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The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States, competing at the NCAA Division I level. Originally established as the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) in 1978,[1] it was renamed as the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001, and briefly rebranded as the ASUN Conference from 2016 to 2023. The conference still uses “ASUN” as an official abbreviation.[2] The conference headquarters are located in Jacksonville.

History

Formation

The conference was first formed on September 19, 1978, as the Trans America Athletic Conference, at the Dallas–Fort Worth Regional Airport Marina Hotel.[3] Its charter members were Oklahoma City University, Pan American University (later renamed University of Texas-Pan American), Northeast Louisiana University (now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe), Houston Baptist University (now Houston Christian University), Hardin-Simmons University, Centenary College of Louisiana, Samford University, and Mercer University, all of whom were previously D-I independents. None of the eight charter members remain in the conference today.

Almost immediately after its formation, the conference experienced a shake-up in its membership. Oklahoma City departed to become a charter member of the Midwestern City Conference (known today as the Horizon League), while UTPA returned to D-I independent status—both had only played a single season in the infant league. The TAAC was quick to replace the outgoing members with Northwestern State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, along with Georgia Southern University in 1980, but this instability would prove to be a trend through the coming years—over the next 20 years, the conference would accept 16 new members, with many of these leaving after only playing a handful of seasons. 1982 saw the departure of another charter member, Northeast Louisiana, to the Southland Conference. Additionally, it saw the arrival of Nicholls State University, who originally planned to join the TAAC as a full member. However, due to an oversight by the NCAA, adding in a new program who had not competed in Division I for at least five years would result in the offending conference forfeiting their automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. To get around this, the TAAC announced that Nicholls State would compete as a provisional member, ineligible for the men’s basketball tournament until it completed its D-I transition in 1985.[4] However, it, along with Northwestern State, left the conference in 1984 to join the Gulf Star Conference instead.

Expansion, contraction, and rebranding

The remainder of the 1980s saw mostly growth for the conference, adding Georgia State University in 1983, Stetson University in 1985, and the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1986. However, near the end of the decade, the conference was hit with 5 departures over 4 consecutive years, beginning with Houston Baptist transitioning to the NAIA in 1989. This was followed by Hardin-Simmons dropping to NCAA Division III in 1990, UTSA and Arkansas–Little Rock leaving for the Southland and Sun Belt conferences in 1991, respectively, and Georgia Southern leaving for the Southern Conference in 1992. In the midst of this, the conference began to relentlessly pursue expansion throughout the 1990s to offset these losses, adding Florida International University in 1990, Southeastern Louisiana University and the College of Charleston in 1991, the University of Central Florida in 1992, Florida Atlantic University in 1993, Campbell University in 1994, Jacksonville State University in 1995, Troy State University in 1997, and Jacksonville University in 1998. Of these 9 schools, though, only 2 ended up staying with the conference for longer than 15 years.

The turn of the millennium saw another charter member in Centenary depart in 1999 for the Mid-Continent Conference (now the Summit League); the league was able to offset this with the addition of Belmont University in 2001. Around this same time, the conference sought to rebrand itself, changing its name from the Trans America Athletic Conference to the Atlantic Sun Conference. The newly rebranded A-Sun continued to expand into the 2000s, adding Gardner–Webb University in 2002, Lipscomb University in 2003, East Tennessee State University, Kennesaw State University, and the University of North Florida in 2005, and Florida Gulf Coast University & the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2007. It also lost its fair share of members as well—largely some of the aforementioned members that had been added during the ’90s, such as FIU, Florida Atlantic, and Troy to the Sun Belt, Georgia State to the Colonial Athletic Association, and UCF to Conference USA, but it also saw the departure of Samford to the Ohio Valley Conference, leaving Mercer as the only remaining charter member.

Present

The start of the 2010s gave the A-Sun a bit of a reprieve from conference realignment, losing only Campbell and Belmont in 2011 and 2012 to the Big South and OVC, respectively, and only adding recent D-I upgrader Northern Kentucky University in 2012. 2014 saw the departure of its final charter member, Mercer, to the Southern Conference in 2014; however, the Bears continued to compete in the ASUN as an affiliate for beach volleyball and added men’s lacrosse to its ASUN membership in 2022. The ASUN continued to expand and contract slowly through the mid-2010s, losing only Northern Kentucky and East Tennessee State (along with Mercer), and only adding the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2015.

This slow pace didn’t stay for long, however. The second half of the decade saw the conference rebranding a second time, to simply the ASUN Conference[2] Two years later, the University of North Alabama arrived from the Division II Gulf South Conference,[5] and Liberty University left the Big South for the ASUN.[6] More recently, Bellarmine University joined from the Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference[7] and NJIT left for the America East Conference in 2020–21.[8] On July 1, 2024, the University of West Georgia joined from the Division II Gulf South Conference.[9]

Failed CCSA merger

On January 22, 2020, it was announced that the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association and the ASUN would merge to create a new Division I multisport conference.[10] The timeline below was released with the announcement of this merger and expansion plan:

  • June, 2023 – ASUN Conference expands to 20 members.
  • Before July 1, 2023 – ASUN transfers rights to the ASUN name and marks to the CCSA.
  • July 1, 2023 – ASUN 7 joins the CCSA. The CCSA adopts the ASUN name as a multisport conference. The 13 remaining members would adopt the name United Athletic Conference.

The ASUN had planned on expanding to 20 members and then splitting the conference similar to how the Original Big East Conference was split in 2013 into the American Athletic Conference and the New Big East Conference. The new ASUN Conference governed by the CCSA would have made up of the ASUN 7 including all of the members that would have been in the ASUN Conference for at least 8 years to meet the requirements for a new multisport conference. The members would have included Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of North Florida, and Stetson University. The United Athletic Conference (not to be confused with the United Athletic Conference, the football merger between the Western Athletic Conference and the ASUN in 2023) governed by the original ASUN Conference would have included Bellarmine University, Liberty University, University of North Alabama, and ten other undisclosed schools that would have joined through expansion.

On November 16, 2020, The ASUN Conference announced that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the quickly changing landscape in conference realignment, the creation of a new multisport conference would not be possible at the time of the release or with the aforementioned timeline.[11] This comes after the news that NJIT would be leaving the ASUN for the America East Conference in 2021, weakening the ASUN 7 and lowering the chances that a new conference would be created with only six members.

