![]() Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. We hold President Killingsworth and Athletics Director Greg Seitz in the highest regard and stand immensely proud to have built an ASUN that has attracted the Gamecocks back where they belong. “Giving Jacksonville State a regional presence in the heart of our alumni and fan base, along with the ASUN’s plan to create a new football league were very important factors in us engaging in discussions with the league,” stated Killingsworth.ĪSUN Conference Commissioner Ted Gumbart commented, “The fact that we can re-establish a conference bond today, and bring JSU back into the ASUN membership is an extremely satisfying step. Jacksonville State will go from being the southernmost member of the Ohio Valley Conference - 209 miles to the nearest school - to being right in the middle, geographically, of the ASUN school locations. It is not yet clear if UNA will move its football team to ASUN now that doing so is an option. However, the Lions’ football team plays in the Big South Conference. The Florence-based University of North Alabama, a longtime Jacksonville State rival, joined ASUN in 2018. The ASUN’s decision to sponsor FCS Football opened the door for JSU to return to the league,” the university explained in a release. “The Gamecocks moved to the OVC from the ASUN in 2003 because its football team was having to compete in the Southland Football League. The conference had for many years prioritized basketball as its primary sport. The other two are the University of Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky University.ĪSUN also announced in recent days that they will begin sponsoring Division I FCS scholarship football. JSU is one of three schools that have recently announced they will play in the ASUN Conference. All EKU teams will be immediately eligible for conference awards, postseason play and NCAA Tournament automatic bids. “This is an exciting day for Jacksonville State University, for our student-athletes, for our alumni and for our fans,” said Jacksonville State President Dr. Eastern Kentucky University and all 16 of its athletics teams officially joined the ASUN Conference today, July 1, 2021.
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