Sports
ASUN-UAC TO CREATE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE IN 2026
CONWAY, Ark. _ The Atlantic Sun Conference announced today a groundbreaking strategic alliance creating a consortium of two conferences (Atlantic Sun and United Athletic Conference), bringing together three Texas universities which are currently part of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with the five football-playing ASUN schools to create an all-sports United Athletic Conference beginning July 1, 2026.
The WAC announced Wednesday that Southern Utah and Utah Tech will be leaving the conference to join the Big Sky Conference, effective July 1, 2026, leaving UT Arlington, Abilene Christian and Tarleton State as the only three full members of the WAC. ACU and Tarleton State were already competing in the football-only incarnation of the UAC.
The new alliance is expected to strengthen and improve operational efficiency across both conferences and across the university campuses. It will create new growth opportunities across the southeast, and position both conferences for continued success in the future. The consortium will be led by current ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon, who will serve as its Executive Director, providing experienced leadership for this new venture. Current WAC Commissioner, Rebekah Ray, will assume a leadership role within the consortium.
“The landscape of collegiate athletics has changed rapidly in recent years, and this strategic alliance creates innovative opportunities for collaboration and increased efficiencies for all of the institutions involved,” said Matt Whiting, UCA director of athletics. “I am excited for what this means for the University of Central Arkansas and our Athletics Department as we enter a new era of college athletics.”
“As we navigate the changing world of collegiate athletics, I am excited about the opportunities presented in this strategic alliance and further strengthening our partnership and future with our current United Athletic Conference peers,” said UCA President Dr. Houston Davis. “This alliance positions the University of Central Arkansas well geographically, creating greater experiences for our student-athletes and fans.”
In 2026, the WAC will rebrand to the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which is the brand currently used to recognize the ASUN-WAC Football Alliance. This rebrand will better recognize the new membership composition of the Conference with all seven (7) UAC football-playing members housed within one conference, and the shift in geographic footprint.
The UAC will welcome new members Austin Peay State University, the University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, the University of North Alabama and the University of West Georgia. The addition of five football-playing members (identified above) will bring total UAC membership to 8 members, including 7 football-playing members along with UT Arlington.
Remaining ASUN membership will include Bellarmine University; Florida Gulf Coast University; Jacksonville University; Lipscomb University; the University of North Florida; Queens University of Charlotte, and Stetson University.
Both the ASUN and the UAC will continue to operate separate championships as independent conferences. Championship formats and locations will be determined at a later date for sports that are not already contracted. The ASUN basketball tournament will remain in Jacksonville, Fla., and the UAC basketball tournament location is to be determined.
The UAC and the ASUN will remain independent conferences, each with their own automatic qualifiers (AQ’s) for NCAA postseason play. Both conferences will also continue to meet the NCAA sport sponsorship and membership standards. Membership will continue to be a top priority for both conferences. Through the President’s leadership the Consortium will evaluate potential opportunities for growth and best alignment of Institutions.
Sport sponsorship for the conferences will be as follows:
ASUN:
• Men’s Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swim & Dive and Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field
• Women’s Sports: Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swim & Dive, Tennis, Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball
UAC:
• Men’s Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Football, Tennis and Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field
• Women’s Sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball
“As many in the media and the public have mentioned, and as many other Division I conferences have discussed, the Division I Conference membership landscape at our level has become unsustainable and confusing,” the ASUN said. “We now have conferences that stretch from coast to coast, and conference membership often consists of a mix of football and non-football playing member institutions, public and private institutions, or institutions whose geography does not align well.
“In addition, conferences and institutions are looking for ways to reduce or streamline expenses, unlock new revenue streams, forge scheduling alliances, and prepare for the modern world of intercollegiate athletics.
“Through the formation of a consortium, this alliance allows two similarly situated conferences to partner together to resolve many of these challenges at once: better aligning our membership; reducing expenses; collectively leveraging assets such as media rights; providing members of both conferences games
and home games in multiple sports; and situating both conferences for streamlined decision making.”
“This is not a merger, but a forward-thinking alliance. We are proactively building a modern structure for intercollegiate athletics that benefits everyone involved. This alliance provides great leverage for two conferences and long-term stability amongst like-minded and similarly situated institutions.”