Addition of football

Arguably its biggest move in recent years was the announcement that the conference would be adding the University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, and former member Jacksonville State University, as incoming members on January 29, 2021, with the intent of sponsoring football in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2022.[12] With these three schools joining in 2021, the league partnered with another conference beginning to sponsor football, the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), which likewise did not have the minimum of six football-playing members needed for the conference to have an automatic qualifier to the FCS playoffs. The resulting combination of three ASUN and four WAC schools was branded interchangeably as the “ASUN–WAC Challenge” and “WAC–ASUN Challenge,” and also referred to as the “AQ7.”[13][14]

The ASUN football league project was thrown into jeopardy as early as November 2021, as Jacksonville State announced it would be leaving once again in 2023 for Conference USA (C-USA), an FBS conference. Liberty was also invited to C-USA for 2023, but had already competed as an FBS independent for some time and was not included in the ASUN’s new football league.[15] With the WAC also losing Sam Houston, another football-sponsoring school, to C-USA, the two conferences announced they would be renewing their alliance for the 2022 season.[16] On September 17, 2021, the ASUN announced Austin Peay State University, a football-sponsoring school, as a new member for the 2022–23 season.[17] In May 2022, local media in Charlotte, North Carolina, also reported that Queens University of Charlotte would start a transition from the Division II South Atlantic Conference as a new ASUN member, also effective on July 1 of that year.[18] The ASUN officially announced this move on May 10.[19]

The ASUN also expanded its associate membership in the 2020s. The conference started the decade with five associate members—Coastal Carolina in both beach volleyball and women’s lacrosse, Mercer in beach volleyball only, and Akron, Kent State, and Howard in women’s lacrosse. All of the women’s lacrosse associates left by the 2021–22 school year. Akron and Kent State left after the 2020 season when their full-time home of the Mid-American Conference began sponsoring the sport. Coastal Carolina also left after the 2020 season for the SoCon. Howard moved several sports not sponsored by its full-time home of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to the Northeast Conference, with women’s lacrosse moving after the 2021 season. Coastal Carolina moved beach volleyball to C-USA after the 2020–21 school year.

However, the 2021–22 school year saw the arrival of eight new associates, as well as the return of former women’s lacrosse associates Coastal Carolina and Delaware State for that sport. ASUN beach volleyball added Charleston, Stephen F. Austin, and UNC Wilmington. The largest change in associate membership involved the relaunch of ASUN men’s lacrosse. Full member Bellarmine was joined by five new associates—Air Force, Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris, and Utah.

The ASUN lost five beach volleyball members for 2022–23. The conference’s four associates in that sport left for the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), which added that sport. Charleston, Stephen F. Austin, and UNC Wilmington all left the ASUN after a single season and Mercer also moved beach volleyball to the SBC.[20] Also, departing full member Jacksonville State moved beach volleyball to its future home of C-USA a year before its all-sports move to that league.[21]

Also for 2022–23, Mercer moved men’s lacrosse into the ASUN after the SoCon shut down its men’s lacrosse league, and new D-I member Lindenwood became an associate in both men’s and women’s lacrosse.

On October 14, 2022, Conference USA and Kennesaw State jointly announced that KSU would start a transition to FBS after the 2022 football season[22] and join C-USA in 2024.[23]

ESPN reported on December 9, 2022, that the ASUN and WAC had agreed to form a new football-only conference that plans to start play in 2024. The initial membership would consist of Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and North Alabama from the ASUN, and Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton, and Utah Tech from the WAC. The new football conference also reportedly planned to move “from what is currently known as FCS football to what is currently known as FBS football at the earliest practicable date.”[24] On December 20, the two conferences confirmed the football merger, announcing that the new football league would start play in 2023 under the tentative name of ASUN–WAC Football Conference. This was followed in April 2023 by the new league rebranding itself as the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The UAC played a six-game schedule in 2023 and planned to start full round-robin conference play in 2024. Neither conference’s official announcement mentioned any plans to move to FBS.[25][26][27]

Return of Atlantic Sun

On September 1, 2023, it was announced that the ASUN would undergo another rebranding to reinstate the use of the name Atlantic Sun. The conference still uses “ASUN” as its official abbreviation.

Addition of swimming and diving

The ASUN added men’s and women’s swimming & diving for the 2023–24 season, taking most of its initial membership from the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association, which had been founded as a partnership of several all-sports conferences, including the ASUN, as a home for that sport (the CCSA’s scope would later expand to include beach volleyball). Two associate members came from the American Athletic Conference, which dropped men’s swimming as a sponsored sport after the 2022–23 season. The initial membership for that sport was:[28]

  • Two full members, Bellarmine and Queens, compete in both the men’s and women’s leagues.
  • Two other full members, Florida Gulf Coast and North Florida, sponsor only the women’s sport.
  • The two full men’s members were joined by associate members Florida Atlantic, Gardner–Webb, Old Dominion, and SMU. SMU only competed in the 2023–24 season, after which it joined the Atlantic Coast Conference, which sponsors the sport for both sexes.
  • Gardner–Webb is also an associate in women’s swimming & diving; it was joined in that status by former full ASUN member Liberty and UNC Asheville.

Loss of football schools to Rebranded United Athletic Conference

Following significant membership realignment during the 2024–25 academic year, the Western Athletic Conference and the Atlantic Sun Conference issued a joint announcement on June 26, 2025, outlining a new organizational structure to take effect on July 1, 2026. Under the agreement, the WAC will adopt the name United Athletic Conference and operate as an all-sports NCAA Division I conference.[29]

The rebranded conference will include the WAC’s remaining full members—Abilene Christian, Tarleton State, and UT Arlington—along with a group of football-sponsoring institutions from the ASUN. The ASUN will continue to operate separately as a non-football conference under its existing identity, while the renamed WAC will serve as the multi-sport home for the participating football programs.[30]

The restructuring was described by conference officials as a strategic alignment intended to preserve competitive continuity and administrative stability across both leagues. Governance and championship administration for the renamed conference will continue under the WAC’s existing NCAA Division I framework, while the ASUN will maintain its separate governance structure.

Member schools

Current full members

  Members departing for the United Athletic Conference on July 1, 2026.

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Endowment Nickname Joined[a] Colors
Austin Peay State University[b]
(Austin Peay)
Clarksville, Tennessee 1927 Public 10,344 $45.3 Governors 2022    
Bellarmine University Louisville, Kentucky 1950 Catholic
(Archdiocese
of Louisville
)
3,369 $80.1 Knights 2020    
University of Central Arkansas Conway, Arkansas 1907 Public 10,869 $56.0 Bears &
Sugar Bears
2021    
Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, Kentucky 1874 Public 16,959 $78.8 Colonels 2021    
Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, Florida[c] 1997 Public 15,076 $129.3 Eagles 2007    
Jacksonville University Jacksonville, Florida 1934 Nonsectarian 4,213 $59.2 Dolphins 1998    
Lipscomb University Nashville, Tennessee 1891 Churches
of Christ
4,620 $97.5 Bisons 2003    
University of North Alabama Florence, Alabama 1830 Public 10,600[31] $53.0 Lions 2018    
University of North Florida Jacksonville, Florida 1965 Public 16,309 $141.0 Ospreys 2005    
Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina 1857 Presbyterian
(PCUSA)
2,463 $185.0 Royals 2022    
Stetson University DeLand, Florida 1883 Southern
Baptist
4,330 $387.0 Hatters 1985    
University of West Georgia Carrollton, Georgia 1906 Public 14,394 $41.1 Wolves 2024    
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Austin Peay previously competed in the Atlantic Sun as an associate member for beach volleyball during the 2019 spring season (2018–19 school year).
  3. ^ The FGCU campus has a Fort Myers mailing address, but lies in unincorporated Lee County.

Future members

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Joining[a] Nickname Colors Current
conference
University of West Florida Pensacola, Florida 1963 Public 14,343 Argonauts 2026     Gulf South (GSC)[b]
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.

