Atlantic Sun Conference

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States, competing at the NCAA Division I level. Originally established as the Trans America Athletic Conference in 1978, it was renamed as the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2001, and briefly rebranded as the ASUN Conference from 2016 to 2023. The conference still uses "ASUN" as an official abbreviation. The conference headquarters are located in Jacksonville.

History

Formation

The conference was first formed on September 19, 1978, as the Trans America Athletic Conference, at the Dallas–Fort Worth Regional Airport Marina Hotel. Its charter members were Oklahoma City University, Pan American University, Northeast Louisiana University, Houston Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Centenary College of Louisiana, Samford University, and Mercer University, all of whom were previously D-I independents. None of the eight charter members remain in the conference today.
Almost immediately after its formation, the conference experienced a shake-up in its membership. Oklahoma City departed to become a charter member of the Midwestern City Conference, while UTPA returned to D-I independent status—both had only played a single season in the infant league. The TAAC was quick to replace the outgoing members with Northwestern State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, along with Georgia Southern University in 1980, but this instability would prove to be a trend through the coming years—over the next 20 years, the conference would accept 16 new members, with many of these leaving after only playing a handful of seasons. 1982 saw the departure of another charter member, Northeast Louisiana, to the Southland Conference. Additionally, it saw the arrival of Nicholls State University, who originally planned to join the TAAC as a full member. However, due to an oversight by the NCAA, adding in a new program who had not competed in Division I for at least five years would result in the offending conference forfeiting their automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. To get around this, the TAAC announced that Nicholls State would compete as a provisional member, ineligible for the men's basketball tournament until it completed its D-I transition in 1985. However, it, along with Northwestern State, left the conference in 1984 to join the Gulf Star Conference instead.

Expansion, contraction, and rebranding

The remainder of the 1980s saw mostly growth for the conference, adding Georgia State University in 1983, Stetson University in 1985, and the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1986. However, near the end of the decade, the conference was hit with 5 departures over 4 consecutive years, beginning with Houston Baptist transitioning to the NAIA in 1989. This was followed by Hardin-Simmons dropping to NCAA Division III in 1990, UTSA and Arkansas–Little Rock leaving for the Southland and Sun Belt conferences in 1991, respectively, and Georgia Southern leaving for the Southern Conference in 1992. In the midst of this, the conference began to relentlessly pursue expansion throughout the 1990s to offset these losses, adding Florida International University in 1990, Southeastern Louisiana University and the College of Charleston in 1991, the University of Central Florida in 1992, Florida Atlantic University in 1993, Campbell University in 1994, Jacksonville State University in 1995, Troy State University in 1997, and Jacksonville University in 1998. Of these 9 schools, though, only 2 ended up staying with the conference for longer than 15 years.
The turn of the millennium saw another charter member in Centenary depart in 1999 for the Mid-Continent Conference ; the league was able to offset this with the addition of Belmont University in 2001. Around this same time, the conference sought to rebrand itself, changing its name from the Trans America Athletic Conference to the Atlantic Sun Conference. The newly rebranded A-Sun continued to expand into the 2000s, adding Gardner–Webb University in 2002, Lipscomb University in 2003, East [Tennessee State University], Kennesaw State University, and the University of North Florida in 2005, and Florida Gulf Coast University & the University of South Carolina Upstate in 2007. It also lost its fair share of members as well—largely some of the aforementioned members that had been added during the '90s, such as FIU, Florida Atlantic, and Troy to the Sun Belt, Georgia State to the Colonial Athletic Association, and UCF to Conference USA, but it also saw the departure of Samford to the Ohio Valley Conference, leaving Mercer as the only remaining charter member.

Present

The start of the 2010s gave the A-Sun a bit of a reprieve from conference realignment, losing only Campbell and Belmont in 2011 and 2012 to the Big South and OVC, respectively, and only adding recent D-I upgrader Northern Kentucky University in 2012. 2014 saw the departure of its final charter member, Mercer, to the Southern Conference in 2014; however, the Bears continued to compete in the ASUN as an affiliate for beach volleyball and added men's lacrosse to its ASUN membership in 2022. The ASUN continued to expand and contract slowly through the mid-2010s, losing only Northern Kentucky and East Tennessee State, and only adding the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2015.
This slow pace didn't stay for long, however. The second half of the decade saw the conference rebranding a second time, to simply the ASUN Conference Two years later, the University of North Alabama arrived from the Division II Gulf South Conference, and Liberty University left the Big South for the ASUN. More recently, Bellarmine University joined from the Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference and NJIT left for the America East Conference in 2020–21. On July 1, 2024, the University of West Georgia joined from the Division II Gulf South Conference.

Failed CCSA merger

On January 22, 2020, it was announced that the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association and the ASUN would merge to create a new Division I multisport conference. The timeline below was released with the announcement of this merger and expansion plan:

June, 2023 – ASUN Conference expands to 20 members.
Before July 1, 2023 – ASUN transfers rights to the ASUN name and marks to the CCSA.
July 1, 2023 – ASUN 7 joins the CCSA. The CCSA adopts the ASUN name as a multisport conference. The 13 remaining members would adopt the name United Athletic Conference.

