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West Florida will move up to Division I and join UAC for football and Atlantic Sun for other sports

By The Associated Press

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — West Florida will begin the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I on July 1 and compete in the United Athletic Conference in football and the Atlantic Sun Conference in other sports, the school announced Thursday.

The Argonauts have had one of the top Division II athletic programs and lead the Gulf South Conference in all-time championships and all-sports trophies. Their 15-sport program has won 11 national and 136 conference championships.

The United Athletic Conference was established in 2023 as a single-sport football conference through a partnership between the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference. The UAC plays in the Football Championship Subdivision. The eight-team ASUN was founded in 1978.

West Florida will not be eligible for NCAA postseason tournaments during the three-year reclassification process. The school will be eligible for ASUN and UAC championships immediately.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Greg Byrne and Kirby Smart chime in as conference championship game debates heat up

By The Associated Press
Three months after Alabama narrowly squeaked into the College Football Playoff despite a Southeastern Conference title game loss, athletic director Greg Byrne is calling for an end to the 34-year tradition. “I think the ship has sailed. It’s run its course,” Byrne said in a recent interview with USA Today. Alabama lost to Georgia 28-7 in the SEC championship game in its poorest showing since a Week 1 setback against Florida State. With a 10-3 record, the Crimson Tide left Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the impression that their last game of the season could have already been played. “It’s a great event,” Byrne said. “I don’t like the idea of it going away, but I think it’s reality with an expanded playoff.”
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