Associate members

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joined[a] ASUN
sport(s)
Primary
conference
Abilene Christian University Abilene, Texas 1906 Churches
of Christ
6,730 Wildcats 2025 Men’s tennis Western (WAC)
United States Air Force Academy
(Air Force)
USAF Academy, Colorado[b] 1954 Military 4,304 Falcons 2021 Men’s lacrosse Mountain West (MW)
Coastal Carolina University Conway, South Carolina 1954 Public 10,484 Chanticleers 2021[c] Women’s lacrosse Sun Belt (SBC)
University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 1743 Public[d] 23,774[33] Blue Hens 2025 Women’s lacrosse Conf. USA (CUSA)
2025 Men’s swimming & diving
2025 Women’s swimming & diving
Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida 1961 Public 30,171 Owls 2023 Men’s swimming & diving American
Gardner–Webb University Boiling Springs, North Carolina 1905 Baptist 3,594 Runnin’
Bulldogs
2023 Men’s swimming & diving Big South (BSC)
2023 Women’s swimming & diving
Georgia Southern University Statesboro, Georgia 1906 Public 26,106[34] Eagles 2025 Women’s swimming & diving Sun Belt (SBC)
Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, Georgia[e] 1963 Public 45,152 Owls 2024[f] Women’s lacrosse Conf. (CUSA)
Liberty University Lynchburg, Virginia 1971 Southern
Baptist
16,000[g] Lady Flames 2023[h] Women’s lacrosse Conf. (CUSA)
Lindenwood University St. Charles, Missouri 1827 Nonsectarian 7,374 Lions 2022[35][36] Women’s lacrosse Ohio Valley (OVC)
Mercer University Macon, Georgia 1833 C.B.F.[i] 8,740 Bears 2022 Men’s lacrosse Southern (SoCon)
Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia 1930 Public 24,286 Monarchs 2023 Men’s swimming & diving Sun Belt (SBC)
2025 Women’s swimming & diving
University of North Carolina at Asheville
(UNC Asheville)
Asheville, North Carolina 1927 Public 3,762 Bulldogs 2023 Women’s swimming & diving Big South (BSC)
University of Texas at Arlington
(UT Arlington)
Arlington, Texas 1895 Public 42,863 Mavericks 2025 Men’s tennis Western (WAC)
University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 1850 Public 32,818 Utes 2021 Men’s lacrosse Big 12
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Virtually all of the Air Force Academy grounds, including the cadet area and all athletic facilities, lie outside the city limits of Colorado Springs. The US Census Bureau and US Postal Service consider the Academy to be its own entity, respectively, as “Air Force Academy” and “USAF Academy”.
  3. ^ Coastal Carolina had previously competed as a member of the Atlantic Sun for women’s lacrosse from the 2017 to 2020 spring seasons (2016–17 to 2019–20 school years).[32]
  4. ^ Delaware is officially chartered as a “privately-governed, state-assisted” institution. This status is broadly similar to that of New York State’s statutory colleges, most of which are housed at Cornell University, or institutions in Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth System of Higher Education.
  5. ^ The KSU campus has a Kennesaw mailing address, but is located in unincorporated Cobb County.
  6. ^ Measured from Kennesaw State’s departure from full ASUN membership.
  7. ^ Approximate on-campus enrollment. Liberty claims an enrollment of over 130,000 including online students.
  8. ^ Measured from Liberty’s departure from full ASUN membership.
  9. ^ Formerly affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convetion (now the Georgia Baptist Mission Board) until 2006.

Future associate members

Institution Location Founded Type Enrollment Nickname Joining[a] ASUN
sport(s)
Primary
conference
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
(UALR, Little Rock)
Little Rock, Arkansas 1927 Public 13,167 Trojans 2026 Women’s swimming & diving Ohio Valley (OVC)
(United (UAC) in 2026)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.

Former full members

School names and nicknames listed here reflect those used during the schools’ time in the TAAC/ASUN. One school has changed both its name and nickname and three others have changed only their nicknames.

Six former full members are now associates, and a seventh will become an associate in 2026.

  • Little Rock, which left the then-TAAC in 1991, will rejoin for women’s swimming & diving in 2026.
  • Georgia Southern, which left the then-TAAC in 1992, rejoined for women’s swimming & diving in 2025.
  • Florida Atlantic, which left the ASUN in 2006, rejoined for women’s swimming & diving in 2023.
  • Gardner–Webb, which left in 2008, rejoined for men’s and women’s swimming & diving in 2023.
  • Mercer, which left in 2014, has been a men’s lacrosse associate since 2022. It was also an associate in women’s lacrosse from 2014 to 2017 and beach volleyball from 2014 to 2022.
  • Liberty, which left in 2023, remains an associate in women’s lacrosse, and became an associate in women’s swimming & diving when the ASUN added that sport in 2023–24. It moved the latter sport to the American Conference in 2025–26.
  • Kennesaw State, which left in 2024, remains an associate in women’s lacrosse.
Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] Current
conference
University of Arkansas at Little Rock[c]
(UALR, Little Rock)
Little Rock, Arkansas 1927 Public Trojans 1979 1991 Ohio Valley (OVC)
(United (UAC) in 2026)
Belmont University Nashville, Tennessee 1890 Nondenominational Bruins 2001 2012 Missouri Valley (MVC)
Campbell University Buies Creek, North Carolina 1887 Baptist Fighting
Camels
1994 2011 Coastal (CAA)
Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, Louisiana 1825 United
Methodist
Gentlemen &
Ladies
1978 1999 Southern (SCAC)[d]
University of Central Florida[e]
(UCF)
Orlando, Florida[f] 1963 Public Golden
Knights
[g]
1992 2005 Big 12
College of Charleston
(CofC, Charleston)
Charleston, South Carolina 1770 Public Cougars 1991 1998 Coastal (CAA)
East Tennessee State University
(ETSU)
Johnson City, Tennessee 1911 Public Buccaneers 2005 2014 Southern (SoCon)
Florida Atlantic University
(FAU)
Boca Raton, Florida 1961 Public Owls 1993 2006 American
Florida International University[h]
(FIU)
Miami, Florida[i] 1965 Public Golden
Panthers
[j]
1990 1998 Conf. USA (CUSA)
Gardner–Webb University Boiling Springs, North Carolina 1905 Baptist Runnin’
Bulldogs
2002 2008 Big South (BSC)
Georgia Southern University Statesboro, Georgia 1906 Public Eagles 1979 1992 Sun Belt (SBC)
Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia 1913 Public Panthers 1983 2005 Sun Belt (SBC)
Hardin–Simmons University Abilene, Texas 1891 Baptist Cowboys 1978 1990 American Southwest (AmSW)[d]
Houston Baptist University[k] Houston, Texas 1960 Baptist Huskies 1978 1989 Southland (SLC)
Jacksonville State University[l]
(Jax State)
Jacksonville, Alabama 1883 Public Gamecocks 1995 2003 Conf. USA (CUSA)
2021 2023
Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, Georgia[m] 1963 Public Owls 2005 2024 Conf. USA (CUSA)
Liberty University Lynchburg, Virginia 1971 Southern
Baptist
Flames &
Lady Flames
2018 2023 Conf. USA (CUSA)
Northeast Louisiana University[n] Monroe, Louisiana 1931 Public Indians[n] 1978 1982 Sun Belt (SBC)
Mercer University Macon, Georgia 1833 C.B.F.[o] Bears 1978 2014 Southern (SoCon)
New Jersey Institute of Technology
(NJIT)
Newark, New Jersey 1881 Public Highlanders 2015 2020 America East (AmEast)
Nicholls State University[p] Thibodaux, Louisiana 1948 Public Colonels 1982 1984 Southland (SLC)
Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, Kentucky 1968 Public Norse 2012 2015 Horizon
Northwestern State University Natchitoches, Louisiana 1884 Public Demons 1979 1984 Southland (SLC)
Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1904 United
Methodist
Chiefs[q] 1978 1979 Sooner (SAC)[r]
Samford University Homewood, Alabama 1841 Christian Bulldogs 1978 2003 Southern (SoCon)
University of South Carolina–Upstate
(USC Upstate)
Spartanburg, South Carolina 1967 Public Spartans 2007 2018 Big South (BSC)
Southeastern Louisiana University Hammond, Louisiana 1925 Public Lions 1991 1997 Southland (SLC)
Pan American University[s] Edinburg, Texas 1927 Public Broncs[t] 1978 1980 Southland (SLC)
University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, Texas 1969 Public Roadrunners 1986 1991 American
Troy University Troy, Alabama 1887 Public Trojans 1997 2005 Sun Belt (SBC)[u]
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ The school changed its athletic brand to “Little Rock” since the 2015–16 school year.
  4. ^ a b Currently an NCAA Division III athletic conference.
  5. ^ UCF previously competed in the then-TAAC as an associate member for women’s tennis from the 1986 to 1990 spring seasons (1985–86 to 1989–90 school years).
  6. ^ UCF’s main campus has an Orlando mailing address but is physically located in unincorporated Orange County.
  7. ^ UCF dropped the word “Golden” from its nickname since the 2007–08 school year, becoming simply the Knights.
  8. ^ FIU previously competed in the then-TAAC as an associate member for women’s tennis from the 1988 to 1990 spring seasons (1987–88 to 1989–90 school years).
  9. ^ FIU’s main campus has a Miami mailing address but is physically located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
  10. ^ FIU dropped the word “Golden” from its nickname since the 2010–11 school year, becoming simply the Panthers.
  11. ^ Currently known as Houston Christian University since September 2022.
  12. ^ Jacksonville State previously competed in the Atlantic Sun as an associate member for beach volleyball during the 2019 spring season (2018–19 school year).
  13. ^ The KSU campus has a Kennesaw mailing address, but is located in unincorporated Cobb County.
  14. ^ a b Currently known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) since 1999. The school adopted its current nickname of Warhawks in 2006, when it joined the Sun Belt Conference.
  15. ^ Formerly affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convetion (now the Georgia Baptist Mission Board) until 2006.
  16. ^ Nicholls State was a provisional member, and as such was never a full member of the then-known TAAC. The school changed its athletic brand to “Nicholls” since the 2017–18 school year.
  17. ^ Oklahoma City adopted its current nickname of Stars since the 1999–2000 school year.
  18. ^ Currently an NAIA athletic conference
  19. ^ Later became as the University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) in 1989. In 2015, it merged with the University of Texas at Brownsville to form the new University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).
  20. ^ UTRGV inherited UTPA’s athletic program, with the nickname being changed from Broncs to Vaqueros. UTRGV also inherited UTPA’s membership in the Western Athletic Conference.
  21. ^ Troy became a member of the Sun Belt for football during the 2004 fall season (2004–05 school year), a year before it joined as an all-sports member.

