Tonight marks a first for University of West Florida football. The Argos are scheduled to play their first NCAA Division I game when they open the season against No. 16 Southern Illinois. The matchup comes just months after UWF announced in April that it would move to Division I, joining the United Athletic Conference for football and the Atlantic Sun for other sports.
The opener also starts a new chapter for coach Kaleb ***** les, who played quarterback in UWF's first game in 2016 and now leads the program as head coach. UWF built a quick Division II resume that included a national championship in 2019 and six playoff appearances. Now the question is how that success translates at the FCS level, beginning with a season opener that should give the Argos an early test against a ranked opponent.
Tonight's game is UWF's first football contest as a Division I program, making it a milestone moment for the university and for a program that is not yet 10 years old.
The Argos went 81-30 in Division II, but Division I comes with greater scholarship requirements and more financial investment to maintain a strong program.
UWF's teams can compete for conference championships right away, but they are not eligible for NCAA championships until the 2029-30 academic year.

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