West Georgia Wolves football | |||
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First season | 1946 | ||
Athletic director | Jason Carmichael | ||
Head coach | Joel Taylor 1st season, 0–0 (–) | ||
Stadium | University Stadium (capacity: 10,000) | ||
Year built | 2009 | ||
Field surface | Grass | ||
Location | Carrollton, Georgia | ||
NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
Conference | United Athletic Conference | ||
Past conferences |
| ||
Playoff appearances | 11 | ||
Claimed national titles | 1 (NCAA Division III: 1982) | ||
Conference titles | 4 | ||
Rivalries | Valdosta State | ||
Colors | Blue and red [1] | ||
Website | Official website |
The West Georgia Wolves football program represents the University of West Georgia (UWG) in college football. Previously an NCAA Division II team, they will become a Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC), effective July 1, 2024.
The West Georgia football team, originally known as the Braves (which was the nickname until 2006), was founded in 1946, when the school, then known as West Georgia College, was a two-year institution. [2] They had their first practice on September 30, 1946, with 54 players reporting, and ended their first season with a record of 2–5–1. [2] Prior to the 1958 season, the school became a four-year institution, and the football team played one year with only freshmen and sophomores before being discontinued. [3] [4] In total, from 1946 to 1958, West Georgia won only 13 games. [5]
On May 14, 1980, it was announced that West Georgia was reviving its football team, with intentions to play in 1981 as an NCAA Division III independent. [6] Bobby Pate was hired as head coach and the team had around 385 players try out, with 115 making the squad. [7] Despite them being in their first season in 23 years, West Georgia compiled a perfect 9–0 regular season record and reached the Division III playoffs, where they lost in the first round to the ultimate national champions Widener, by one score. [8] [9] In their second season back, West Georgia compiled a perfect 12–0 record and won the national championship with a shutout win over Augustana (IL). [8] [10]
The team moved up to the NCAA Division II level after two years in Division III, joining the Gulf South Conference (GSC), where they remained through 2023. [11] [12] In their GSC tenure, the Braves / Wolves won four conference championships (1997, 1998, 2000, 2015), two NCAA regional championships (2014, 2015) and reached the Division II playoffs nine times. [13] [14]
In 2023, it was announced that the team was moving to the NCAA Division I FCS level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC), an alliance of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and Western Athletic Conference (WAC), effective July 1, 2024. [15]
Gulf South Conference Champions | 1997, 1998, 2000, 2015 |
NCAA Division II Team Playoff Participants | 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021 |
NCAA Division II Regional Championships | 2014, 2015 |
NCAA Division III Team Playoff Participants | 1981, 1982 |
NCAA Division III Regional Championships | 1982 |
NCAA Division III National Championships | 1982 |
Future non-conference opponents announced as of July 9, 2024. [16]
2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Samford | at Samford | at Arkansas State | at Cincinnati | at Troy |
Shorter | East Tennessee | at East Tennessee | ||
Lincoln (CA) |
The Gulf South Conference (GSC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the Southeastern United States.
The NCAA Division I Football Championship is an annual post-season college football game, played since 2006, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). From 1978 to 2005, the game was known as the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship.
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic powers, with large budgets, more elaborate and nicer facilities and a few more athletic scholarships than Divisions II and III as well as many smaller schools committed to the highest level of intercollegiate competition.
The North Alabama Lions football program represents the University of North Alabama (UNA) in college football as the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The conference, which played its first season in 2023, is a merger of the football leagues of UNA's primary home of the ASUN Conference and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). UNA had played the 2022 season in the ASUN, and before that had played football in the Big South Conference for three seasons. UNA plays its home games at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama. The team's head coach is Brent Dearmon. UNA was an NCAA Division II from member from 1972 to 2017.
The Central Arkansas Bears football program is the intercollegiate American football team for University of Central Arkansas (UCA) located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which started play in 2023. For the 2021 season, UCA was a de facto associate member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), and in 2022 it played in its full-time home of the ASUN Conference. Central Arkansas's first football team was fielded in 1908. The team plays its home games at the 12,000-seat Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas. The Bears are coached by Nathan Brown, in his seventh year.
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The West Georgia Wolves are the athletic teams that represent the University of West Georgia, located in Carrollton, Georgia, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. The Wolves compete as members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) for all 13 varsity sports. West Georgia had been a member of the Gulf South Conference since 1983, when they announced that they would be joining NCAA Division I as members of the ASUN starting in 2024. The football team joined the United Athletic Conference, a football-only partnership between the ASUN and the Western Athletic Conference, at the same time.
The 2006 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began on September 2, 2006, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 16, 2006 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama.
The 2016 West Georgia Wolves football team represented the University of West Georgia in the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by head coach Will Hall, who was in his third season at West Georgia. The Wolves played their home games at University Stadium and were members of the Gulf South Conference. They finished the season with a record of 7 wins and 4 losses, defeating one top 25 ranked team, ranked as high as #2 in the nation before falling in the middle of the season. West Georgia were not invited in the 2016 playoffs.
The 2017 West Georgia Wolves football team represented the University of West Georgia in the 2017 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by first-year head coach David Dean. The Wolves played their home games at University Stadium and were members of the Gulf South Conference.
The 2018 West Georgia Wolves football team will represent the University of West Georgia in the 2018 NCAA Division II football season. They will be led by second-year head coach David Dean. The Wolves will play their home games at University Stadium and were members of the Gulf South Conference.
The 2021 West Georgia Wolves football team represented the University of West Georgia as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) during the 2021 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach David Dean. The Wolves played their home games at University Stadium in Carrollton, Georgia.
The 2022 Gulf South Conference football season was the season of college football played by the eight member schools of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) as part of the 2022 NCAA Division II football season.
The United Athletic Conference (UAC) is an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) intercollegiate athletic conference. The conference is a merger of the existing football leagues of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The UAC covers the southwestern, western, and southern United States with member institutions located in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.
The 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, is organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. The regular season begins on August 24 and ends in November. The postseason begins in November and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, will end on January 6, 2025, with the 2025 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
The 2024 West Georgia Wolves football team will represent the University of West Georgia as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Wolves will be coached by first-year head coach Joel Taylor and play at University Stadium in Carrollton, Georgia.
The 2024 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, will begin on August 29 and will end on December 21 with the Division II championship at the McKinney Independent School District Stadium in McKinney, Texas.