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ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon sat down with Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Communications, William Hall to talk all things United Athletic Consortium.
In June, the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) announced a groundbreaking strategic alliance, set to commence in July 2026. The WAC will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference (UAC) and together the ASUN and UAC will form a consortium. The consortium will be led by Commissioner Bacon, who will serve as its executive director.
The alliance will serve both conferences through the formation of a consortium designed to significantly enhance operational efficiency, foster deeper collaboration, and drive innovation across both NCAA Division I organizations.
Watch the full interview HERE.
Key Aspects of the Alliance:
- WAC Rebranding and Membership Realignment: The WAC will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference (UAC) in July 2026, with intended membership of 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. The ASUN will maintain a roster of seven (7) members: Bellarmine University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Lipscomb University, the University of North Florida, Queens University of Charlotte, and Stetson University.
- Independent Operation with Shared Efficiencies: While both the ASUN and the newly branded UAC will retain their independent conference structures and automatic qualifiers to NCAA championships, they will partner within a broadly defined consortium. This consortium will facilitate collaborative scheduling, the leveraging of collective assets, and the exploration of various shared operational efficiencies designed to benefit all member institutions.
- Optimized Geographic Footprint: The alliance strengthens the geographic footprint for both conferences, ensuring that student-athletes continue to benefit from extensive competition opportunities.
About the Atlantic Sun Conference
The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), founded in 1978, is an NCAA Division I conference sponsoring twenty-two (22) sports and championships. Composed of twelve (12) destination-based institutions spread throughout the southeastern United States, ASUN members include Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, Tenn.), Bellarmine University (Louisville, Ky.), the University of Central Arkansas (Conway, Ark.), Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, Ky.), Florida Gulf Coast University (Fort Myers, Fla.), Jacksonville University (Fla.), Lipscomb University (Nashville, Tenn.), the University of North Alabama (Florence, Ala.), the University of North Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.), Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.), Stetson University (DeLand, Fla.), and the University of West Georgia (Carrollton, Ga.).