Moving to Big Sky in 2026)
Southern Utah Eccles Coliseum 8,500
Utah Tech Greater Zion Stadium 10,500

Football Championship History

Conference Titleholders

A record of the United Athletic Conference's football champions since its inception.

Year Regular Season Champion Record FCS Championship Result
2023 Austin Peay 9โ€“3 First Round loss
2024 Abilene Christian 9โ€“5 Second Round loss

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References

References

  1.  The United Athletic Conference officially began in the 2023 season. The year joined reflects when the program joined the UAC or WAC-ASUN Challenge as a whole.
  2.  North Alabama will add men's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2026รขย€ย“27.[31]
  3.  North Alabama will add women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2026รขย€ย“27.[31]
  4.  Flag football is not currently recognized by the NCAA, but is expected to become part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in 2026รขย€ย“27.
  5.  Currently part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, but expected to become an official NCAA championship sport in 2026รขย€ย“27.
  6.  North Alabama will add flag football in 2026รขย€ย“27.[31]
  7.  UT Arlington will add flag football in 2026รขย€ย“27.[32]
A full list of references for this article are available at the United Athletic Conference Wikipedia page

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Disclaimer

Important Notice

This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.

This is not professional advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional athletic conference management, NCAA compliance, or sports analysis consultation. Always refer to official NCAA and conference documentation and consult with qualified professionals for specific needs.

The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.