NOTE: The Atlantic Sun Conference and United Athletic Conference contributed to this article
 
ATLANTA (September 8, 2023) – A classic rivalry renewed.
 
The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) announced today the addition of the University of West Georgia as a full conference member following approval by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The Wolves will also participate in Division I FCS Football under the United Athletic Conference (UAC) banner.
 
West Georgia — a current member of the Gulf South Conference — will join the University of North Alabama in both conferences in 2024. The Lions and Wolves had a number of classic battles as fellow GSC members from 1983-2018.
 
"The addition of West Georgia into the ASUN and UAC is a win for all of us at North Alabama," said UNA Director of Athletics Dr. Josh Looney. "UWG is very familiar to the UNA fanbase and is an institution experiencing the visible upward trajectory found at universities throughout our conference. UNA is a strong advocate for UWG in the ASUN and is excited to renew our competitive rivalry with the Wolves."

With the introduction of the Wolves, the ASUN maintains its expansive southeastern footprint across seven states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee) in one of the fastest growing regions of the United States. The ASUN's reach features nine of the top 80 media markets in the nation and six of the top 50.

"On behalf of the Atlantic Sun Conference Council of Presidents and our member institutions, it is my pleasure to welcome the University of West Georgia and their student-athletes to the ASUN family," ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon said. "West Georgia has been ready for this move to Division I for a very long time and we are thrilled to provide them with a home in the fastest growing part of the country and access to the ASUN's 16 million homes. The ASUN has become a destination for young people across the country, and we look forward to watching the Wolves enhance that profile."
 
West Georgia will field 13 programs upon joining the ASUN for competition in the 2024-25 school year: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Golf, Softball, Volleyball, Women's Soccer, Women's Tennis and Men's and Women's Track and Field. In 2025-26, West Georgia will add Beach Volleyball to their sport offerings. The Wolves' Football team makes the transition to the United Athletic Conference, a stand-alone Football conference made possible thanks to an alliance between the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference. UWG joins nine other squads in a battle for the UAC's automatic qualifier into the FCS playoffs next season, including fellow ASUN members Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, EKU and North Alabama.
 
"The United Athletic Conference is thrilled to announce the addition of West Georgia to our football family," UAC Executive Director Oliver Luck said. "The Wolves have a proven history of success on the field and will provide another competitive member for our league. Thanks to our progressive partnership with the Atlantic Sun and WAC, the UAC has the unique opportunity of growth and strengthening when one of those partners expands with a football-playing program. The addition of West Georgia is not only a win for the UAC on the field, but also is a huge benefit to include the state of Georgia, a fertile football recruiting area, in our conference and brand recognition footprint."
 
For more information regarding this news, click the links below.
 
ASUN Announcement:            Click Here
UAC Announcement:              Click Here
UWG Announcement:            Click Here
 
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.