The ASUN had planned on expanding to 20 members and then splitting the conference similar to how the Original Big East Conference was split in 2013 into the American Athletic Conference and the New Big East Conference. The new ASUN Conference governed by the CCSA would have made up of the ASUN 7 including all of the members that would have been in the ASUN Conference for at least 8 years to meet the requirements for a new multisport conference. The members would have included Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of North Florida, and Stetson University. The United Athletic Conference governed by the original ASUN Conference would have included Bellarmine University, Liberty University, University of North Alabama, and ten other undisclosed schools that would have joined through expansion.
On November 16, 2020, The ASUN Conference announced that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the quickly changing landscape in conference realignment, the creation of a new multisport conference would not be possible at the time of the release or with the aforementioned timeline. This comes after the news that NJIT would be leaving the ASUN for the America East Conference in 2021, weakening the ASUN 7 and lowering the chances that a new conference would be created with only six members.

Addition of football

Arguably its biggest move in recent years was the announcement that the conference would be adding the University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, and former member Jacksonville State University, as incoming members on January 29, 2021, with the intent of sponsoring football in the Football Championship Subdivision|Football Championship Subdivision] in 2022. With these three schools joining in 2021, the league partnered with another conference beginning to sponsor football, the Western Athletic Conference, which likewise did not have the minimum of six football-playing members needed for the conference to have an automatic qualifier to the FCS playoffs. The resulting combination of three ASUN and four WAC schools was branded interchangeably as the "ASUN–WAC Challenge" and "WAC–ASUN Challenge," and also referred to as the "AQ7."
The ASUN football league project was thrown into jeopardy as early as November 2021, as Jacksonville State announced it would be leaving once again in 2023 for Conference USA, an FBS conference. Liberty was also invited to C-USA for 2023, but had already competed as an FBS independent for some time and was not included in the ASUN's new football league. With the WAC also losing Sam Houston, another football-sponsoring school, to C-USA, the two conferences announced they would be renewing their alliance for the 2022 season. On September 17, 2021, the ASUN announced Austin Peay State University, a football-sponsoring school, as a new member for the 2022–23 season. In May 2022, local media in Charlotte, North Carolina, also reported that Queens University of Charlotte would start a transition from the Division II South Atlantic Conference as a new ASUN member, also effective on July 1 of that year. The ASUN officially announced this move on May 10.
The ASUN also expanded its associate membership in the 2020s. The conference started the decade with five associate members—Coastal Carolina in both beach volleyball and women's lacrosse, Mercer in beach volleyball only, and Akron, Kent State, and Howard in women's lacrosse. All of the women's lacrosse associates left by the 2021–22 school year. Akron and Kent State left after the 2020 season when their full-time home of the Mid-American Conference began sponsoring the sport. Coastal Carolina also left after the 2020 season for the SoCon. Howard moved several sports not sponsored by its full-time home of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to the Northeast Conference, with women's lacrosse moving after the 2021 season. Coastal Carolina moved beach volleyball to C-USA after the 2020–21 school year.
However, the 2021–22 school year saw the arrival of eight new associates, as well as the return of former women's lacrosse associates Coastal Carolina and Delaware State for that sport. ASUN beach volleyball added Charleston, Stephen F. Austin, and UNC Wilmington. The largest change in associate membership involved the relaunch of ASUN men's lacrosse. Full member Bellarmine was joined by five new associates—Air Force, Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris, and Utah.
The ASUN lost five beach volleyball members for 2022–23. The conference's four associates in that sport left for the Sun Belt Conference, which added that sport. Charleston, Stephen F. Austin, and UNC Wilmington all left the ASUN after a single season and Mercer also moved beach volleyball to the SBC. Also, departing full member Jacksonville State moved beach volleyball to its future home of C-USA a year before its all-sports move to that league.
Also for 2022–23, Mercer moved men's lacrosse into the ASUN after the SoCon shut down its men's lacrosse league, and new D-I member Lindenwood became an associate in both men's and women's lacrosse.
On October 14, 2022, Conference USA and Kennesaw State jointly announced that KSU would start a transition to FBS after the 2022 football season and join C-USA in 2024.
ESPN reported on December 9, 2022, that the ASUN and WAC had agreed to form a new football-only conference that plans to start play in 2024. The initial membership would consist of Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and North Alabama from the ASUN, and Abilene Christian, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton, and Utah Tech from the WAC. The new football conference also reportedly planned to move "from what is currently known as FCS football to what is currently known as FBS football at the earliest practicable date." On December 20, the two conferences confirmed the football merger, announcing that the new football league would start play in 2023 under the tentative name of ASUN–WAC Football Conference. This was followed in April 2023 by the new league rebranding itself as the United Athletic Conference. The UAC played a six-game schedule in 2023 and planned to start full round-robin conference play in 2024. Neither conference's official announcement mentioned any plans to move to FBS.

Return of Atlantic Sun

On September 1, 2023, it was announced that the ASUN would undergo another rebranding to reinstate the use of the name Atlantic Sun. The conference still uses "ASUN" as its official abbreviation.