Former associate members

Institution Location Founded Type Nickname Joined[a] Left[b] ASUN
sport(s)
Primary
conference
Current
conference
in former
ASUN sport(s)
University of Akron Akron, Ohio 1870 Public Zips 2019 2020[37][c] Women’s lacrosse Mid-American (MAC)
Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant,
Michigan
1892 Public Chippewas 2015 2017 Women’s lacrosse Mid-American (MAC)
College of Charleston
(CofC, Charleston)
Charleston,
South Carolina
1770 Public Cougars 2021[39] 2022 Beach volleyball Coastal (CAA) Sun Belt (SBC)
Cleveland State University Cleveland, Ohio 1964 Public Vikings 2021 2024 Men’s lacrosse Horizon Northeast (NEC)
Coastal Carolina University Conway,
South Carolina
1954 Public Chanticleers 2015 2021 Beach volleyball Sun Belt (SBC)
Delaware State University Dover, Delaware 1891 Public[d][e] Hornets 2016[f] 2017 Women’s lacrosse Mid-Eastern (MEAC) Northeast (NEC)
2021 2024
University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, Michigan 1877 Catholic
(Jesuit
& RSM)
Titans 2012 2017 Women’s lacrosse Horizon Mid-American (MAC)
2021 2024 Men’s lacrosse Northeast (NEC)
Elon University Elon,
North Carolina
1889 Nonsectarian[g] Phoenix 2013 2014 Women’s lacrosse Coastal (CAA)
Florida A&M University Tallahassee,
Florida
1887 Public[d] Rattlers &
Lady Rattlers
1985 1989 Women’s tennis Southwestern (SWAC)
1991 1992
Furman University Greenville,
South Carolina
1826 Nonsectarian[h] Paladins 2014 2017 Women’s lacrosse Southern (SoCon)
Howard University Washington, D.C. 1867 Nonsectarian[d] Lady Bison 2012 2020[40] Women’s lacrosse Mid-Eastern (MEAC) Northeast (NEC)
Kent State University Kent, Ohio 1910 Public Golden
Flashes
2018 2020[c] Women’s lacrosse Mid-American (MAC)
Liberty University[i] Lynchburg,
Virginia
1971 Private Lady Flames 2023[j] 2025 Women’s swimming & diving Conf. USA (CUSA) American
Lindenwood University St. Charles,
Missouri
1827 Nonsectarian Lions 2022 2024 Men’s lacrosse Ohio Valley (OVC) N/a[k]
Mercer University[l][m] Macon, Georgia 1833 C.B.F.[n] Bears 2014[o] 2017 Women’s lacrosse Southern (SoCon)
2014 2022 Beach volleyball Southern (SoCon) Sun Belt (SBC)
Morehead State University Morehead,
Kentucky
1887 Public Eagles 2018 2019 Beach volleyball Ohio Valley (OVC)
Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia 1930 Public Monarchs 2014 2018 Women’s lacrosse Sun Belt (SBC) American
Robert Morris University Moon Township,
Pennsylvania
1921 Nonsectarian Colonials 2021 2024 Men’s lacrosse Horizon Northeast (NEC)
Rollins College Winter Park,
Florida
1885 Nonsectarian Tars 1990 1993 Women’s tennis Sunshine State (SSC)[p]
Southern Methodist University
(SMU)
Dallas, Texas[q] 1911 United
Methodist
Mustangs 2023 2024 Men’s swimming & diving Atlantic Coast (ACC)
Stephen F. Austin State University Nacogdoches,
Texas
1923 Public Ladyjacks 2021[41] 2022 Beach volleyball Southland
University of North Carolina Wilmington
(UNC Wilmington, UNCW)
Wilmington,
North Carolina
1947 Public Seahawks 2021[39] 2022 Beach volleyball Coastal (CAA) Sun Belt (SBC)
Notes
  1. ^ Represents the calendar year when fall sports competition begins.
  2. ^ Represents the calendar year when spring sports competition ends.
  3. ^ a b Akron and Kent State left ASUN women’s lacrosse after the 2020 spring season (2019–20 school year) to join the newly formed women’s lacrosse league of their full-time home of the Mid-American Conference.[38]
  4. ^ a b c Also a historically black college and university.
  5. ^ Delaware State is officially chartered as a “privately governed, state-assisted” institution. This status is broadly similar to that of New York State’s statutory colleges, most of which are housed at Cornell University, or institutions in Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth System of Higher Education.
  6. ^ Delaware State had previously competed as an associate member of the Atlantic Sun for women’s lacrosse during the 2017 spring season (2016–17 school year).[32]
  7. ^ Has historic ties with the United Church of Christ.
  8. ^ Previously affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention until 1992.
  9. ^ Liberty competed as a full member of the Atlantic Sun from 2018–19 to 2022–23.
  10. ^ Measured from Liberty’s departure from full ASUN membership.
  11. ^ Lindenwood stopped sponsoring men’s lacrosse after the 2024 spring season (2023–24 school year).
  12. ^ Mercer would later become an associate member of the Atlantic Sun for men’s lacrosse since the 2023 spring season (2022–23 school year).
  13. ^ Mercer competed as a full member of the Atlantic Sun 1978–79 to 2013–14.
  14. ^ Formerly affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convetion (now the Georgia Baptist Mission Board) until 2006.
  15. ^ Measured from Mercer’s departure from full ASUN membership.
  16. ^ Currently an NCAA Division II athletic conference.
  17. ^ Virtually all of the SMU campus lies in University Park, a separate city contained within the Dallas city limits. The US Postal Service considers all locations in University Park to have a Dallas address.

