The Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference and United Athletics Conference (UAC) officially formed a consortium and came together to make Unisun Sports on July 1.
The ASUN Conference is a Division I NCAA conference for sports such as basketball, soccer and baseball. The UAC is also a Division I NCAA conference with multiple sports, including football, according to Unisun Sports.
The University of North Florida is a full-time member of the ASUN Conference, according to ASUN.
The Alliance will serve both conferences, improving operational efficiency, collaboration and innovation across both organizations, according to Unisun Sports. According to the announcement, both organizations will maintain their independent conferences and automatic qualifiers to NCAA championships.
As part of the consortium, Austin Peay State University, the University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, the University of North Alabama and the University of West Georgia have transitioned to the UAC, according to ASUN.
The University of North Florida, Bellarmine University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Lipscomb University, Queens University of Charlotte and Stetson University will remain full-time members of the ASUN.
Both Conferences will include the University of West Florida as it transitions to the NCAA Division I level. According to ASUN, UWF will compete in the UAC for football and the ASUN for all other sports.
Unisun Sports and ASUN CEO Jeff Bacon said this alliance represents the next step in collegiate athletics, according to Unisun Sports.
“Together, we’re creating a platform that strengthens our member institutions and delivers innovation when asked ‘what’s next,’” said Bacon in a Unisun Sports press release.
According to the press release, Bacon announced UAC Commissioner Rebekah Ray and Senior Associate Commissioner for Governance and Student Support Jerome Rodgers as his executive vice presidents.
Bacon also said that Joe Kaminski, Kaitlin Parsons, Korinth Patterson, Drew Speraw, and Justin Burdette will serve as Senior Vice Presidents.
According to the ASUN Conference, the organization announced a partnership with S3 Design, an athletics-based architecture and planning firm and one of the ASUN’s existing partners, and Waypoint Network, a collegiate athletics marketing platform.
Kevin Chea, S3 Design’s associate principal, looks forward to supporting Unisun Sports, according to the ASUN Conference.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Atlantic Sun Conference. Over the past two years, we’ve built strong relationships while contributing our expertise in architecture, planning, and design for athletics,” said Chea in an ASUN Conference press release.
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