Addition of swimming and diving

The ASUN added men's and women's swimming & diving for the 2023–24 season, taking most of its initial membership from the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association, which had been founded as a partnership of several all-sports conferences, including the ASUN, as a home for that sport. Two associate members came from the American Athletic Conference, which dropped men's swimming as a sponsored sport after the 2022–23 season. The initial membership for that sport was:

Two full members, Bellarmine and Queens, compete in both the men's and women's leagues.
Two other full members, Florida Gulf Coast and North Florida, sponsor only the women's sport.
The two full men's members were joined by associate members Florida Atlantic, Gardner–Webb, Old Dominion, and SMU. SMU only competed in the 2023–24 season, after which it joined the Atlantic Coast Conference, which sponsors the sport for both sexes.
Gardner–Webb is also an associate in women's swimming & diving; it was joined in that status by former full ASUN member Liberty and UNC Asheville.
Loss of football schools to Rebranded United Athletic Conference

Following significant membership realignment during the 2024–25 academic year, the Western Athletic Conference and the Atlantic Sun Conference issued a joint announcement on June 26, 2025, outlining a new organizational structure to take effect on July 1, 2026. Under the agreement, the WAC will adopt the name United Athletic Conference and operate as an all-sports NCAA Division I conference.
The rebranded conference will include the WAC's remaining full members—Abilene Christian, Tarleton State, and UT Arlington—along with a group of football-sponsoring institutions from the ASUN. The ASUN will continue to operate separately as a non-football conference under its existing identity, while the renamed WAC will serve as the multi-sport home for the participating football programs.
The restructuring was described by conference officials as a strategic alignment intended to preserve competitive continuity and administrative stability across both leagues. Governance and championship administration for the renamed conference will continue under the WAC's existing NCAA Division I framework, while the ASUN will maintain its separate governance structure.

Member schools

Current full members

Members departing for the United Athletic Conference on July 1, 2026.

Institution	Location	Founded	Joined	Type	Enrollment	Endowment	Nickname	Colors
Austin Peay State University	Clarksville, Tennessee	1927	2022	Public	10,344	$45.3	Governors
Bellarmine University	Louisville, Kentucky	1950	2020	Private	3,369	$80.1	Knights
	Conway, Arkansas	1907	2021	Public	10,869	$56.0	Bears & Sugar Bears
Eastern Kentucky University	Richmond, Kentucky	1874	2021	Public	16,959	$78.8	Colonels
Florida Gulf Coast University	Fort Myers, Florida	1997	2007	Public	15,076	$129.3	Eagles
Jacksonville University	Jacksonville, Florida	1934	1998	Private	4,213	$59.2	Dolphins
Lipscomb University	Nashville, Tennessee	1891	2003	Private	4,620	$97.5	Bisons
	Florence, Alabama	1830	2018	Public	10,600	$53.0	North [Alabama Lions\|Lions]
	Jacksonville, Florida	1965	2005	Public	16,309	$141.0	Ospreys
Queens University of Charlotte	Charlotte, North Carolina	1857	2022	Private	2,463	$185.0	Royals
Stetson University	DeLand, Florida	1883	1985	Private	4,330	$387.0	Hatters
University of West Georgia	Carrollton, Georgia	1906	2024	Public	14,394	$41.1	Wolves

;Notes

Associate members

Institution	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined	Nickname	Primary conference	ASUN sport
	USAF Academy, Colorado	1954	Military	4,304	2021–22	Falcons	Mountain West
Coastal Carolina University	Conway, South Carolina	1954	Public	10,484	2021–22	Chanticleers	Sun Belt
	Newark, Delaware	1743	Public	23,774	2025–26	Blue Hens	CUSA
	Newark, Delaware	1743	Public	23,774	2025–26	Blue Hens	CUSA
Florida Atlantic University	Boca Raton, Florida	1961	Public	30,171	2023–24	Owls	American
Gardner–Webb University	Boiling Springs, North Carolina	1905	Private	3,594	2023–24	Runnin' Bulldogs	Big South
Georgia Southern University	Statesboro, Georgia	1906	Public	26,106	2025–26	Eagles	Sun Belt
Kennesaw State University	Kennesaw, Georgia	1963	Public	45,152	2024–25	Owls	CUSA
Liberty University	Lynchburg, Virginia	1971	Private	16,000	2023–24	Lady Flames	CUSA
Lindenwood University		1827	Private	7,374	2022–23	Lions	OVC
Mercer University	Macon, Georgia	1833	Private	8,740	2022–23	Bears	SoCon
Old Dominion University	Norfolk, Virginia	1930	Public	24,286	2023–24	Monarchs	Sun Belt
Old Dominion University	Norfolk, Virginia	1930	Public	24,286	2025–26	Monarchs	Sun Belt
'	Asheville, North Carolina	1927	Public	3,762	2023–24	Bulldogs	Big South
'	Salt Lake City, Utah	1850	Public	32,818	2021–22	Utes	Big 12

Future associate members

;Notes

Former full members

School names and nicknames listed here reflect those used during the schools' time in the TAAC/ASUN. One school has changed both its name and nickname and three others have changed only their nicknames.
Six former full members are now associates, and a seventh will become an associate in 2026.