ASUN RELEASE
Sports
Husker Volleyball dominates Kansas, advances to Elite 8
Nebraska Volleyball is back in the Elite Eight for a third straight season. The Huskers swept Kansas in the Sweet 16 in Lincoln, Neb. on Friday night. Nebraska won set one 25-12. Nebraska continued to dominate in set two, earning a win over the Jayhawks 25 to 11. It was more of the same in set three as the Huskers earned the sweep with a 25-12 victory over their old Big 12 foe. “A lot of it is our mentality and how we practice,” said senior Rebekah Allick after the match. “We’re creatures of habit.”Nebraska will play Texas A&M on Sunday in Lincoln. The match will be televised on KETV at 2 p.m. “Here at Nebraska, we feed our middle blockers,” said middle blocker Andi Jackson. “Credit goes to our passers because they put us in great positions.”The Huskers hit .450 while holding Kansas to .029. Nebraska had six aces and only three service errors. Nebraska’s middle blockers had 21 kills on 28 attacks. Both Jackson and Allick led the Huskers with 9 kills. Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly spoke with media on Thursday, stating they have a team-first mindset with one goal in mind: hanging a sixth national title banner in the Devaney Center.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Nebraska volleyball is ready to take on Kansas as they continue their national title chaseThe Huskers will look to advance to their third straight Final Four. They’re now three games from a sixth national title. Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Nebraska Volleyball is back in the Elite Eight for a third straight season. The Huskers swept Kansas in the Sweet 16 in Lincoln, Neb. on Friday night.
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Nebraska won set one 25-12. Nebraska continued to dominate in set two, earning a win over the Jayhawks 25 to 11. It was more of the same in set three as the Huskers earned the sweep with a 25-12 victory over their old Big 12 foe.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“A lot of it is our mentality and how we practice,” said senior Rebekah Allick after the match. “We’re creatures of habit.”
Nebraska will play Texas A&M on Sunday in Lincoln. The match will be televised on KETV at 2 p.m.
“Here at Nebraska, we feed our middle blockers,” said middle blocker Andi Jackson. “Credit goes to our passers because they put us in great positions.”
The Huskers hit .450 while holding Kansas to .029. Nebraska had six aces and only three service errors.
Nebraska’s middle blockers had 21 kills on 28 attacks. Both Jackson and Allick led the Huskers with 9 kills.
Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly spoke with media on Thursday, stating they have a team-first mindset with one goal in mind: hanging a sixth national title banner in the Devaney Center.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Nebraska volleyball is ready to take on Kansas as they continue their national title chase
The Huskers will look to advance to their third straight Final Four. They’re now three games from a sixth national title.
Make sure you can always see the latest news, weather, sports and more from KETV NewsWatch 7 on Google search.
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Sports
USC Men’s Volleyball Set for Inaugural MPSF Media Day
Nygaard and Klein are scheduled to take the stage in Costa Mesa, Calif., for the 11:20 a.m. PT slot and will be available to attending media for 20 minutes. Media unable to attend in person may submit questions via a private Zoom link. All 10 of the MPSF’s head coaches and at least one student-athlete from each program—BYU, Concordia, Jessup, Menlo, Pepperdine, Stanford, UC Merced, UCLA, USC, and Vanguard—will be available for interviews and questions.
2026 MPSF men’s volleyball media day can be viewed in its entirety through MPSF volleyball live stream partner Big Ten Plus and will be moderated by Rob Espero, who has handled play-by-play for numerous collegiate volleyball events and serves as the public address announcer for the MPSF Beach Volleyball Championship. Former AVCA Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year and B1G+ color analyst Sarah Pavan will interview student-athletes.
The 2026 conference championship tournament will be held at BYU’s Smith Fieldhouse (April 22-25). The champion receives the MPSF’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship set to be played May 9-11 at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.
Since its inaugural year (1993), the MPSF has won 18 NCAA championships in men’s volleyball. The conference enters 2026 with 114 NCAA championships, which leads the nation among non-power four conferences.
2026 MPSF MEN’S VOLLEYBALL MEDIA DAY INFORMATION
Costa Mesa Marriott · Costa Mesa, Calif.
