Starting July 2026, the University of North Florida will help make NCAA Division One sports history. 

In collaboration with the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), which is rebranding as the United Athletic Conference (UAC), UNF Athletics and the Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference are entering a strategic alliance with the UAC, effective July 1, 2026. 

Currently, UNF is one of the 12 member schools in the ASUN. Even after the alliance is formed, UNF will remain in the ASUN conference. However, because of the partnership, five football-playing schools (Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, North Alabama, West Georgia, and Eastern Kentucky) are realigning to the new UAC conference. 

What does this mean for UNF

According to a June 27 email from UNF President Moez Limayem, the alliance provides UNF the ability to work with more “similarly aligned institutions” to improve scheduling, efficiency and visibility. Similarly aligned institutions are schools with financial and geographic likeness. 

The new ASUN conference will have Bellarmine, FGCU, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, UNF, Queens, and Stetson. 

Announced last month, this partnership enables UNF to participate in forward-thinking steps to address the rapidly changing NCAA Division One landscape, per Limayem’s email. 

“This innovative alliance ensures that UNF is not reactive to change, but leading it,” Limayem wrote in the email. “We will continue to benefit from the experienced leadership of ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon, who will also serve as leader of the alliance between the two conferences over the next year.”

Both the ASUN and the newly rebranded UAC will remain separate, but will collaborate through their partnership and play in more non-conference matchups. These games will not be part of a conference schedule, but rather strategic scheduling agreements aimed at reducing travel and enhancing competition. 

Limayem said this alliance allows for an increase in home games and regional competition. With UNF recently opting into the NCAA house settlement, Limayem said this future alliance enhances revenue generation and bargaining opportunities, including media rights and sponsorships. 

For UNF student athletes, Limayem said they will miss less class time and create new sports rivals. 

Overall, both the UAC and ASUN will have separate conference championships, NCAA tournament bids, standings and branding. Before next year’s athletic season, UNF will be one of seven ASUN schools. 

Since the ASUN will have fewer schools, in-conference scheduling could change for UNF’s 17 conference sports.

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