Little Rock, which left the then-TAAC in 1991, will rejoin for women's swimming & diving in 2026.
Georgia Southern, which left the then-TAAC in 1992, rejoined for women's swimming & diving in 2025.
Florida Atlantic, which left the ASUN in 2006, rejoined for women's swimming & diving in 2023.
Gardner–Webb, which left in 2008, rejoined for men's and women's swimming & diving in 2023.
Mercer, which left in 2014, has been a men's lacrosse associate since 2022. It was also an associate in women's lacrosse from 2014 to 2017 and beach volleyball from 2014 to 2022.
Liberty, which left in 2023, remains an associate in women's lacrosse, and became an associate in women's swimming & diving when the ASUN added that sport in 2023–24. It moved the latter sport to the American Conference in 2025–26.
Kennesaw State, which left in 2024, remains an associate in women's lacrosse.

Institution	Location	Founded	Type	Enrollment	Joined	Left	Nickname	Current conference
	Little Rock, Arkansas	1927	Public	13,000	1979	1991	Trojans	OVC
Belmont University	Nashville, Tennessee	1890	Private	6,647	2001	2012	Bruins	MVC
Campbell University	Buies Creek, North Carolina	1887	Private	4,120	1994	2011	Fighting Camels	CAA
Centenary College of Louisiana	Shreveport, Louisiana	1825	Private	787	1978	1999	Gentlemen and Ladies\|Gentlemen] Ladies	SCAC
	Orlando, Florida	1963	Public	60,181	1992	2005	Golden Knights	Big 12
	Charleston, South Carolina	1770	Public	11,320	1991	1998	Cougars	CAA
East Tennessee State University	Johnson City, Tennessee	1911	Public	15,530	2005	2014	Buccaneers	SoCon
Florida Atlantic University	Boca Raton, Florida	1961	Public	29,290	1993	2006	Owls	American
Florida International University	Miami, Florida	1965	Public	50,394	1990	1998	Golden Panthers	CUSA
Gardner–Webb University	Boiling Springs, North Carolina	1905	Private	4,300	2002	2008	Runnin' Bulldogs	Big South
Georgia Southern University	Statesboro, Georgia	1906	Public	20,584	1979	1992	Eagles	Sun Belt
Georgia State University	Atlanta, Georgia	1913	Public	32,087	1983	2005	Panthers	Sun Belt
Hardin–Simmons University	Abilene, Texas	1891	Private	2,435	1978	1990	Cowboys	American Southwest
Houston Baptist University	Houston, Texas	1960	Private	2,567	1978	1989	Huskies	Southland
Jacksonville State University	Jacksonville, Alabama	1883	Public	9,283	1995	2003	Gamecocks	CUSA
Jacksonville State University	Jacksonville, Alabama	1883	Public	9,283	2021	2023	Gamecocks	CUSA
Kennesaw State University	Kennesaw, Georgia	1963	Public	45,152	2005	2024	Owls	CUSA
Liberty University	Lynchburg, Virginia	1971	Private	16,000	2018	2023	Flames & Lady Flames	CUSA
	Monroe, Louisiana	1931	Public	8,405	1978	1982	Indians	Sun Belt
Mercer University	Macon, Georgia	1833	Private	8,300	1978	2014	Bears	SoCon
New Jersey Institute of Technology	Newark, New Jersey	1881	Public	11,518	2015	2020	Highlanders	America East
Nicholls State University	Thibodaux, Louisiana	1948	Public	7,093	1982	1984	Colonels	Southland
Northern Kentucky University	Highland Heights, Kentucky	1968	Public	15,263	2012	2015	Norse	Horizon
Northwestern State University	Natchitoches, Louisiana	1884	Public	9,244	1979	1984	Demons	Southland
Oklahoma City University	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	1904	Private	3,770	1978	1979	Chiefs	Sooner (SAC)
Samford University	Homewood, Alabama	1841	Private	4,440	1978	2003	Bulldogs	SoCon
	Spartanburg, South Carolina	1967	Public	5,821	2007	2018	Spartans	Big South
Southeastern Louisiana University	Hammond, Louisiana	1925	Public	17,800	1991	1997	Lions	Southland
	Edinburg, Texas	1927	Public	19,302	1978	1980	Broncs	Southland
	San Antonio, Texas	1969	Public	30,474	1986	1991	Roadrunners	American
Troy University	Troy, Alabama	1887	Public	29,689	1997	2005	Trojans	Sun Belt

;Notes:

Former associate members

;Notes:

