It has been rumored for weeks, but it finally became official on Friday when the ASUN formally announced the additions of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State. The three schools will become members of the ASUN on July 1, 2021 and will begin competing for conference championships during the 2021-22 season.

The rumored ASUN FCS scholarship football conference is also added as the conference now hosts five full scholarship FCS football playing members as the three new additions join Kennesaw State and North Alabama who currently play football in the Big South Conference due to a partnership between the ASUN and Big South. It is expected that the ASUN will continue to pursue additional FCS football members. In order to be eligible to receive an automatic qualifier bid to the FCS playoffs, conferences must have six members.

For all other sports, the ASUN now boasts 12 members with the three new additions, and it is expected the conference will have two divisions to reduce travel, similar to what the league has done this spring with some of its sports amid the ongoing COVID pandemic.

Central Arkansas joins the ASUN from the Southland Conference. The Bears, from Conway, Arkansas, are currently 3-12 in men’s basketball and 2-5 in conference play under first year head coach Anthony Boone. UCA is currently ranked No. 300 in the NCAA NET rankings. They made the move to Division I prior to the 2006-07 season and have yet to make the NCAA Tournament. UCA has only one winning record in their first 15 seasons at the DI level, as they finished 18-17 and advanced to the College Basketball Invitational in the 2017-18 season. Scottie Pippen, a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, played at Central Arkansas when the Bears were at the NAIA level. Pippen was drafted 5th overall in the 1987 NBA Draft.

Eastern Kentucky, who resides in Richmond, Kentucky, was a founding member of the Ohio Valley Conference where they have competed since 1948. Their men’s basketball team has advanced to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 2014. The Colonels have yet to win a game in the Big Dance. Under third year head coach A.W. Hamilton, EKU is currently 13-2 overall and 7-1 in OVC play. They are currently ranked No. 126 in the NCAA NET rankings.

Jacksonville State returns to the ASUN where they called home when the Gamecocks first joined the Division I ranks prior to the 1995-96 athletic season. JSU, hailing from Jacksonville, Alabama, remained in the ASUN until leaving for the OVC prior to the 2003-04 season where JSU has remained since. Under 5th year head coach Ray Harper, JSU is currently 10-6 overall in men’s basketball play and 6-4 in conference play and are ranked No. 197 in the NCAA NET rankings. The Gamecocks advanced to their only NCAA Tournament at the Division I level under Coach Harper in his first season, reaching the Big Dance as a 15-seed in 2017.

The full list of the new 12-member ASUN coming this July:
Bellarmine University
University of Central Arkansas
Eastern Kentucky University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville State University
Kennesaw State University
Liberty University
Lipscomb University
University of North Alabama
University of North Florida
Stetson University

Enrollment Comparison:
Bellarmine – 3,293
Central Arkansas – 10,869
Eastern Kentucky – 16,959
FGCU – 15,000
Kennesaw State – 41,000
Jacksonville – 4,060
Jacksonville State – 9,238
Liberty – 15,000
Lipscomb – 4,585
North Alabama – 8,400
North Florida – 17,016
Stetson – 3,150

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