Membership timeline

University of West FloridaGulf South ConferenceSouthern States ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of West GeorgiaGulf South ConferenceQueens University of CharlotteSouth Atlantic ConferenceConference CarolinasConference CarolinasNCAA Division II independent schoolsWestern Athletic ConferenceAustin Peay State UniversityOhio Valley ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceEastern Kentucky UniversityOhio Valley ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of Central ArkansasSouthland ConferenceGulf South ConferenceArkansas Intercollegiate ConferenceBellarmine UniversityGreat Lakes Valley ConferenceWestern Athletic ConferenceUniversity of North AlabamaGulf South ConferenceLiberty UniversityBig South ConferenceAmerica East ConferenceNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyNCAA Division I independent schoolsGreat West ConferenceNCAA Division I independent schoolsCentral Athletic Collegiate ConferenceEast Coast ConferenceNCAA Division III independent schoolsHorizon LeagueNorthern Kentucky UniversityGreat Lakes Valley ConferenceNCAA Division II independent schoolsBig South ConferenceUSC UpstatePeach Belt ConferencePeach Belt ConferenceNAIA independent schoolsFlorida Gulf Coast UniversityNCAA Division II independent schoolsNAIA independent schoolsUniversity of North FloridaPeach Belt ConferencePeach Belt ConferenceSunshine State ConferenceNAIA independent schoolsConference USAKennesaw StatePeach Belt ConferencePeach Belt ConferenceGeorgia Intercollegiate Athletic ConferenceSoConEast Tennessee StateSoConLipscomb UniversityNCAA Division I independent schoolsTranSouth Athletic ConferenceTennessee Collegiate Athletic ConferenceVolunteer State Athletic ConferenceBig South ConferenceGardner-Webb UniversitySouth Atlantic ConferenceMissouri Valley ConferenceOhio Valley ConferenceBelmont UniversityNCAA Division I independent schoolsTennessee Collegiate Athletic ConferenceVolunteer State Athletic ConferenceJacksonville UniversitySun Belt ConferenceSun Belt ConferenceTroy UniversitySummit LeagueEast Coast Conference (Division I)NCAA Division II independent schoolsGulf South ConferenceConference USAOhio Valley ConferenceJacksonville State UniversityNCAA Division II independent schoolsGulf South ConferenceCoastal Athletic AssociationBig South ConferenceCampbell UniversityBig South ConferenceNCAA Division I independent schoolsAmerican Conference (NCAA)Conference USASun Belt ConferenceFlorida Atlantic UniversityNCAA Division II independent schoolsNAIA independent schoolsBig 12 ConferenceAmerican Conference (NCAA)Conference USAUniversity of Central FloridaSun Belt ConferenceAmerican South ConferenceSunshine State ConferenceCoastal Athletic AssociationSouthern ConferenceCollege of CharlestonNAIA independent schoolsSouthland ConferenceSoutheastern Louisiana UniversityNCAA Division I independent schoolsGulf Star ConferenceNCAA Division I FCS independent schoolsNCAA Division II independent schoolsGulf South ConferenceConference USASun Belt ConferenceFlorida International UniversityNCAA Division I independent schoolsNCAA Division II independent schoolsAmerican Conference (NCAA)Conference USAWestern Athletic ConferenceSouthland ConferenceUniversity of Texas at San AntonioNCAA Division I independent schoolsStetson UniversityNCAA Division I independent schoolsSun Belt ConferenceCoastal Athletic AssociationGeorgia State UniversityNCAA Division I independent schoolsSun Belt ConferenceNicholls State UniversitySun Belt ConferenceSouthern ConferenceGeorgia Southern UniversityWestern Athletic ConferenceOhio Valley ConferenceSun Belt ConferenceUniversity of Arkansas at Little RockSouthland ConferenceGulf Star ConferenceNorthwestern State UniversityNCAA Division I independent schoolsSouthern ConferenceMercer UniversitySouthern ConferenceOhio Valley ConferenceSamford UniversitySouthern Collegiate Athletic ConferenceSummit LeagueNCAA Division I independent schoolsCentenary College of LouisianaAmerican Southwest ConferenceTexas Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1976–1996)Hardin–Simmons UniversitySouthland ConferenceGreat West ConferenceRed River Athletic ConferenceHouston Christian UniversitySun Belt ConferenceSouthland ConferenceUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeWestern Athletic ConferenceGreat West ConferenceSun Belt ConferenceAmerican South ConferenceUniversity of Texas–Pan AmericanSooner Athletic ConferenceHorizon LeagueOklahoma City University

 Full member (all sports)   Full member (non-football)   Associate member (football)   Associate member (sport)  Other Conference  Other Conference 

  • Northeast Louisiana became the University of Louisiana at Monroe (Louisiana–Monroe) in 1999.
  • Pan American, later known as Texas–Pan American or UTPA, merged with the University of Texas at Brownsville in 2015 to create the new University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). The new school inherited UTPA’s athletic program.

Sports sponsored

As of the 2023–24 school year, the ASUN sponsors championship competition in 10 men’s and 12 women’s NCAA sanctioned sports.[42]

In 2008, the ASUN, in an agreement with the Southern Conference (SoCon), Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), and Big South Conference, formed the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA) for schools sponsoring men’s and women’s swimming and diving within the associated conferences. For the past several years, the ASUN’s Commissioner has served as the president of what was initially a swimming & diving-only conference. In 2014 the CCSA expanded to include several other schools from other conferences, and the following year the conference added beach volleyball (women-only at the NCAA level) as a sponsored sport, changing its name to the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association. Currently the conference has 17 member schools, with five men’s swimming and diving teams, nine women’s swimming & diving teams, and six beach volleyball teams.[43]

A more recent change to the roster of ASUN sports took place after the 2013–14 school year. Under a cooperative agreement between the ASUN and SoCon, the two leagues agreed to split lacrosse sponsorship. The SoCon took over the ASUN men’s lacrosse league, while women’s lacrosse sponsorship remained with the ASUN.[44] The full alliance in women’s lacrosse amicably ended after the 2017 season, with the SoCon sponsoring that sport from the 2018 season forward, but the two leagues continued in a cross-scheduling agreement until the SoCon dropped women’s lacrosse after the 2021 season.