Membership timeline

DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1978 till:2028
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
id:Full value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports
id:FullxF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football
id:AssocF value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only
id:AssocOS value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all
id:OtherC1 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference
id:OtherC2 value:rgb # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift: anchor:from fontsize:s
bar:1 color:FullxF from:1978 till:1979 text:Oklahoma City
bar:1 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1985 text:Horizon
bar:1 shift: color:OtherC2 from:1985 till:end text:SAC
bar:2 color:FullxF from:1978 till:1980 text:Pan American
bar:2 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:1987 text:Ind.
bar:2 shift: color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1991 text:ASC
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1998 text:Sun Belt
bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:1998 till:2008 text:D-I Ind.
bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:2008 till:2013 text:GWC
bar:2 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2015 text:WAC, then merged into UTRGV
bar:3 color:FullxF from:1978 till:1982 text:Northeast Louisiana
bar:3 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1982 till:2006 text:Southland
bar:3 color:OtherC2 from:2006 till:end text:Sun Belt
bar:4 color:FullxF from:1978 till:1989 text:Houston Baptist
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:1995 text:NAIA Ind.
bar:4 shift: color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:1996 text:BSC
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:1998 text:NAIA Ind.
bar:4 shift: color:OtherC2 from:1998 till:2007 text:RRAC
bar:4 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2007 till:2008 text:NCAA Ind.
bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:2008 till:2013 text:GWC
bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:Southland
bar:5 color:FullxF from:1978 till:1990 text:Hardin–Simmons
bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1990 till:1996 text:TIAA
bar:5 color:OtherC2 from:1996 till:end text:ASC
bar:6 color:FullxF from:1978 till:1999 text:Centenary
bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:2003 text:Independent
bar:6 color:OtherC2 from:2003 till:2012 text:Summit
bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:end text:SCAC
bar:7 color:FullxF from:1978 till:2003 text:Samford
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2003 till:2008 text:OVC
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:2008 till:end text:SoCon
bar:8 color:FullxF from:1978 till:2014 text:Mercer
bar:8 shift: color:AssocOS from:2014 till:end text:SoCon
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1979 text:Ind.
bar:9 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1984 text:Northwestern State
bar:9 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1984 till:1987 text:GSC
bar:9 shift: color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:end text:Southland
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1979 text:Ind.
bar:10 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1991 text:Arkansas–Little Rock
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:2022 text:Sun Belt
bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:OVC
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1980 text:Indep.
bar:11 color:FullxF from:1980 till:1992 text:Georgia Southern
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:2014 text:SoCon
bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:2014 till:end text:Sun Belt
bar:12 color:AssocOS from:1982 till:1984 text:Nicholls State
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1981 text:Sun Belt
bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:1981 till:1983 text:Indep.
bar:13 color:FullxF from:1983 till:2005 text:Georgia State
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:CAA
bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:Sun Belt
bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1985 text:D-I Independent
bar:14 color:FullxF from:1985 till:end text:Stetson
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1986 text:D-I Independent
bar:15 color:FullxF from:1986 till:1991 text:UTSA
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:2012 text:Southland
bar:15 shift: color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:2013 text:WAC
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2023 text:C-USA
bar:15 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:American
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1988 text:D-II Independent
bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:1990 text:D-I Ind.
bar:16 color:FullxF from:1990 till:1998 text:FIU
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2013 text:Sun Belt
bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:C-USA
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1979 text:GSC
bar:17 shift: color:OtherC2 from:1979 till:1980 text:D-II
bar:17 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:1984 text:DI-AA Indep.
bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:1984 till:1987 text:Gulf Star
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1991 text:D-I Independent
bar:17 color:FullxF from:1991 till:1997 text:Southeastern Louisiana
bar:17 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:end text:Southland
bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1991 text:NAIA Independent
bar:18 color:FullxF from:1991 till:1998 text:College of Charleston
bar:18 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2013 text:SoCon
bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:CAA
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1984 text:SSC
bar:19 color:OtherC2 from:1984 till:1990 text:Independent
bar:19 shift: color:OtherC1 from:1990 till:1991 text:ASC
bar:19 shift: color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1992 text:SBC
bar:19 color:FullxF from:1992 till:2005 text:UCF
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:C-USA
bar:19 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2023 text:AAC
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:Big 12
bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1983 text:NAIA Independent
bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:1993 text:D-II Independent
bar:20 color:FullxF from:1993 till:2006 text:Florida Atlantic
bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2013 text:Sun Belt
bar:20 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2023 text:C-USA
bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:American
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1983 text:D-I Independent
bar:21 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:1994 text:Big South
bar:21 color:FullxF from:1994 till:2011 text:Campbell
