sport
Augusta University Joins West Coast Conference; Men's Basketball Ranked No. 10
Augusta University golf teams prepare to enter the West Coast Conference while the men's basketball squad holds a No. 10 preseason spot and Augusta Tech readies new squads.
How we reported this
Augusta University men's and women's golf programs are joining the West Coast Conference as affiliate members starting in the 2025-26 season after leaving the Southland Conference.
Shift in Conference Alignment
The move places the golf teams in a new competitive group at the Division I level. Augusta University fields 13 NCAA Division II varsity sports that compete mainly inside the Peach Belt Conference. Golf stands apart because it already operates at Division I. The conference change gives the programs a fresh set of opponents beginning next season.
Local observers note that the adjustment affects scheduling and travel for the golf squads. The university has maintained its Peach Belt ties for the other 12 sports, keeping most contests inside the regional footprint.
Basketball Standing and Tech Developments
The Augusta University men's basketball team entered the 2024 season ranked No. 10 in the preseason DII men's rankings issued by College Basketball Nation. That placement reflects the program's recent performance level heading into conference play.
Augusta Tech plans to bring back campus athletics through new football and basketball teams. Basketball is expected to launch first because of lower startup costs compared with football. The addition would expand athletic options at the technical college level in Augusta.
These updates arrive as teams across the area focus on training and roster work. No specific game results from the past week appear in the available reports, so attention stays on structural changes that shape upcoming schedules.
Programs will keep preparing within their current alignments while the golf teams ready for the West Coast Conference transition. Fans can track developments through university athletic sites and local coverage outlets such as https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/college/2025/07/31/augusta-university-mens-womens-golf-programs-new-conference-west-coast-conference/85466057007/ and https://augustafreepress.com/sports-news-afp/.