Still more recently, on September 13, 2016, the ASUN and Big South announced a football partnership that allows any ASUN members with scholarship football programs to become Big South football members, provided they are located within the general geographic footprint of the two conferences. At the time of announcement, the only ASUN member with a scholarship football program, Kennesaw State, was already a Big South football member. Should any ASUN member add scholarship football, or any non-scholarship football program of an ASUN school (at the time of announcement, Jacksonville and Stetson) upgrade to scholarship football, that team will automatically join Big South football.[45] North Alabama joined Big South football under the terms of this agreement; although the school’s home state of Alabama had no schools in either conference at the time it was announced as a future ASUN member, three of its neighboring states were home to six of the ASUN’s eight members at that time.

When the ASUN announced the July 2021 entry of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State, it also stated that it would launch a scholarship FCS football league, but did not specify when football competition will begin.[12] No current member is required to add football or change its current football standing.[46] At a press conference on February 23, 2021, the ASUN announced that it had entered into a separate football partnership with the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), which had previously announced the relaunch of its football league at the FCS level in fall 2021 with the arrival of four new FCS member schools. The three incoming ASUN members joined the four incoming WAC members in a round-robin schedule branded as the “ASUN–WAC Challenge”. Both conferences proposed an amendment to NCAA bylaws that would allow the alliance to receive an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The alliance had seven members, one more than the six normally required for an automatic bid, but were not in the same league for an adequate period to meet the current NCAA “continuity” requirement.[47][14] The two leagues’ proposal was successful, resulting in an automatic qualifier from the seven-team Challenge, colloquially dubbed “AQ7”.[48] With the 2022 arrival of Austin Peay providing the ASUN its sixth scholarship FCS program, the ASUN will start its football league in the 2022 season. However, because the ASUN and WAC were each left with only five playoff-eligible football members for 2022 after Jacksonville State (ASUN) and Sam Houston (WAC) started FBS transitions in that season, both leagues renewed their football partnership for 2022.[16] As noted earlier, the two conferences fully merged their football leagues in 2023 as the United Athletic Conference.

Shortly after the addition of football was announced, the ASUN announced that it would reinstate men’s lacrosse in the 2022 season, with the lacrosse partnership with the SoCon retained for the time being. The two full ASUN members with men’s lacrosse programs, Bellarmine and Jacksonville, separated for that sport, with Bellarmine joining the new ASUN lacrosse league and Jacksonville remaining in SoCon men’s lacrosse. Air Force moved from SoCon men’s lacrosse; men’s lacrosse independent Utah joined; and all three Horizon League members with men’s lacrosse programs also joined, with Detroit Mercy moving from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Cleveland State and Robert Morris moving from independent status. The SoCon maintained its automatic NCAA tournament berth by adding another lacrosse independent, Hampton. The ASUN men’s lacrosse league was initially to be administered through the CCSA while operating under the ASUN name as part of the ASUN’s intended plan to split into two conferences.[49][50] This arrangement was scrapped along with the planned conference split once NJIT left for the America East; the men’s lacrosse league is now directly administered by the ASUN.

The ASUN added two new beach volleyball members, Charleston and UNCW, in July 2021.[39] At the same time, Coastal Carolina left ASUN beach volleyball for the newly formed Conference USA beach volleyball league.[51] With the demise of SoCon women’s lacrosse after the 2021 season, Coastal Carolina and Delaware State returned to the ASUN in that sport after respectively spending one and four seasons in the SoCon.[32]

The SoCon dropped men’s lacrosse after the 2022 season due to further conference realignment. Jacksonville returned men’s lacrosse to the ASUN, and full SoCon member Mercer became an ASUN men’s lacrosse affiliate. Lindenwood, which started a transition from D-II to D-I in 2022 as a new member of the Ohio Valley Conference, became an affiliate in both men’s and women’s lacrosse (neither of which is sponsored by the OVC). Also in 2022–23, the ASUN lost all four of its beach volleyball affiliates (Charleston, Mercer, Stephen F. Austin, UNCW) to the new beach volleyball league of the Sun Belt Conference.

As noted previously, the ASUN added men’s and women’s swimming & diving in 2023–24.

ASUN Conference teams
Sport Men’s Women’s
Baseball
12
Basketball
12
12
Beach volleyball
8
Cross country
12
12
Golf
12
12
Lacrosse
6
9
Soccer
8
12
Softball
12
Swimming & diving
6
9
Tennis
9
10
Track and field (indoor)
7
9
Track and field (outdoor)
7
9
Volleyball
12

Men’s sports

Men’s sponsored sports by school
School Baseball Basketball Cross
country
Golf Lacrosse Soccer Swimming & diving Tennis Track &
field
(indoor)
Track &
field
(outdoor)
Total
sports
Austin Peay Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No No 5
Bellarmine Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Central Arkansas Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes 7
Eastern Kentucky Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes 6
Florida Gulf Coast Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No 6
Jacksonville Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No 6
Lipscomb Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes 8
North Alabama Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No No 5
North Florida Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes 8
Queens Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Stetson Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No[a] 6
West Georgia Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes 8
Future members
West Florida Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No 6
Associate members
Abilene Christian Yes 1
Air Force Yes 1
Delaware Yes 1
Florida Atlantic Yes 1
Gardner–Webb Yes 1
Mercer Yes 1
Old Dominion Yes 1
UT Arlington Yes 1
Utah Yes 1
Totals 12 12 12 12 3+3 8 2+4 8+2 7 7 83+9

Men’s varsity sports not sponsored by the league which are played by ASUN schools:

School Football Rowing Volleyball Wrestling
Austin Peay UAC No No No
Bellarmine No[b] No No SoCon
Central Arkansas UAC No No No
Eastern Kentucky UAC No No No
Jacksonville No MAAC No No
North Alabama UAC No No No
Queens No No MIVA[52] No
Stetson Pioneer MAAC No No
West Florida UAC No No No
West Georgia UAC No No No
  1. ^ Stetson will add men’s outdoor track & field in 2026–27, but will initially compete only in distance events.
  2. ^ While non-football by NCAA criteria, Bellarmine fields a varsity team in the weight-restricted and non-NCAA variant of sprint football.

In addition to the aforementioned sports:

  • Queens sponsors men’s rugby and triathlon, neither of which has NCAA recognition of any type. It also considers its male cheerleaders to be varsity athletes.

Women’s sports

Women’s sponsored sports by school
School Basketball Beach volleyball Cross
country
Golf Lacrosse Soccer Softball Swimming & diving Tennis Track & field
(indoor)
Track & field
(outdoor)
Volleyball Total
Sports
Austin Peay Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Bellarmine Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 10
Central Arkansas Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes 9
Eastern Kentucky Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes 9
Florida Gulf Coast Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes 9
Jacksonville Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes 10
Lipscomb Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes 9
North Alabama Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes 8
North Florida Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Queens Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 11
Stetson Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No[a] Yes 9
West Georgia Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No[b] Yes Yes Yes 9
Future members
West Florida Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes 8
Associate members
Coastal Carolina Yes 1
Delaware Yes Yes 2
Gardner–Webb Yes 1
Georgia Southern Yes 1
Kennesaw State Yes 1
Liberty Yes 1
Lindenwood Yes 1
Old Dominion Yes 1
UNC Asheville Yes 1
Future associate members
Little Rock Yes 1
Totals 12 9 12 12 4+5 12 12 4+5 8 9 9 12 116+10
  1. ^ Stetson will add women’s outdoor track & field in 2026–27, but will initially compete only in distance events.
  2. ^ West Georgia dropped women’s tennis after the 2023–24 season, immediately before joining the ASUN.