Monday, December 15, 2025 | 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PT
9:30-9:35 a.m. MPSF Commissioner Foti Mellis
9:40-10:00 a.m. VANGUARD: Brian Rofer (Head Coach) & Logan Freemon (Athlete)
10:05-10:25 a.m. JESSUP: Kyle Steele (Head Coach) & Colin Marks, CJ Osahon (Athletes)
10:30-10:50 a.m. UC MERCED: Chris Carter (Head Coach) & Kaleb Cole, Mason Stokes (Athletes)
10:55-11:15 a.m. PEPPERDINE: Jonathan Winder (Head Coach) & Jacob Reilly (Athlete)
11:20-11:40 a.m. USC: Jeff Nygaard (Head Coach) & Dillon Klein (Athlete)
11:45-12:45 p.m. Lunch break
1:00-1:20 p.m. STANFORD: John Kosty (Head Coach) & Theoren Brouillette (Athlete)
1:25-1:45 p.m. UCLA: John Hawks (Head Coach) & Andrew Rowan, Zack Rama, Sean Kelly (Athletes)
1:50-2:10 p.m. BYU: Shawn Olmstead (Head Coach) & Trent Moser, Jackson Fife, Tyler Herget (Athletes)
2:15-2:35 p.m. MENLO: Ali’i Keohohou (Head Coach) & Josh Friedman (Athlete)
2:40-3:00 p.m. CONCORDIA Jon Girten (Head Coach) & Connor Orrock (Athlete)
All times Pacific and approximate
In 2025, the Trojans (21-7) finished second in the MPSF regular-season standings (8-4) and were awarded the second seed into the conference tournament. There, USC finished as runner-up to Pepperdine, which hosted the championship in Malibu, Calif. USC opened the year with a nine-match win streak for its best start to a season since 1991 (28-0) and won 10 matches in a row (Feb. 26-April 3) for the program’s longest win streak since 2012 (18 in a row). It was the second 20-win season for head coach Jeff Nygaard and the 20th 20-win season in program history. The Trojans spent 13 weeks ranked in the top five and reached as high as No. 3 for the team’s highest ranking since it was also No. 3 in 2015. USC led the MPSF for many weeks in all statistical categories but aces and finished the season as the NCAA leader in blocks (2.86 bps) with 16 matches in double-digits. The Trojans set a new school record for hitting percentage in a match (.691 vs. Dominican, Feb. 8) and hit better than .300 in 19 matches, including north of .400 in 10 contests.
MPSF men’s volleyball information, including championship details, can be found at the conference website MPSports.org and on social media @MPSFSports. For more information on the USC men’s volleyball team, please visit USCTrojans.com/MVB. Fans of the Trojans can follow @USCmensvolley on Instagram, X, and Facebook.
Sports
Pennsauken sprinter Sianni Wynn tabs Florida as college choice
Dec. 12, 2025, 8:48 p.m. ET
Pennsauken senior Sianni Wynn addresses the crowd in the Pennsauken gymnasium where Sianni Wynn revealed her college track and field choice. Dec. 12, 2025
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Pennsauken senior Sianni Wynn (center) speaks about father, Eric, with mother, Nakia, by her side in the Pennsauken gymnasium where Sianni Wynn revealed her college track and field choice. Dec. 12, 2025
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
The Wynns, father Eric, Pennsauken senior Sianni and mother Nakia go the Gators’ Chomp in the Pennsauken gymnasium where Sianni Wynn revealed her college track and field choice. Dec. 12, 2025,
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Father Eric Wynn and Mother Nakia watch as Pennsauken senior Sianni Wynn does the Gator’s chomp in the Pennsauken gymnasium where Sianni Wynn revealed her college track and field choice. Dec. 12, 2025
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Father Eric Wynn watches as Pennsauken senior Sianni Wynn thanks her mother Nakia in the Pennsauken gymnasium where Sianni Wynn revealed her college track and field choice. Dec. 12, 2025
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Father Eric Wynn and mother Nakie hold up a University of Florida flag behind Pennsauken senior Sianni Wynn in the Pennsauken gymnasium where Sianni Wynn revealed her college track and field choice. Dec. 12, 2025
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
The stage is set in the Pennsauken gymnasium where Sianni Wynn revealed her college track and field choice. Dec. 12, 2025
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Pennsauken track and field coach Clinton Tabb speaks to the crowd in the Pennsauken gymnasium where Sianni Wynn revealed her college track and field choice. Dec. 12, 2025
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Pennsauken junior Sianni Wynn (left) crosses the finish line to win the 100 meters at the NJSIAA Track and Field Meet of Champions at Pennsauken High School. June 4, 2025
Tom Rimback/Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Sports
Coach Hosack Announces Four Signings for Men’s Volleyball
Derrick Campbell (State College, Pa.), Patrick George Verdes (Zalau, Romania), Brodie Heshler (Harrisburg, Pa.), and Aldis Kins (Chicago, Ill.) represent the 2025 recruiting class.
