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** Last updated January 2026**
>UNITED ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The United Athletic Conference began as a single-sport (Football) NCAA conference with 9 participating institutions: Abilene Christian University, Austin Peay State University, University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, University of North Alabama, Southern Utah University, Tarleton State University, Utah Tech University and University of West Georgia, who joined the league for the 2024 campaign. This formal partnership between football playing members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), existed for five seasons of competition overall and its three as a single entity (2023-25) with the final two UAC seasons featuring an eight-game conference schedule and the conference champion earning an automatic qualifier spot into the FCS playoff field.
Beginning in July 2026, the UAC will transition to a multisport NCAA DI Conference as the current WAC membership rebrands and is joined by the football-playing former members of the ASUN to create the next generation of UAC Athletics. The intended membership for the UAC began with eight (8) institutions including Abilene Christian University, Austin Peay State University, the University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, the University of North Alabama, Tarleton State University, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the University of West Georgia.
(Read More) The University of Arkansas at Little Rock was also announced as a member of the expanded UAC in 2026.
>STRONG HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
UAC Football members own an impressively strong history of success in college football having created a resume that includes 42 FCS Playoff Appearances, two (2) FCS National Championships and two (2) National Runner-up Finishes. In addition, the group produced a stretch of three (3) consecutive DII National Championships along with a DIII National Championship on the gridiron.
>DEVELOPMENTAL TIMELINE
2025
For the third consecutive season, UAC Football competed as a single-sport league. The 2025 campaign also marked the second straight schedule featuring a full eight-game (round robin) matrix with all nine member teams having the opportunity to play four home and four away league contests. The regular season champion, decided by conference-only winning percentage, earned the league's AQ for the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The UAC recognized postseason award winners and all-conference honorees for a third season in a row.
Conference Champion: Abilene Christian (7-1 vs UAC) & Tarleton State (7-1 vs UAC)
FCS Playoff Participants: Abilene Christian#, Tarleton State (at-large)
Participating Membership (9): Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, EKU, North Alabama, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, Utah Tech, West Georgia*
# = AQ recipient for FCS Playoffs | * = Ineligible for AQ consideration as transitioning DI program
Final UAC Season Stats (PDF)
2024
Competing for a second season as a single-sport conference, UAC Football schedule featured a full eight-game (round robin) matrix as all nine member teams had the opportunity to play four home and four away league contests. The regular season champion, decided by conference-only winning percentage, earned the league's AQ for the NCAA FCS Playoffs. In addition, the UAC recognized postseason award winners and all-conference honorees.
Conference Champion: Abilene Christian (7-1 vs UAC)
FCS Playoff Participants: Abilene Christian, Tarleton State (at-large), EKU (at-large)
Participating Membership (9): Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, EKU, North Alabama, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, Utah Tech, West Georgia*
* = Ineligible for AQ consideration as transitioning DI program
Final UAC Season Stats (PDF)
2023
Operating for the first season as a single-sport conference with an independent budget, policies and governing documents, the UAC participating membership of nine teams played a six-game league slate and recognized a debut season champion. The regular season champion, decided by conference-only winning percentage, earned the league's AQ for the NCAA FCS Playoffs. In addition, the UAC selected its inaugural postseason award winners and all-conference honorees.
Conference Champion: Austin Peay (6-0 vs UAC)
FCS Playoff Participant: Austin Peay
Participating Membership (9): Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, EKU, North Alabama, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
Final UAC Season Stats (PDF)
2022
Continuing their partnership to provide an AQ to the NCAA FCS Playoffs, the ASUN Conference and Western Athletic Conference did not play a league schedule but utlilized the ASUN-WAC Power Ranking system to choose a representative postseason participant. The power ranking was a metric created and calculated specifically for the group by nationally-recognized bracketologist Warren Nolan which utilized a measure similar to the NCAA RPI (NCAA Championship selection/seeding rating). The ASUN and WAC both played conference schedules and named their own regular season champions (by their own formulas) to be considered for the AQ selection comparison.
FCS Playoff Participant: EKU
Participating Membership (12)
ASUN - Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, EKU, Jacksonville State*, Kennesaw State, North Alabama
WAC - Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Sam Houston*, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech
* = Ineligible for AQ consideration due to FBS transition
2021
Officially titled the WAC-ASUN Challenge, the Western Athletic Conference and ASUN Conference agreed on a football scheduling alliance that allowed for their seven eligible institutions to compete for an automatic qualification (AQ) into the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The group, termed the AQ7, played a single round-robin schedule with each institution having three home and three road contests and the team owning the highest winning percentage among AQ7 games earning the AQ bid for the playoffs. In addition, a trophy was presented to the conference with the higher winning percentage against the other (ASUN was winner).
Champion: Sam Houston (6-0 vs AQ7)
FCS Playoff Participants: Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin (at-large)
Participating Membership (9)
ASUN - Central Arkansas, EKU, Jacksonville State
WAC - Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State*, Utah Tech (Formerly Dixie State)*
* = Participated in joint schedule but were ineligible for AQ consideration as transitioning DI program