What just happened with the Big Sky, WAC, ASUN and more:

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Last week, I reported that the end of June was likely to be very busy from a conference realignment perspective. That’s exactly what’s happened so far, as yesterday brought multiple realignment moves, with more likely to come before July 1.

On Wednesday afternoon, I originally broke the news that Southern Utah and Utah Tech are heading to the Big Sky Conference, effective next season. Yahoo!’s Ross Dellenger then reported that the remaining three WAC institutions will join the five football-playing ASUN institutions in a re-branded WAC, called the United Athletic Conference.

The Big Sky confirmed its two additions late Wednesday afternoon. Industry sources with direct familiarity with the ASUN’s plans have told me an official announcement is expected early Thursday morning.

I spent most of Wednesday on the phone, trying to get a better understanding of what had just happened, why it happened and where things may go next. Here’s what I’ve learned, as of late Wednesday evening.

What exactly is the UAC, and why did the ASUN sort of split up?

As of this exact moment, here’s what the membership of the two leagues looks like:

UAC: Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Tarleton State, Texas-Arlington and West Georgia

ASUN: Lipscomb, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Queens, North Florida, Stetson and Bellarmine

Now, math was never my strong suit, which is why I went into journalism and not a career that provides stability, but I believe this means the UAC will have eight schools (seven with football), and the ASUN will have seven.

Multiple industry sources with direct knowledge of both conferences’ thinking told me on Wednesday that the UAC and ASUN are expected to look at adding additional members in the near future.

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