“We are excited to bring in these four top recruits to George Mason,” said Hosack. “Each one brings a high caliber of playing, and will contribute immediately to the level of play in our gym, and our team culture. We see each of them as high contributors as soon as they walk in the gym next year. The future is very bright for GMU men’s volleyball! “
Student-Athlete List:
Derrick Campbell
- Height: 6′ 4″
- Position: Setter
- Hometown: State College, Pa.
- High School: State College Area High School
- Played club for Yorktowne Volleyball Club
- Accolades: 2024 PIAA All-State Team, AVCA High Riser, 3x NTDP Participant, 4-year team captain, 2,000 career assists, 3x First Team All-District, 3x Mid Penn First Team
- Academics: AAU Middle Atlantic All-Academic Award, National Honors Society, High Honors, National Business Honors Society
Patrick George Verdes
- Height: 6′ 6″
- Position: Outside Hitter
- Hometown: Zalau, Romania
- Previous School: Colegiul National Silvania
- Pro club: CSM Bucharest
- Accolades: Member of the National Championship Super League with Clubul Sportiv Dinamo, Bucharest, U20 Cup and National Champions with CSM Buchest, U17 Champion with CSM Bucharest, Best Outside Hitter Award several times; at Balkan Cup U17, U19 Romanian League.
Brodie Heshler
- Height: 6′ 7″
- Position: Middle Blocker
- Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.
- High School: Central Dauphin High School
- Played club for Yorktowne Volleyball
- Accolades: USA U19 Team, First-Team All-State, 2x First Team All-Conference
Aldis Kins
- Height: 5′ 10″
- Position: Libero
- Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
- High School: Loyola Academy
- Played club for MOD Volleyball Club
Sports
Kulis of women’s track & field captures pentathlon title at Dartmouth December Invitational
HANOVER, N.H. – Senior Celia Kulis of the Holy Cross women’s track & field captured first place in the pentathlon at Friday’s Dartmouth December Invitational that was held at Leverone Field House.
Kulis won the event with 3,457 points as she edged out Fleur Balogh of UMass Lowell who took second with 3,378 points.
PENTATHLON HIGHLIGHTS:
- The senior captain entered the final event, the 800 meters, in second place but took first place in a time of 2:40.25 to secure 570 points and the pentathlon title.
- Kulis also won the 60 meter hurdles in a time of 8:64 seconds and added a pair of second-place finishes in the long jump (5.22m) and shot put (11.29m).
- She rounded things out with a third-place finish in the high jump at 1.54m and registered a top-three finish in all five events on the day.
- This marks the first career pentathlon title for Kulis.
UP NEXT:
- Kulis and the Crusaders will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 17 for the URI Invitational that will get underway at 11 a.m.
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS
Be sure to follow the Holy Cross track & field and cross country teams — and all things Crusader Athletics — on social media!
X – @HCrossTFXC | @goholycross
Instagram – @hcrossmxctf | @hcrossWXCTF | @goholycross
Facebook – Holy Cross Men’s Track & Field | Holy Cross Women’s Track & Field | Holy Cross Athletics
YouTube – GoHolyCross
Sports
Big West Membership Affirms Commitment at Fall Meetings
IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West Board of Directors strongly affirmed their commitment to conference membership and unified action during the league’s annual Fall Meetings, held December 3–5 in Irvine, Calif.
The Board of Directors is comprised of the presidents and chancellors of the conference’s 11 continuing member institutions and is chaired by Erika D. Beck, Ph.D., President of CSUN.
At the conclusion of the meetings, the Board ratified the following statement reflecting their shared commitment and alignment as members of The Big West:
“We are committed to The Big West now and in the future. The Big West provides us the best opportunity to pursue academic and athletic excellence while making a positive impact in our community.”
Leadership from the conference’s continuing member institutions, along with future members California Baptist, Utah Valley and Sacramento State, and two student-athlete representatives, engaged in three days of productive dialogue. Institutions transitioning from the conference participated in appropriate discussions related to their current membership and conference operations.
In addition to conversations surrounding membership, the Fall Meetings included robust discussion and action on conference governance, championship operations, and strategic planning as The Big West continues to navigate a rapidly evolving NCAA Division I landscape.
“I am appreciative of the leadership and engagement demonstrated by The Big West Board of Directors and Council during these meetings,” said Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly. “Unity remains one of our greatest strengths, and through collaboration and shared purpose, we are well positioned to navigate change while continuing to advance opportunities for our student-athletes and institutions.”
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