ACU Welcomes New Members in Officially Rebranded UAC
7/1/2026 9:05:00 AM | Baseball, Football, Men's Basketball, Men's Golf, Softball, Women's Basketball, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Women's Volleyball, Cross Country, Track & Field, Women's Golf
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Abilene Christian University's athletic conference officially rebranded from the Western Athletic Conference to the United Athletic Conference on Wednesday, July 1.
Six new full-time members were also welcomed into the league to join ACU, Tarleton State and UT Arlington for a 9-team conference.
Unisun Sports, the groundbreaking strategic alliance between the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the UAC, officially commenced as of July 1. Unisun Sports will serve both conferences, designed to significantly enhance operational efficiency, foster deeper collaboration, and drive innovation across both NCAA Division I organizations.
"Today marks more than an official launch date—it represents the beginning of what's next in collegiate athletics. It celebrates a new era for the United Athletic Conference (UAC) as it officially steps into a multi-sport conference, the continued strength of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), and the formation of a joint-venture, Unisun Sports," said Unisun Sports CEO Jeff Bacon.
The UAC will sponsor 16 sports and championships with members spanning across six different states, (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Texas) reaching millions of people across the south.
The two conferences will remain separate, maintain independent governance structures and offices, and have their own automatic qualifying (AQ) bids to the NCAA postseason for conference champions.
Football-playing members of the WAC and ASUN have competed in a formal partnership since 2021, including the football-only version of the UAC beginning in 2023. West Florida, a new member of the ASUN, will be an affiliate member of the UAC for football starting this upcoming season, bringing the number of institutions competing in the sport to eight.
In men's tennis, ACU will continue to compete in the ASUN as an affiliate member.
United Athletic Conference Members
| Abilene Christian | Abilene, Texas |
| Austin Peay | Clarksville, Tennessee |
| Central Arkansas | Conway, Arkansas |
| Eastern Kentucky | Richmond, Kentucky |
| Little Rock | Little Rock, Arkansas |
| North Alabama | Florence, Alabama |
| Tarleton State | Stephenville, Texas |
| UT Arlington | Arlington, Texas |
| West Georgia | Carrollton, Georgia |
The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) will continue its success across the southeast region with eight full-time members located in some of the country's most desired destinations. Spanning across four states with cities like Charlotte, Jacksonville, Louisville and Nashville in its market, the ASUN has defined itself as the destination-based conference.
Atlantic Sun Conference Members
| Bellarmine | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Florida Gulf Coast | Fort Myers, Florida |
| Jacksonville | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Lipscomb | Nashville, Tennessee |
| North Florida | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Queens | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Stetson | DeLand, Florida |
| West Florida | Pensacola, Florida |
Unisun Sports challenges what's possible in college sports by setting the tone rather than waiting for something to come along. The member institutions have forged a new path and today, Unisun Sports celebrates the ASUN and UAC and their vision to create what's next.
"I would like to recognize our University Presidents, Directors of Athletics, Administration, and those whose vision and leadership helped make this possible," Bacon said. "Together, we're creating a platform that strengthens our member institutions, and delivers innovation when asked what's next."
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About Unisun Sports
Beginning July 1, 2026, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference (UAC) and form Unisun Sports with the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). This strategic alliance will facilitate collaborative scheduling, the leveraging of collective assets, and shared operational efficiencies designed to benefit all member institutions. The creation of Unisun Sports strengthens the geographic footprint for both conferences, ensuring that student-athletes continue to benefit from extensive competition opportunities. Both the ASUN and the newly-branded UAC will retain their independent conference structures and automatic qualifiers to NCAA Championships.