Women’s varsity sports not sponsored by the league which are played by ASUN schools:

School Field hockey Rowing Rugby[a] Stunt[b] Triathlon[a]
Bellarmine MAC[53] No No No No
Central Arkansas No No No Independent No
Jacksonville No MAAC No No No
Queens IND No IND No IND
Stetson No MAAC No No No
West Georgia No No No No[c] No
  1. ^ a b Part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.
  2. ^ Graduated from the Emerging Sports for Women program in January 2026, with the first official NCAA championship to be held in 2026–27.
  3. ^ West Georgia, which currently fields a club-level stunt team, has announced it will elevate the sport to varsity status in the near future, though has not set a timeline.

In addition to the aforementioned sports:

  • Bellarmine considers the members of its all-female dance team to be varsity athletes.
  • Queens considers its cheerleaders and dance team (the latter all-female, though listed on its athletic website as coeducational) to be varsity athletes.

Facilities

School Basketball arena Capacity Baseball stadium Capacity Soccer stadium Capacity
Austin Peay F&M Bank Arena 5,500 Raymond C. Hand Park 777 Morgan Brothers Field 800
Bellarmine Knights Hall 2,196 Knights Field N/a Owsley B. Frazier Stadium 2,000
Central Arkansas Farris Center 6,000 Bear Stadium 1,000 Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex 1,000
Eastern Kentucky Baptist Health Arena 6,300 Turkey Hughes Field 500 EKU Soccer Field 400
Florida Gulf Coast Alico Arena 4,633 Swanson Stadium 1,500 FGCU Soccer Complex 1,500
Jacksonville Swisher Gymnasium 1,500 John Sessions Stadium 1,500 Southern Oak Stadium 500
Lipscomb Allen Arena 5,028 Ken Dugan Field 1,500 Lipscomb Soccer Complex 600
North Alabama Flowers Hall 3,900 Mike D. Lane Field 1,500 Bill Jones Athletic Complex N/a
North Florida UNF Arena 5,800 Harmon Stadium 1,000 Hodges Stadium 9,300
Queens Curry Arena 2,500 Tuckaseegee Dream Fields N/a Dickson Field N/a
Stetson Edmunds Center 5,000 Melching Field at Conrad Park 2,500 Stetson Soccer Complex 500
West Florida UWF Field House 1,750 Jim Spooner Field 2,500 UWF Soccer Complex 1,000
West Georgia The Coliseum 6,469 Cole Field 500 University Soccer Field 250

All Sports Championships

The Jesse C. Fletcher and Sherman Day Trophies are awarded each year to the top men’s and women’s program in the conference. The Bill Bibb Trophy, combining the men’s and women’s results for the best overall program, was first awarded in 2006–07. East Tennessee State won this overall trophy seven of the nine years it has been awarded; Florida Gulf Coast won in 2012–13, 2014–15 and 2015–16.[54]

Men’s All Sports: Jesse C. Fletcher Trophy

Year Champion
1978–79 Oklahoma City
1979–80 Northeast Louisiana
1980–81 Northeast Louisiana
1981–82 Northeast Louisiana
1982–83 Georgia Southern
1983–84 Centenary
1984–85 Georgia Southern
1985–86 Houston Baptist
1986–87 Georgia Southern
1987–88 Georgia Southern
1988–89 Georgia Southern
1989–90 Georgia Southern
1990–91 Georgia Southern
1991–92 Florida International
1992–93 Florida International
1993–94 Florida International
1994–95 Central Florida
1995–96 Central Florida
1996–97 Florida International
1997–98 Georgia State
1998–99 Central Florida
1999–00 Georgia State
2000–01 Georgia State
2001–02 Georgia State
2002–03 Central Florida
2003–04 Central Florida
2004–05 Central Florida
2005–06 East Tennessee State
2006–07 East Tennessee State
2007–08 East Tennessee State
2008–09 East Tennessee State
2009–10 East Tennessee State
2010–11 East Tennessee State
2011–12 East Tennessee State
2012–13 Florida Gulf Coast
2013–14 East Tennessee State
2014–15 North Florida
2015–16 North Florida
2017–18 North Florida
2018–19 Liberty
2021–22 Liberty
2022–23 Liberty
2023–24 Lipscomb
2024–25 North Alabama

Women’s All Sports: Sherman Day Trophy

Year Champion
1978–79 None
1979–80 None
1980–81 None
1981–82 None
1982–83 None
1983–84 None
1984–85 None
1985–86 Stetson, Georgia State
1986–87 Stetson
1987–88 Georgia State
1988–89 Georgia State
1989–90 Georgia State
1990–91 Florida International
1991–92 Florida International
1992–93 Georgia State
1993–94 Florida International
1994–95 Campbell
1995–96 Central Florida
1996–97 Central Florida
1997–98 Georgia State
1998–99 Central Florida
1999–00 Georgia State
2000–01 Georgia State
2001–02 Central Florida
2002–03 Central Florida
2003–04 Central Florida
2004–05 Central Florida
2005–06 Florida Atlantic
2006–07 East Tennessee State
2007–08 Jacksonville
2008–09 Jacksonville
2009–10 Kennesaw State
2010–11 Jacksonville
2011–12 Kennesaw State
2012–13 Florida Gulf Coast
2013–14 Jacksonville
2014–15 Florida Gulf Coast
2015–16 Florida Gulf Coast
2016–17 Florida Gulf Coast
2017–18 Florida Gulf Coast
2018–19 Liberty
2021–22 Liberty
2022–23 Liberty
2023–24 Lipscomb
2024–25 Florida Gulf Coast

Combined All Sports: Bill Bibb Trophy

Year Champion
2006–07 ETSU
2007–08 ETSU
2008–09 ETSU
2009–10 ETSU
2010–11 ETSU
2011–12 ETSU
2012–13 FGCU
2013–14 ETSU
2014–15 FGCU
2015–16 FGCU
2016–17 FGCU
2017–18 Kennesaw State
2018–19 Liberty
2021–22 Liberty
2022–23 Liberty
2023–24 Lipscomb
2024–25 FGCU

Championships

Men’s basketball

This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see ASUN men’s basketball tournament.[55]

Season Reg. season
champions(s)
Tournament
champion
2015–16 North Florida Florida Gulf Coast
2016–17 Florida Gulf Coast Florida Gulf Coast
2017–18 Florida Gulf Coast Lipscomb
2018–19 Lipscomb
Liberty
Liberty
2019–20 Liberty
North Florida
Liberty
2020–21 Liberty Liberty
2021–22 Liberty (East)
Jacksonville State (West)
Bellarmine[a]
2022–23 Kennesaw State
Liberty
Kennesaw State
2023–24 Eastern Kentucky Stetson
2024–25 Lipscomb
North Alabama
Lipscomb
  1. ^ Because Bellarmine was in the second season of its four-year transition from Division II, it was ineligible for the NCAA tournament. Under ASUN rules, Jacksonville State received the ASUN’s automatic bid by virtue of the best regular-season conference record.

