January 31, 2021, I had a conversation with the ASUN commissioner, Ted Gumbart, about adding EKU to the conference. Gumbart shared his vision for the ASUN to be a progressive conference, specifically with football. That brings us to October of 2022 and we are already asking the question, is ASUN football success or a failure?
The CUSA recently announced the addition of Kennesaw State will join Jacksonville State in leaving the ASUN, which currently leaves just four football schools in the ASUN. An FCS conference needs six schools to qualify for an automatic bid to the playoffs.
Ted Gumbart announced he will be retiring after this year, meaning the man with the vision for a progressive football conference, maybe not only walk away from the conference but may take the vision with him. I look at the ASUN’s current situation and can see where some could see it as a success, and others see it as a failure.
Success
One of the great things about Ted Gumbart’s vision for the conference was to help universities reach their goals. ASUN football was designed to be a step up for some schools, and a stepping stool for others. A D-2 school could move up to D-1, and an FCS school could eventually move to FBS, just as Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State are doing.
I cover EKU closely, and they have made it no secret they desire to move up to FBS. They have not got an official invite yet, but are confident one is coming soon. I believe the ASUN has been successful in being a step up, or a stepping stone.
I reached out to Commissioner Gumbart before this article, and he still sees the conference as successful. Gumbart said, “ASUN football remains under construction. Meaningful projects rarely progress EXACTLY as the first edition of the plans outline. We began in Fall 2022 by creating a new AQ into the FCS playoffs with the WAC – that was original, collaborative, and added opportunity for our schools, teams, and student-athletes. WIN. This fall the ASUN has its own conference schedule, all six of our participants are wearing ASUN Football Inaugural Season patches. Through the dynamic changes over the past year, we still provide a great schedule and an AQ to the same group (ASUN/WAC) that developed it in 2022. WIN.”
Failure
Since the start of ASUN football, the conference has yet to field enough teams for an Automatic Bid into the FCS playoffs. The ASUN-WAC challenge was formed so that there would be an AQ this season and last season. With the conference sitting at four schools, EKU, Central Arkansas, North Alabama, and Austin Peay, they will need to add two schools or continue to partner with another conference. This is nowhere close to the vision of Gumbart, or of the schools that joined the ASUN to become an elite FCS football conference.
What is Next?
I see two options for the ASUN when it comes to football. Option one is to add at least two more schools, and move forward with Ted Gumbart’s vision. Option two is to give up. The four remaining schools would need to find a new conference. My sources say EKU (CUSA or MAC) continues to seek FBS opportunities, as well as Central Arkansas. Other FBS conferences could add the four current ASUN schools as well.
I look at ASUN football overall as a failure and believe it will not exist by 2024, but I am not a part of the conversations, and maybe, just maybe, Gumbart’s vision will move forward. Gumbart said, “We have multiple scenarios in the works for 2023 and beyond. They are based on the original plans but have evolved with the market reality of conference realignment. We remain proactive, we build options and we will continue to provide competitive opportunities for all ASUN student-athletes. We will succeed in that. Is the 2024-25 makeup of ASUN football going to be what was in our first draft of plans back in 2019? No, it will be different. Still under construction, but still providing the benefits of conference membership (schedule and AQ). Plans are definitely to continue building ASUN Football.”
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1 Comment
I see both the WAC and the A-Sun as failures if (and ONLY if) both conferences don’t stack up any potential candidate member schools (for all sports, as of being core members, with football and basketball as main focus) in time in a few years. Otherwise, other schools within there might be heading to other FBS conferences to move up; like an Eastern Kentucky or a Central Arkansas or a Stephen F. Austin or a Tarleton St, etc.
Plus, on the flip side of the coin, some of the current schools sponsor football, but play it elsewhere or had dropped the sport: like Stetson (who plays in the non-scholarship PFL) and Jacksonville U. had it at one point; while their non-football schools had chosen not to do at least a bare minimum study to add the sport.