University of West Florida announced big changes to its athletics programs Thursday morning.
The university’s athletic department will be moving from Division II to Division I this year. In fall 2026, UWF football will compete in the United Athletic Conference, and all other sports will compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
University of West Florida Board of Trustees unanimously voted to approve the move.
President Manny Diaz Jr. called the move an “important milestone” for the university.
Diaz made the point that today’s announcement was more than athletics, but expands opportunities for the university overall. The president said he considered athletics “the front porch” for UWF.
“When you’re trying to gain visibility for the institution and all of the great things that are going on here, athletics is the easiest way to do that,” said President Diaz during a Q&A at the press conference. “Our student athletics coaches do such a great job, and it starts to bring attention to our campus, and that gives us the opportunity to showcase all of the academic programs we have here, the great faculty, the atmosphere.”
As part of the application process, UWF will pay a $2 million entry fee to move into Division I. UWF athletic teams will compete at the Division I level, but will not be eligible for NCAA postseason tournaments. They will be eligible to compete for ASUN and UAC conference championships. Once the transition is complete in 2029, UWF will have full NCAA postseason eligibility.
At the NCAA Division II level, UWF’s 15 varsity programs have earned 11 national and 136 conference championships. UWF Athletic Director Dave Scott reflected the program’s success when it was his turn at the podium.
“It’s important to recognize how we got here, because this was a moment that wasn’t given to us. It was earned,” he said.
The football program is an example of the university’s success, said Scott. It was built from the ground up and earned a national championship within four seasons.
“Football is just one piece of the story,” he said. “Across every sport, our teams have competed at the highest level and consistently represented UWF with excellence on the fields and courts, in the classroom, and in the community.”
Also at the conference was ASUN and UAC consortium Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bacon, who welcomed UWF, “a powerhouse institution,” into the conference family. The university is the 17th organization to join the conference.
“UWF is positioned to succeed,” he said.
The move to Division I aligns with the new Darrell Gooden Stadium that broke ground last month, which is expected to expand the revenue from athletics. According to the UWF Haas Center, the university’s athletics program is projected to generate around $42 million in economic impact and support 280 jobs.
