Only a year old, the United Athletic Conference has quietly become one of the more competitive leagues in the FCS. A merger between the Atlantic Sun Conference and Western Athletic Conference, the UAC is starting to become a real player in football — the only sport it sponsors — this season. 

Tarleton State, Abilene Christian and Central Arkansas not only all have purple in their uniform, but most importantly, they are all ranked in the FCS Power Rankings. Deservingly so. As we’ve seen over the course of the season, both Abilene Christian and Central Arkansas have taken FBS teams down to the wire and should have won those games. 

Tarleton State, which recently moved up to the FCS in 2020, has been one of the teams mentioned in both Mountain West and Conference USA expansion talks, which speaks to the power and potential of the program. 

Elsewhere in the UAC, Eastern Kentucky has won three straight games and could find itself in the Top 25 next week if it takes care of business against Southern Utah. The Colonels have been the focus of Conference USA rumors as well.

If these teams continue to keep up the stellar play, we may see the United Athletic Conference as a multi-team participant in the FCS playoffs this season, which would be a major accomplishment for commissioner Oliver Luck and the league, still in only its second year of existence.