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:2011 till:2023 text:Big South
bar:21 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:CAA
bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1993 text:GSC
bar:22 color:OtherC2 from:1993 till:1995 text:D-II Ind.
bar:22 color:FullxF from:1995 till:2003 text:Jacksonville State
bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:2003 till:2021 text:OVC
bar:22 color:FullxF from:2021 till:2022 text:
bar:22 color:Full from:2022 till:2023
bar:22 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:C-USA
bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1991 text:GSC
bar:23 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1993 text:D-II Ind.
bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:1994 text:ECC
bar:23 shift: color:OtherC2 from:1994 till:1997 text:Mid-Con
bar:23 color:FullxF from:1997 till:2005 text:Troy
bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:end text:Sun Belt
bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1998 text:Sun Belt
bar:24 color:FullxF from:1998 till:end text:Jacksonville
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1985 text:VSAC
bar:25 color:OtherC2 from:1985 till:1996 text:TCAC
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2001 text:D-I Independent
bar:25 color:FullxF from:2001 till:2012 text:Belmont
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2022 text:OVC
bar:25 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:MVC
bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1989 text:Independent
bar:26 color:OtherC2 from:1989 till:2000 text:SAC
bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:2002 text:Indep.
bar:26 color:FullxF from:2002 till:2008 text:Gardner–Webb
bar:26 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2008 till:end text:Big South
bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1985 text:VSAC
bar:27 color:OtherC2 from:1985 till:1996 text:TCAC
bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2001 text:TSAC
bar:27 color:OtherC2 from:2001 till:2003 text:D-I Ind.
bar:27 color:FullxF from:2003 till:end text:Lipscomb
bar:28 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2005 text:SoCon
bar:28 color:FullxF from:2005 till:2014 text:East Tennessee State
bar:28 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:SoCon
bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:1982 till:1994 text:GIAC
bar:29 color:OtherC2 from:1994 till:2000 text:PBAC
bar:29 color:OtherC2 from:2000 till:2005 text:PBC
bar:29 color:FullxF from:2005 till:2022 text:Kennesaw State
bar:29 color:Full from:2022 till:2023
bar:29 color:FullxF from:2023 till:2024
bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:2024 till:end text:C-USA
bar:30 color:OtherC1 from:1983 till:1992 text:NAIA Independent
bar:30 color:OtherC2 from:1992 till:1997 text:SSC
bar:30 color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:2000 text:PBAC
bar:30 color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:2005 text:PBC
bar:30 color:FullxF from:2005 till:end text:North Florida
bar:31 color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:2002 text:NAIA Independent
bar:31 color:OtherC2 from:2002 till:2007 text:D-II Independent
bar:31 color:FullxF from:2007 till:end text:FGCU
bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1992 text:NAIA Independent
bar:32 color:OtherC2 from:1992 till:2000 text:PBAC
bar:32 color:OtherC2 from:2000 till:2007 text:PBC
bar:32 color:FullxF from:2007 till:2018 text:USC Upstate
bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:end text:Big South
bar:33 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1985 text:D-II Independent
bar:33 color:OtherC2 from:1985 till:2012 text:GLVC
bar:33 color:FullxF from:2012 till:2015 text:Northern Kentucky
bar:33 shift: color:OtherC1 from:2015 till:end text:Horizon
bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1997 text:D-III Independent?
bar:38 color:OtherC2 from:1997 till:2000 text:NYCAC
bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:2000 till:2006 text:CACC
bar:38 color:OtherC2 from:2006 till:2008 text:Indep.
bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:2008 till:2013 text:GWC
bar:38 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2015 text:Indep.
bar:38 color:FullxF from:2015 till:2020 text:NJIT
bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:end text:AmEast
bar:42 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1991 text:Independent
bar:42 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:2018 text:Big South
bar:42 color:FullxF from:2018 till:2023 text:Liberty
bar:42 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end
bar:43 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2018 text:GSC
bar:43 color:FullxF from:2018 till:2022 text:North Alabama
bar:43 color:Full from:2022 till:2023
bar:43 color:FullxF from:2023 till:2026
bar:43 color:OtherC2 from:2026 till:end text:UAC
bar:46 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2020 text:GLVC
bar:46 color:FullxF from:2020 till:end text:Bellarmine
bar:47 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1993 text:AIC (NAIA)
bar:47 color:OtherC2 from:1993 till:2006 text:GSC
bar:47 color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2021 text:Southland
bar:47 shift: color:FullxF from:2021 till:2022 text:Central Arkansas
bar:47 color:Full from:2022 till:2023
bar:47 color:FullxF from:2023 till:2026
bar:47 color:OtherC2 from:2026 till:end text:UAC
bar:48 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2021 text:OVC
bar:48 shift: color:FullxF from:2021 till:2022 text:Eastern Kentucky
bar:48 color:Full from:2022 till:2023
bar:48 color:FullxF from:2023 till:2026
bar:48 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:UAC
bar:49 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2022 text:OVC
bar:49 shift: color:Full from:2022 till:2022 text:Austin Peay
bar:49 color:Full from:2022 till:2023
bar:49 color:FullxF from:2023 till:2026
bar:49 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:UAC
bar:50 color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1995 text:D-II Independent
bar:50 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2007 text:CVAC
bar:50 color:OtherC2 from:2007 till:2013 text:CC
bar:50 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2022 text:SAC
bar:50 color:FullxF from:2022 till:end text:Queens
bar:51 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:1983 text:Independent
bar:51 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:2024 text:GSC
bar:51 shift: color:FullxF from:2024 till:2026 text:West Georgia
bar:51 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:UAC
bar:N color:yellow from:1978 till:2001 text:Trans America Athletic Conference
bar:N color:yelloworange from:2001 till:2016 text:Atlantic Sun Conference
bar:N color:yellow from:2016 till:2023 text:ASUN
bar:N color:yelloworange from:2023 till:end text:Atlantic Sun Conference
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1980
TextData =
fontsize:L
textcolor:black
pos: tabs:
text:^"ASUN Conference membership history"

> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <#

Northeast Louisiana became the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1999.
Pan American, later known as Texas–Pan American or UTPA, merged with the University of Texas at Brownsville in 2015 to create the new University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The new school inherited UTPA's athletic program.
Sports sponsored

As of the 2023–24 school year, the ASUN sponsors championship competition in 10 men's and 12 women's NCAA sanctioned sports.
In 2008, the ASUN, in an agreement with the Southern Conference, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, and Big South Conference, formed the Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association for schools sponsoring men's and women's swimming and diving within the associated conferences. For the past several years, the ASUN's Commissioner has served as the president of what was initially a swimming & diving-only conference. In 2014 the CCSA expanded to include several other schools from other conferences, and the following year the conference added beach volleyball as a sponsored sport, changing its name to the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association. Currently the conference has 17 member schools, with five men's swimming and diving teams, nine women's swimming & diving teams, and six beach volleyball teams.
A more recent change to the roster of ASUN sports took place after the 2013–14 school year. Under a cooperative agreement between the ASUN and SoCon, the two leagues agreed to split lacrosse sponsorship. The SoCon took over the ASUN men's lacrosse league, while women's lacrosse sponsorship remained with the ASUN. The full alliance in women's lacrosse amicably ended after the 2017 season, with the SoCon sponsoring that sport from the 2018 season forward, but the two leagues continued in a cross-scheduling agreement until the SoCon dropped women's lacrosse after the 2021 season.
Still more recently, on September 13, 2016, the ASUN and Big South announced a football partnership that allows any ASUN members with scholarship football programs to become Big South football members, provided they are located within the general geographic footprint of the two conferences. At the time of announcement, the only ASUN member with a scholarship football program, Kennesaw State, was already a Big South football member. Should any ASUN member add scholarship football, or any non-scholarship football program of an ASUN school upgrade to scholarship football, that team will automatically join Big South football. North Alabama joined Big South football under the terms of this agreement; although the school's home state of Alabama had no schools in either conference at the time it was announced as a future ASUN member, three of its neighboring states were home to six of the ASUN's eight members at that time.
When the ASUN announced the July 2021 entry of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State, it also stated that it would launch a scholarship FCS football league, but did not specify when football competition will begin. No current member is required to add football or change its current football standing. At a press conference on February 23, 2021, the ASUN announced that it had entered into a separate football partnership with the Western Athletic Conference, which had previously announced the relaunch of its football league at the FCS level in fall 2021 with the arrival of four new FCS member schools. The three incoming ASUN members joined the four incoming WAC members in a round-robin schedule branded as the "ASUN–WAC Challenge". Both conferences proposed an amendment to NCAA bylaws that would allow the alliance to receive an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. The alliance had seven members, one more than the six normally required for an automatic bid, but were not in the same league for an adequate period to meet the current NCAA "continuity" requirement. The two leagues' proposal was successful, resulting in an automatic qualifier from the seven-team Challenge, colloquially dubbed "AQ7". With the 2022 arrival of Austin Peay providing the ASUN its sixth scholarship FCS program, the ASUN will start its football league in the 2022 season. However, because the ASUN and WAC were each left with only five playoff-eligible football members for 2022 after Jacksonville State and Sam Houston started FBS transitions in that season, both leagues renewed their football partnership for 2022. As noted earlier, the two conferences fully merged their football leagues in 2023 as the United Athletic Conference.
Shortly after the addition of football was announced, the ASUN announced that it would reinstate men's lacrosse in the 2022 season, with the lacrosse partnership with the SoCon retained for the time being. The two full ASUN members with men's lacrosse programs, Bellarmine and Jacksonville, separated for that sport, with Bellarmine joining the new ASUN lacrosse league and Jacksonville remaining in SoCon men's lacrosse. Air Force moved from SoCon men's lacrosse; men's lacrosse independent Utah joined; and all three Horizon League members with men's lacrosse programs also joined, with Detroit Mercy moving from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Cleveland State and Robert Morris moving from independent status. The SoCon maintained its automatic NCAA tournament berth by adding another lacrosse independent, Hampton. The ASUN men's lacrosse league was initially to be administered through the CCSA while operating under the ASUN name as part of the ASUN's intended plan to split into two conferences. This arrangement was scrapped along with the planned conference split once NJIT left for the America East; the men's lacrosse league is now directly administered by the ASUN.
The ASUN added two new beach volleyball members, Charleston and UNCW, in July 2021. At the same time, Coastal Carolina left ASUN beach volleyball for the newly formed Conference USA beach volleyball league. With the demise of SoCon women's lacrosse after the 2021 season, Coastal Carolina and Delaware State returned to the ASUN in that sport after respectively spending one and four seasons in the SoCon.
The SoCon dropped men's lacrosse after the 2022 season due to further conference realignment. Jacksonville returned men's lacrosse to the ASUN, and full SoCon member Mercer became an ASUN men's lacrosse affiliate. Lindenwood, which started a transition from D-II to D-I in 2022 as a new member of the Ohio Valley Conference, became an affiliate in both men's and women's lacrosse. Also in 2022–23, the ASUN lost all four of its beach volleyball affiliates to the new beach volleyball league of the Sun Belt Conference.
As noted previously, the ASUN added men's and women's swimming & diving in 2023–24.

Sport	Men's	Women's
Baseball	12	–
Basketball	12	12
Beach volleyball	–	8
Cross country	12	12
Golf	12	12
Lacrosse	6	9
Soccer	8	12
Softball	–	12
Swimming & diving	6	9
Tennis	9	10
Track and field (indoor)	7	9
Track and field (outdoor)	7	9
Volleyball	–	12

Men's sports

Men's varsity sports not sponsored by the league which are played by ASUN schools:

School	Football	Rowing	Volleyball	Wrestling
Austin Peay	UAC	No	No	No
Bellarmine	No	No	No	SoCon
Central Arkansas	UAC	No	No	No
Eastern Kentucky	UAC	No	No	No
Jacksonville	No	MAAC	No	No
North Alabama	UAC	No	No	No
Queens	No	No	MIVA	No
Stetson	Pioneer	MAAC	No	No
West Georgia	UAC	No	No	No

