(Stat Perform) - The two newest FCS conferences announced Tuesday they have combined on a scheduling alliance for the fall 2021 season, which could allow the ASUN and Western Athletic conferences to receive an automatic qualifying playoff bid for its champion. Separately, neither conference would have the NCAA postseason minimum of six eligible teams to receive an automatic qualifier, but they do by combining incoming ASUN members Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State and incoming WAC members Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin. The alliance, called the AQ7 and featuring traditionally strong programs, will compete under conference standings named the WAC-ASUN Challenge. ASUN commissioner Ted Gumbart said the alliance has applied to the NCAA for a playoff bid. "This partnership provides teams in both leagues a path to an automatic bid and elevates the ASUN and WAC to a new level of competition," he said. WAC members Dixie State and Tarleton also will compete against AQ7 opponents in the joint schedule, but they won't be eligible for the potential playoff AQ in what will be their second year of NCAA reclassification to Division I. Southern Utah, a Big Sky associate football member, will join the WAC's football rebirth in 2022. Kennesaw State and North Alabama, two of the five charter members of ASUN football, will play a final season this fall as associate members of the Big South, which has a partnership with the ASUN. In 2022, the two conferences will create the ASUN-Big South Challenge series, head-to-head matchups between its members over the final weekend of the FCS regular season. All of the FCS conferences that are losing members to the ASUN and WAC - the Big Sky, Big South, Ohio Valley and Southland - will continue to meet eligibility for a playoff AQ. ---= 2021 WAC-ASUN Challenge Schedule Sept. 25 Sam Houston at Central Arkansas Abilene Christian at Lamar Oct. 2 Central Arkansas at Abilene Christian *Tarleton at Eastern Kentucky Sam Houston at Stephen F. Austin Oct. 9 Abilene Christian at Eastern Kentucky Stephen F. Austin at Jacksonville State Lamar at Sam Houston Oct. 16 Lamar at Abilene Christian Eastern Kentucky at Central Arkansas *Tarleton at Dixie State Oct. 23 Central Arkansas at Lamar *Stephen F. Austin at Dixie State Jacksonville State at Sam Houston Oct. 30 Abilene Christian at Stephen F. Austin Central Arkansas at Jacksonville State Lamar at Eastern Kentucky *Sam Houston at Tarleton Nov. 6 Abilene Christian at Jacksonville State Dixie State at Sam Houston Eastern Kentucky at Stephen F. Austin *Lamar at Tarleton Nov. 13 *Tarleton at Abilene Christian Stephen F. Austin at Central Arkansas Eastern Kentucky at Sam Houston Jacksonville State at Lamar Nov. 20 Sam Houston at Abilene Christian *Central Arkansas at Tarleton Jacksonville State at Eastern Kentucky Stephen F. Austin at Lamar *-Games involving Dixie State and Tarleton will not count toward alliance win percentage
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