FCS CONFERENCE · 2026 SEASON

UAC

#14 overall#3 in FCSRR50 +10.7Upper strength +13.58 teamsTop 25 teams 0

VERDICT BEGINS · 2026

Built by Choice

The United Athletic Conference launched in 2023 as a collection of programs that outgrew their previous conferences: Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech, and West Georgia. Most of these programs made recent FCS-to-FBS moves or FCS playoff appearances before the conference formed. The UAC is not a legacy institution — it is a self-selected group of programs that identified each other as peers and formalized it, which is an unusual way to build a conference and a natural experiment in modern FCS competition.

FCS8 teamsRace: FCS PlayoffLeader: Tarleton State

UAC · 2026 Season

Three Things to Watch

The Title PedigreeStephen F. Austin: The UAC's Championship Anchor

Stephen F. Austin won the FCS national championship in 2020 and has been one of the most consistent programs in FCS football for two decades. Their Nacogdoches, Texas program draws from East Texas and Louisiana — a pipeline that produces skill players in volume. They joined the UAC with more FCS playoff experience than any other conference member and remain the program most likely to produce the UAC's first national championship appearance from within the new league.

The VeteranCentral Arkansas: Built on Quarterback Development

Central Arkansas has produced more NFL quarterbacks per capita than almost any FCS program — Bryce Lindsey, Zach Annexstad, Skylar Thompson all developed in Conway, Arkansas. Their offensive identity is built on signal-callers who read defenses at a level that FCS coordinators cannot consistently match. They earned at-large bids in consecutive years before joining the UAC, and they enter 2026 as the conference's most complete offensive program.

Wild CardEastern Kentucky's Appalachian Tradition

Eastern Kentucky won the FCS title in 1979 and 1982 and has been a consistent OVC and now UAC contender for four decades. Their Richmond, Kentucky program draws from the eastern Kentucky and southern Ohio pipeline — tough, physical linemen and backs who fit their identity. If their line is healthy and their quarterback situation is settled entering 2026, they are a legitimate UAC title threat and at-large candidate.

Conference Standings · UAC · 2026

Standings

# Team Conf Overall Pwr Last 5
1West Florida1–02–0+5.9
2Tarleton State0–03–0+16.2
3Austin Peay0–02–1+14.4
4Eastern Kentucky0–01–2+10.7
5North Alabama0–01–2+10.0
6Abilene Christian0–00–3+14.3
7West Georgia0–00–3+7.2
8Central Arkansas0–12–1+9.7

Conference record determines standing. Power = neutral-field pts vs. all-level average. Last 5 = most recent game results.

Projected Standings · UAC · 2026

Win Projection

Odds of winning at least N conference games from current power ratings — full slate played out, not locked to results. AVG = expected wins; W–L = most-likely record.

# Team W–L PWR AVG ≥7≥6≥5≥4≥3≥2≥1
Favorites
1Tarleton State5–2+5.14.441948769399✓
2Austin Peay4–3+3.34.121338678898✓
Challengers
3Abilene Christian4–3+3.34.121439709098✓
4Eastern Kentucky3–4-0.33.5152150789499
The Field
5North Alabama3–4-1.03.4151946749399
6Central Arkansas3–4-1.43.341844739399
Rebuilding
7West Georgia3–4-3.92.921030608698
8West Florida2–5-5.12.41519457695

Conference Power · FCS

Where We Stand

# Conference Avg Power vs Focal Top Team
1MVFC
+11.6
1–0Illinois State
2Big Sky
+11.0
—Montana State
3UACYou are here
+10.7
—Tarleton State
4Southland
+10.6
1–3Stephen F. Austin
5SWAC
+10.3
1–0Prairie View A&M
6MEAC
+10.2
—South Carolina State
7Coastal Athletic
+9.9
—Rhode Island
8Southern
+9.9
2–2Tennessee Tech
9Patriot
+9.7
—Lehigh
10OVC
+9.6
2–0UT Martin
11NEC
+9.0
—Robert Morris
12Pioneer
+8.9
1–0San Diego
13Ivy
+8.3
—Harvard

Round-robin power = strength of schedule-adjusted conference average, points vs. all-level average team. Record = UAC's record vs. that conference across all games this season.

The United Athletic Conference launched in 2023 as a collection of programs that outgrew their previous conferences: Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton State, Utah Tech, and West Georgia. Most of these programs made recent FCS-to-FBS moves or FCS playoff appearances before the conference formed. The UAC is not a legacy institution — it is a self-selected group of programs that identified each other as peers and formalized it, which is an unusual way to build a conference and a natural experiment in modern FCS competition.

Conference Snapshot

RR50+10.7
Upper Strength+13.5
Median Power+10.2
Resume Pulse50.2
Avg ATS56.2%
Wins vs Market+0.09
Top-to-Middle Gap5.8
Combined Record11-12

`RR50`, `Upper Strength`, and `Median Power` are shown on the same public power scale as the rest of the site: points on a neutral field versus the average all-level NCAA team. Very small affiliations are gently regressed toward their subdivision baseline so a one-team outlier does not hijack the entire conference board.

UAC Team Board

The league stack, sorted by predictive strength. Power is shown as neutral-field points versus the all-level average team, while resume is shown on a 0-100 season score.

Rank Team Record Power Resume ATS Wins vs Market Recent Form
#95 Tarleton State 3-0 +16.2 95 1-2 +0.66 3-0 over the last 3 (W1 W1 W2)
#112 Austin Peay 2-1 +14.4 68 3-0 +0.05 2-1 over the last 3 (W1 L1 W2)
#114 Abilene Christian 0-3 +14.3 28 1-2 -1.13 0-3 over the last 3 (L1 L1 L2)
#173 Eastern Kentucky 1-2 +10.7 21 1-2 +0.08 1-2 over the last 3 (L1 L1 W2)
#192 North Alabama 1-2 +10.0 50 3-0 -0.01 1-2 over the last 3 (W1 L1 L2)
#204 Central Arkansas 2-1 +9.7 43 1-1 -0.13 2-1 over the last 3 (W1 L1 W2)
#248 West Georgia 0-3 +7.2 3 0-3 -0.43 0-3 over the last 3 (L1 L1 L2)
#261 West Florida 2-0 +5.9 94 2-0 +1.67 2-0 over the last 2 (W1 W1)