Arizona Christian University is pleased to announce that Firestorm Football will join the powerhouse Frontier Conference as an associate member next season.
“Having won three conference championships in our first seven years in the Sooner Athletic Conference (previously the Central States Football League) and after seven consecutive winning seasons, we are excited to move to a new level of competition and game-day experience,” said Len Munsil, ACU President and a member of the NAIA’s governing board, the Council of Presidents. “The Frontier Conference is historically one of the NAIA’s strongest football conferences, with some of the largest stadiums and fan bases in all of NAIA football.”
The move puts the Firestorm into competition in 2023 with NAIA universities in the West – in Montana, Idaho and Oregon – who have long traditions of excellence. Based in Whitefish, Mont., the Frontier Conference boasts seven NAIA football national championships.
“As we continue in our goal to compete for a national championship, this is a huge step for ACU,” President Munsil said. “We are grateful to the Presidents of the Frontier Conference for extending this invitation, and thrilled to accept!”
Full members of the Frontier Conference (founded in 1934) include Carroll College, Montana Tech, Montana Western, MSU-Northern, Rocky Mountain College, and the University of Providence. Three associate members compete in football in the Frontier Conference – the College of Idaho, Eastern Oregon University, and Southern Oregon University.
“The move to the Frontier Conference connects ACU to other NAIA institutions in the West, an important move as we see college football growing among NAIA universities in the Rocky Mountain region and in the western United States,” ACU Athletic Director Peter Dryer said. “The student-athlete experience is an important part of what we do at ACU, and the Frontier Conference will provide an increased quality of competition and an unparalleled game-day experience.”
“The ACU Firestorm Football family is very excited about our new home in the Frontier Conference,” ACU Head Coach Jeff Bowen said. “The Frontier Conference has a rich history of success in the NAIA at the national level. We know there will be new challenges and adventures ahead, and we look forward to the years to come in the Frontier Conference!”
The purpose of the Frontier Conference is “to encourage, promote, sponsor and control athletic competition among participating colleges as an integral part of the total educational process.” The alignment of athletic participation as an integral part of the educational process is a great fit for Firestorm Football.
“Speaking on behalf of all of the Presidents and Chancellors who comprise the eight members of the Frontier Conference who play football, I am delighted and honored to welcome Arizona Christian University to the conference,” Carroll College president and chair of the conference’s Council of Presidents Dr. John Cech said.
“I want to thank the Arizona Christian school administration along with the administrators of the Frontier Conference institutions for their hard work that went into shaping this joint endeavor,” Frontier Conference Commissioner Kent Paulson said.
ACU will leave the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) after this season with gratitude for experiences gained and friendly rivalries formed over the past eight seasons.
“In the history of ACU football we have experienced many successes as a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference,” said Coach Bowen. “The experience and competition has been exceptional, and we will always have fond memories of our time in the SAC.”
“Winning our third conference championship and making our first trip to the NAIA Football National Championship Series will always be special memories for the Firestorm. We wish nothing but the best to our opponents throughout the SAC, and also a special thanks for the relationships and friendships we developed while in the Conference.”
The Firestorm will release more information about the 2023 schedule as it becomes available.