In addition to the aforementioned sports:

Queens sponsors men's rugby and triathlon, neither of which has NCAA recognition of any type. It also considers its male cheerleaders to be varsity athletes.
Women's sports

Women's varsity sports not sponsored by the league which are played by ASUN schools:

School	Field hockey	Rowing	Rugby	Stunt	Triathlon
Bellarmine	MAC	No	No	No	No
Central Arkansas	No	No	No	Independent	No
Jacksonville	No	MAAC	No	No	No
Queens	IND	No	IND	No	IND
Stetson	No	MAAC	No	No	No
West Georgia	No	No	No	No	No

In addition to the aforementioned sports:

Bellarmine considers the members of its all-female dance team to be varsity athletes.
Queens considers its cheerleaders and dance team to be varsity athletes.
Facilities

[Austin Peay Governors\|]	F&M Bank Arena	5,500	Raymond C. Hand Park	777	Morgan Brothers Field	800
[Bellarmine Knights\|]	Knights Hall	2,196	Knights Field		Owsley B. Frazier Stadium	2,000
[Central Arkansas Bears and Sugar Bears\|]	Farris Center	6,000	Bear Stadium	1,000	Bill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex	1,000
[Eastern Kentucky Colonels\|]	Baptist Health Arena	6,300	Turkey Hughes Field	500	EKU Soccer Field	400
[Florida Gulf Coast Eagles\|]	Alico Arena	4,633	Swanson Stadium	1,500	FGCU Soccer Complex	1,500
	Swisher Gymnasium	1,500	John Sessions Stadium	1,500	Southern Oak Stadium	500
	Allen Arena	5,028	Ken Dugan Field	1,500	Lipscomb Soccer Complex	600
	Flowers Hall	3,900	Mike D. Lane Field	1,500	Bill Jones Athletic Complex
	UNF Arena	5,800	Harmon Stadium	1,000	Hodges Stadium	9,300
	Curry Arena	2,500	Tuckaseegee Dream Fields		Dickson Field
[Stetson Hatters\|]	Edmunds Center	5,000	Melching Field at Conrad Park	2,500	Stetson Soccer Complex	500
[West Georgia Wolves\|]	The Coliseum	6,469	Cole Field	500	University Soccer Field	250

All Sports Championships

The Jesse C. Fletcher and Sherman Day Trophies are awarded each year to the top men's and women's program in the conference. The Bill Bibb Trophy, combining the men's and women's results for the best overall program, was first awarded in 2006–07. East Tennessee State won this overall trophy seven of the nine years it has been awarded; Florida Gulf Coast won in 2012–13, 2014–15 and 2015–16.

Men's All Sports: Jesse C. Fletcher Trophy

Women's All Sports: Sherman Day Trophy

Combined All Sports: Bill Bibb Trophy

Championships

Men's basketball

This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see ASUN men's basketball tournament.

Season	Reg. season champions	Tournament champion
2015–16	North Florida	Florida Gulf Coast
2016–17	Florida Gulf Coast	Florida Gulf Coast
2017–18	Florida Gulf Coast	Bisons men's basketball\|Lipscomb]
2018–19	2018–19 [Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team\|Lipscomb] Liberty	Liberty
2019–20	Liberty 2019–20 [North Florida Ospreys men's basketball team\|North Florida]	Liberty
2020–21	Liberty	Liberty
2021–22	Liberty 2021–22 [Jacksonville State Gamecocks men's basketball team\|Jacksonville State]	2021–22 [Bellarmine Knights men's basketball team\|Bellarmine]
2022–23	2022–23 [Kennesaw State Owls men's basketball team\|Kennesaw State] Liberty	Owls men's basketball team\|Kennesaw State]
2023–24	2023–24 [Eastern Kentucky Colonels men's basketball team\|Eastern Kentucky]	2023–24 [Stetson Hatters men's basketball team\|Stetson]
2024–25	Lipscomb Bisons men's basketball team\|Lipscomb] 2024–25 [North Alabama Lions men's basketball team\|North Alabama]	Lipscomb

Women's basketball

This is a partial list of the last 10 champions. For the full history, see ASUN women's basketball tournament.

Season	Reg. season champions	Tournament champion
2015–16	2015–16 [Florida Gulf Coast Eagles women's basketball team\|Florida Gulf Coast]	2015–16 [Jacksonville Dolphins women's basketball team\|Jacksonville]
2016–17	2016–17 [Stetson Hatters women's basketball team\|Stetson]	2016–17 [Florida Gulf Coast Eagles women's basketball team\|Florida Gulf Coast]
2017–18	Eagles women's basketball team\|Florida Gulf Coast]	Florida Gulf Coast
2018–19	Florida Gulf Coast	Florida Gulf Coast
2019–20	Florida Gulf Coast	None
2020–21	Florida Gulf Coast	Florida Gulf Coast
2021–22	Florida Gulf Coast 2021–22 [Jacksonville State Gamecocks women's basketball team\|Jacksonville State]	Florida Gulf Coast
2022–23	Florida Gulf Coast	Florida Gulf Coast
2023–24	Florida Gulf Coast	Florida Gulf Coast
2024–25	Florida Gulf Coast	Florida Gulf Coast

Baseball

ASUN Conference baseball tournament