Women’s basketball

This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see ASUN women’s basketball tournament.[56]

Season Reg. season
champions(s)
Tournament
champion
2015–16 Florida Gulf Coast Jacksonville
2016–17 Stetson Florida Gulf Coast
2017–18 Florida Gulf Coast Florida Gulf Coast
2018–19 Florida Gulf Coast Florida Gulf Coast
2019–20 Florida Gulf Coast None (COVID-19)
2020–21 Florida Gulf Coast Florida Gulf Coast
2021–22 Florida Gulf Coast (East, and overall)
Jacksonville State (West)
Florida Gulf Coast
2022–23 Florida Gulf Coast Florida Gulf Coast
2023–24 Florida Gulf Coast Florida Gulf Coast
2024–25 Florida Gulf Coast Florida Gulf Coast

Baseball

Notes and references

  1. ^ “Atlantic Coast Conference”. Archived from the original on February 6, 2006. Retrieved March 1, 2006.
  2. ^ a b “Conference Student-Athletes Unveil New ASUN Brand Identity” (Press release). ASUN Conference. April 28, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ “New conference Gets NCAA OK For Division I”. Abilene Reporter-News. November 1, 1978. p. 19. Retrieved July 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ “Nicholls finally in conference”. The Anniston Star. August 19, 1982. p. 14. Retrieved July 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ “UNA Accepts ASUN Division I Invitation” (Press release). North Alabama Lions. December 6, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  6. ^ “ASUN Conference Announces Liberty University as League Member for 2018–19” (Press release). ASUN Conference. May 17, 2018. Archived from the original on May 20, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  7. ^ “ASUN Conference Announces Addition of Bellarmine University” (Press release). ASUN Conference. June 18, 2019. Archived from the original on June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  8. ^ “NJIT to Join America East Conference as 10th Member Institution – NJIT Highlanders”. NJIT Highlanders. June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  9. ^ “Inside West Georgia’s move to Division I” Sports Business Journal. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  10. ^ “ASUN Announces Exploration of Expansion & Building New NCAA Division I Multisport Conference”. ASUN Conference. January 22, 2020. Archived from the original on October 4, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  11. ^ “ASUN Statement on Conference Expansion”. ASUN Conference. November 16, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  12. ^ a b “ASUN Conference Announces Three New Institutions; Adds Football as 20th Sport” (Press release). ASUN Conference. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  13. ^ “ASUN, WAC Conferences Announce Football Partnership for 2021” (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  14. ^ a b “From the Commissioner’s Desk: @ASUN_Football Update” (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  15. ^ “Conference USA to add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State beginning in 2023”. ESPN. November 5, 2021. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  16. ^ a b “ASUN and WAC Renew Football Alliance” (Press release). ASUN Conference. May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  17. ^ “ASUN Conference Welcomes Austin Peay State University as its Newest Member” (Press release). ASUN Conference. September 17, 2021. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  18. ^ Limehouse, Jonathan (May 7, 2022). “Queens University of Charlotte accepts invitation to NCAA Division I conference”. The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  19. ^ “ASUN Conference Welcomes Queens University of Charlotte as Its Newest Member” (Press release). ASUN Conference. May 10, 2022. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  20. ^ “Sun Belt Conference Adds Beach Volleyball For 2023” (Press release). Sun Belt Conference. January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  21. ^ “2023 Preseason Awards Announced” (Press release). Conference USA. February 23, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023. The league serves up its second season with opening matches this weekend featuring (16) FIU, (12) Florida Atlantic and UAB, along with new members Jacksonville State and (ARV) Tulane.
  22. ^ “Kennesaw State to Join Conference USA in 2024–25” (Press release). Kennesaw State Owls. October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  23. ^ “C-USA Adds Kennesaw State, Owls to Join in 2024” (Press release). Conference USA. October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
  24. ^ Thamel, Pete (December 9, 2022). “Atlantic Sun, WAC teams pairing up to attempt move to FBS, sources say”. ESPN.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  25. ^ “@ASUN_Football and WAC Release 2023 Schedule” (Press release). ASUN Conference. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  26. ^ “ASUN And WAC Unveil 2023 Football Schedule” (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  27. ^ “ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands As The United Athletic Conference” (Press release). ASUN Conference. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  28. ^ “ASUN Conference Adds Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving” (Press release). Atlantic Sun Conference. August 28, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  29. ^ “Atlantic Sun Conference and Western Athletic Conference to Forge Strategic Alliance: WAC to Rebrand as United Athletic Conference”. www.uacfootball.com. June 26, 2025.
  30. ^ Rome, Nicholas. “FCS Realignment Watch: WAC and ASUN to form United Athletic Conference”. Saturday Blitz. Minute Media. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
  31. ^ “UA & UNA both report record-breaking enrollment numbers for 2024 fall semester” Alabama Public Radio. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
  32. ^ a b c “Coastal Carolina and Delaware State Set to Rejoin ASUN Conference Women’s Lacrosse” (Press release). ASUN Conference. July 7, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  33. ^ “Facts & Figures | University of Delaware”. udel.edu. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  34. ^ “Fall 2023 enrollment numbers for Georgia Southern, University System of Georgia” (PDF). Georgia Southern University. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  35. ^ “Jacksonville, Lindenwood & Mercer Joining #ASUNMLAX for 2023 Season” (Press release). ASUN Conference. March 30, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  36. ^ “#ASUNWLAX Announces Addition of Lindenwood for 2023 Season” (Press release). ASUN Conference. May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
  37. ^ “Akron Women’s Lacrosse to Join ASUN” (Press release). Akron Zips. April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  38. ^ “Women’s Lacrosse Coming in 2020–21; Detroit Mercy & Youngstown State As Affiliates” (Press release). Mid-American Conference. November 6, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  39. ^ a b c “ASUN Conference Announces Additions of Col. of Charleston and UNCW in Beach Volleyball” (Press release). ASUN Conference. July 6, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  40. ^ “Six Howard Athletics Programs Join the Northeast Conference as Associate Members” (Press release). Howard Bison. July 6, 2020. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  41. ^ “11th Season of #ASUNBVB Begins This Weekend” (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 24, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022. Stephen F. Austin begins its first season in the league and is set to open its 2022 campaign at the Kingsville Tournament where they face Ottawa, Texas A&M Kingsville, Missouri Baptist and Colorado Mesa.
  42. ^ “ASUN Conference”. asunsports.org.
  43. ^ “About the CCSA”. Coastal Collegiate Sports Association. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  44. ^ “SoCon, ASUN Partner to Enhance Lacrosse” (Press release). Southern Conference. January 9, 2014. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
  45. ^ “Big South and ASUN Conference Establish FCS Membership Partnership” (Press release). ASUN Conference. September 13, 2016. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  46. ^ Franklin, Drew (January 25, 2021). “EKU to leave the OVC for the Atlantic Sun Conference”. Kentucky Sports Radio. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  47. ^ “ASUN, WAC Conferences Announce Football Partnership for 2021” (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  48. ^ “FCS college football 2021: AQ7 preview”. KRQE. Stats Perform. August 20, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
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