'This partnership has built competitive opportunities, created a new AQ for the FCS playoffs, and brought a great group of like-minded institutions together to play football,' said ASUN Commissioner Ted Gumbart.

The group will add the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in the fall of 2025 when it begins sponsorship of football. Austin State University, Tarleton State University and Utah Tech University.

The ASUN-WAC Football partnership began with a combined group that built the ASUN-WAC Challenge in 2021.įeaturing an automatic qualifier (AQ) into the FCS playoff each of the past two years, the football group enters year three with nine participating institutions: Abilene Christian University, Austin Peay State University, University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, University of North Alabama, Southern Utah University, Stephen F. 'Operating in this single sport model creates the legitimacy and strength shared by similarly structured conferences.' 'Announcing our 2023 schedule is a major step in the evolution of this partnership,' said WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton. 'The 2023 football season brings an expanded conference schedule, new conference opponents, and a new-look Lion football program to the gridiron as we attack this next era for the University of North Alabama.' 'Evolving the ASUN-WAC partnership into a single sport Division I conference is a significant and exciting next step for North Alabama Football,' said UNA Director Athletics Dr. That six-game slate for North Alabama, with three home dates and three on the road, will be part of the third consecutive year of the two-conference partnership. The 2023 schedule, based on existing commitments, will be limited to six conference games. The ASUN-WAC partnership will function in the manner of a single sport conference beginning January 1, 2023. As part of the ASUN Conference and Western Athletic Conference (WAC) partnership, the University of North Alabama has released the conference portion of its 2023 football schedule.

Footbal wac conference