Tarleton State to become full-time member of new UAC in 2026 as WAC rebrands and furthers alliance with ASUN

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – On July 1, 2026, Tarleton State University will begin a new age in its NCAA Division I era, as the Texans will be one of eight institutions in the new version of the United Athletic Conference.
 
Tarleton State Football has been in the UAC for the past two years, a football-only conference that has included members of the Western Athletic Conference and Atlantic Sun Conference. Announced on Thursday, the WAC will rebrand into an all-sports version of the UAC that will include three WAC members (Tarleton State, Abilene Christian, UT Arlington) and the five football-playing institutions from the ASUN (Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama and West Georgia).
 
“We stand at a pivotal moment in collegiate athletics that demands vision, collaboration, and bold leadership,” Chairman of the WAC Board of Directors Dr. James Hurley said. “The evolving landscape of collegiate athletics presents both challenges and opportunities and our alliance with the ASUN represents a strategic step forward for our institution and peers.
 
“We honor the proud past of the Western Athletic Conference and carry that legacy with us as we move confidently into the future as the United Athletic Conference, in partnership with the Consortium,” Hurley continued. “Together, we are building something that reflects the values, ambition, and resilience of our universities and student-athletes.”
 
This is a groundbreaking alliance, creating a consortium of two conferences to innovate and improve operational efficiency. The alliance will strengthen both conferences, create new growth opportunities, 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. Current WAC Commissioner, Rebekah Ray, will assume a leadership role within the Consortium.
 
“Conferences are unrecognizable today from just a few years ago, and as we have navigated conference realignment, we are excited that the WAC has furthered its alliance with the ASUN to reinstate stability, a forsaken aspect in today’s climate,” Tarleton State Vice President and Director of Athletics Steve Uryasz said. “A new approach is needed in this landscape to keep enhancing the student-athlete experience. Without change, we will continue down a problematic and unsustainable path. The future is bright for the UAC.”
 
Starting July 1, 2026, the Western Athletic Conference will officially rebrand to the United Athletic Conference, 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 football members housed within one conference, and the shift in geographic footprint.
 
The Consortium, with participation by multiple conferences, will allow for the consolidation and reduction of expenses, enhanced collective external revenue generation and bargaining opportunities, increased in-season scheduling opportunities, enhanced geographic alignment, governance support in anticipation of a deregulated NCAA Division I governance structure, and elevated student-athlete experiences with less missed class time and opportunities for rivalry development.
 
Sport sponsorship in the UAC will include baseball, men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, football, men’s tennis, men’s indoor track and field, men’s outdoor track and field, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s soccer, softball, women’s tennis, women’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, and volleyball.
 
Of Tarleton State’s 17 NCAA Division I programs, 16 will be full-fledged members of the United Athletic Conference. Texan Beach Volleyball will remain a Conference USA affiliated program.
 
The ASUN will consist of Bellarmine, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Lipscomb, North Florida, Queens University of Charlotte, and Stetson.
 
Tarleton State has been a member of the Western Athletic Conference throughout its NCAA Division I era, which began in 2020. The Texans officially joined the WAC on July 1, 2020, after accepting its invitation in November 2019. Tarleton State Football was an independent program in 2020, part of the WAC in 2021-22 and members of the UAC starting in 2023. Tarleton State Beach Volleyball has been a Conference USA affiliate since the program began in 2024.
 
Since joining the WAC, the Texans have one of the premier institutions. Despite not being eligible for the conference tournament the first two years or NCAA Division I postseason eligible the first four years, Tarleton State has finished in the top-two of the conference standings nine times across five sports, top-two in the conference tournament five times across four sports, with two conference tournament titles over the past two seasons (baseball in 2024 and women’s golf in 2025).