The West Georgia Wolves football program represents the University of West Georgia (UWG) in college football. Previously an NCAA Division II team, they became a Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program as a member of the football-only version of the United Athletic Conference (UAC), an alliance between the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and Western Athletic Conference, effective July 1, 2024. In July 2026, the football-only UAC was merged into the Western Athletic Conference, which adopted the United Athletic Conference name. West Georgia was one of five full ASUN members, all of which had played football in the single-sport UAC, to join the all-sports UAC.
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History
The West Georgia football team, originally known as the Braves (which was the nickname until 2006), was founded in 1946, when the school, then known as West Georgia College, was a two-year institution. They had their first practice on September 30, 1946, with 54 players reporting, and ended their first season with a record of 2–5–1. Prior to the 1958 season, the school became a four-year institution, and the football team played one year with only freshmen and sophomores before being discontinued. In total, from 1946 to 1958, West Georgia won only 13 games.
On May 14, 1980, it was announced that West Georgia was reviving its football team, with intentions to play in 1981 as an NCAA Division III independent. Bobby Pate was hired as head coach and the team had around 385 players try out, with 115 making the squad. Despite them being in their first season in 23 years, West Georgia compiled a perfect 9–0 regular season record and reached the Division III playoffs, where they lost in the first round to the ultimate national champions Widener, by one score. In their second season back, West Georgia compiled a perfect 12–0 record and won the national championship with a shutout win over Augustana (IL).
The team moved up to the NCAA Division II level after two years in Division III, joining the Gulf South Conference (GSC), where they remained through 2023. In their GSC tenure, the Braves / Wolves won four conference championships (1997, 1998, 2000, 2015), two NCAA regional championships (2014, 2015) and reached the Division II playoffs nine times.
In 2023, it was announced that the team was moving to the NCAA Division I FCS level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC), an alliance of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and Western Athletic Conference (WAC), effective July 1, 2024. The single-sport UAC would merge into the WAC in 2026, with the WAC adopting the UAC name.
Classifications
1946–1958: Community college
1959–1980: No team
1981–1982: NCAA Division III
1983–2023: NCAA Division II
2024–present: NCAA Division I FCS
Conference affiliations
1946–1958: Unknown
1959–1980: No team
1981–1982: NCAA Division III independent
1983–2023: Gulf South Conference
2024–2025: United Athletic Conference (football-only)
2026–present: United Athletic Conference (all-sports)
Future non-conference opponents
Future non-conference opponents announced as of August 25, 2026.