Atlantic Sun Conference facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Atlantic Sun Conference

Formerly	Trans America Athletic Conference (1978–2001) Atlantic Sun Conference (2001–2016) ASUN Conference (2016–2023)
Association	NCAA
Founded	1978
Commissioner	Jeff Bacon (since 2023)
Sports fielded	22 men's: 10 women's: 12
Division	Division I
No. of teams	12 (7 in 2026)
Headquarters	Jacksonville, Florida
Region	Southern United States
Locations

The Atlantic Sun Conference, also known as the ASUN, is a group of colleges that compete against each other in sports. These schools are mostly in the Southeastern United States. They play at the NCAA Division I level, which is the highest level of college sports in the United States.

The conference started in 1978 with a different name, the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC). It changed its name to the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001. For a while, it was just called the ASUN Conference, but in 2023, it went back to using the full Atlantic Sun name. The conference's main office is in Jacksonville.

History of the Conference

The ASUN has a long history of schools joining and leaving. This is common in college sports as conferences try to get stronger.

How It Started

The conference was formed on September 19, 1978, as the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC). It started with eight universities. None of those original eight schools are still in the conference today.

Right away, some schools left and new ones joined. This became a pattern for the conference. Over the next 20 years, 16 new schools joined, but many of them left after just a few years. The conference was always changing.

Growth and Changes

During the 1980s and 1990s, the conference continued to grow. It added many schools, including several from Florida like Stetson University, Florida International University, and the University of Central Florida. However, it also lost many members during this time.

In 2001, the conference decided to rebrand itself. It changed its name from the TAAC to the Atlantic Sun Conference. As the A-Sun, it added more schools, like Lipscomb University, Kennesaw State University, and Florida Gulf Coast University. But some older members left to join other conferences.

Adding Football

One of the biggest recent changes for the ASUN was adding football. In 2021, the conference invited University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, and former member Jacksonville State University to join. This allowed the ASUN to start its own football league in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Because it needed more teams to have a strong football league, the ASUN partnered with the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Together, they created a football league that later became the United Athletic Conference (UAC).

Big Changes in 2026

In June 2025, the ASUN and WAC announced a major change. The UAC, which was just for football, will become an all-sports conference on July 1, 2026.

Five ASUN members that play football will move to the new all-sports UAC. These schools are Austin Peay State University, University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, University of North Alabama, and University of West Georgia.

The seven remaining schools will stay in the ASUN, which will continue as a conference that does not sponsor football.

Member Schools

Current Full Members

These are the schools that are full members of the ASUN. This means they compete in the conference in most of their sports.

     These members will leave for the United Athletic Conference on July 1, 2026.

Associate Members

Associate members are schools that compete in the ASUN in just one or two sports. Their other sports teams play in a different conference.

Sports in the ASUN

As of the 2023–24 school year, the ASUN holds championships in 10 men's sports and 12 women's sports.

Conference Facilities

Each school has its own stadiums and arenas for different sports. Here are some of the main facilities for basketball, baseball, and soccer.

Images for kids

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  The official logo of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

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  A map showing the locations of the ASUN member schools.

See also

In Spanish: ASUN Conference para niños