// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did West Florida Argonauts football go to the doctor? It was feeling a little defensive.
| West Florida Argonauts football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 2016; 10 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Dave Scott | ||
| Head coach | Kaleb Nobles 4th season, 28–10 (.737) | ||
| Location | Pensacola, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Stadium | Pen Air Field | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | UAC | ||
| Colors | Royal blue and Kelly green[1] | ||
| All-time record | 84–31 (.730) | ||
| NCAA Division II championships | |||
| 2019 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| GSC: 2021, 2022, 2025 | |||
| Mascot | Argie the Argonaut | ||
| Website | goargos.com/football | ||
The West Florida Argonauts football program is the intercollegiate American football team that represents the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida. The Argonauts compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as members of the United Athletic Conference (UAC).
The program began play in 2016 and won the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 2019. West Florida competed at the Division II level as a member of the Gulf South Conference (GSC) through the 2025 season before transitioning to Division I. The Argonauts joined the United Athletic Conference beginning with the 2026 season.[2] They play their home games at Pen Air Field and are led by head coach Kaleb Nobles.
As part of the NCAA’s reclassification process, West Florida is eligible to compete for the UAC championship but will not be eligible for the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs until the 2029 season.[3]
History
[edit]The University of West Florida launched its football program in 2016 under head coach Pete Shinnick. In only its fourth season, the Argonauts won the 2019 NCAA Division II national championship, defeating Minnesota State 48–40 in the title game.[4]
West Florida competed in the Gulf South Conference from 2016 through 2025. During that span the Argonauts won three GSC championships (2021, 2022, and 2025) and made multiple NCAA Division II playoff appearances.[5]
On April 2, 2026, the university announced it would reclassify to NCAA Division I, with football joining the United Athletic Conference. The move took effect on July 1, 2026, making the 2026 season West Florida’s first at the FCS level.[6]
Conference affiliations
[edit]- Gulf South Conference (NCAA Division II, 2016–2025)
- United Athletic Conference (NCAA Division I FCS, 2026–present)
Head coaches
[edit]| Tenure | Coach | Seasons | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2022 | Pete Shinnick | 6 | 56–21 | .727 |
| 2023–present | Kaleb Nobles | 4 | 28–10 | .737 |
| Totals | 10 | 84–31 | .730 |
Seasons
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | AFCA# | STATS° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Shinnick (Gulf South Conference) (2016–2022) | |||||||||
| 2016 | West Florida | 5–6 | 3–5 | 6th | |||||
| 2017 | West Florida | 11–4 | 5–3 | T–2nd | L NCAA Division II Championship | 2 | |||
| 2018 | West Florida | 6–5 | 4–4 | 5th | |||||
| 2019 | West Florida | 13–2 | 7–1 | 2nd | W NCAA Division II Championship | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | No team—COVID-19 | ||||||||
| 2021 | West Florida | 9–2 | 6–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division II First Round | 12 | |||
| 2022 | West Florida | 12–2 | 6–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division II Semifinal | 4 | |||
| Kaleb Nobles (Gulf South Conference) (2023–2025) | |||||||||
| 2023 | West Florida | 8–4 | 6–2 | 3rd | L NCAA Division II First Round | 23 | |||
| 2024 | West Florida | 7–3 | 5–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 2025 | West Florida | 10–2 | 2–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division II Second Round | 9 | |||
| Kaleb Nobles (United Athletic Conference) (2026–present) | |||||||||
| 2026 | West Florida | 3–1 | 1–1 | ||||||
| Total: | 84–31 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Championships
[edit]National championships
[edit]| Year | Association | Division | Head coach | Record | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | NCAA (1) | Division II (1) | Pete Shinnick | 13–2 (7–1 GSC) | Minnesota State | W, 48–40 |
Conference championships
[edit]| Year | Conference | Head coach | Overall record | Conference record | Title type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Gulf South Conference | Pete Shinnick | 9–2 | 6–1 | Co-champions |
| 2022 | Gulf South Conference | Pete Shinnick | 12–2 | 6–1 | Co-champions |
| 2025 | Gulf South Conference | Kaleb Nobles | 10–2 | 2–1 | Co-champions[a] |
- ↑ The GSC charged Valdosta State with a conference loss to West Alabama for use of an ineligible player, leaving both teams 2–1. Valdosta State took the automatic bid on the head-to-head result.
Rivalries
[edit]Florida Tech
[edit]West Florida and Florida Tech played the Coastal Classic from 2016 to 2019, a trophy game between the only NCAA Division II football programs in Florida.[7] West Florida won the series 3–1. Florida Tech discontinued football in 2020.
Coaching staff
[edit]2026 staff
[edit]| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Kaleb Nobles | Head coach |
| Steve Saulnier | Assistant head coach / offensive line |
| Donny Baker | Offensive coordinator / wide receivers |
| Kavell Conner | Defensive coordinator / linebackers |
| Jordan Remsza | Special teams coordinator / defensive backs |
| Lucas Melo | Recruiting coordinator / defensive line |
| Joe Wintrick | Director of football operations / running backs / tight ends |
| Vincent Jefferies | Wide receivers |
| Jake Lange | Quarterbacks |
| Levi Johnson | Running backs / tight ends |
| Ryan Hunt | Offensive line |
| Jason Manary | Linebackers |
| McGrew Fortune | Defensive backs |
| DJ Thomas | Linebackers |
Facilities
[edit]Pen Air Field is a stadium located on the campus of the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida and the home of the West Florida Argonauts football program. The field was built in February 2016 and was used mainly for practices for the football team.[9]
For the first six years of the program's history, the home games were played at Blue Wahoos Stadium until there was a scheduling conflict with one game in 2021 with Pensacola Blue Wahoos.[9][10] On February 28, 2022, the university announced that they moved all the home games for the 2022 season to Pen Air Field, in hope to also increase student attendance.[11]
The first game held at Pen Air Field was on September 11, 2021, against Southwest Baptist, where the Argonauts defeated the Bearcats, 63–14. The attendance to the game was 5,463. The university installed portable bleachers, video board, play clocks and fans around the field.[10]
The 120-yard surface serves as both the home field and primary practice facility for the football program and is also utilized by the university’s strength and conditioning staff for all 15 intercollegiate sports. In September 2016, the university announced a $1 million gift from Pen Air Credit Union to support the football program and secure naming rights for the facility.[12]
Pen Air Field has since hosted UWF regular season games and multiple NCAA Division II Football Championship playoff contests. In addition to collegiate athletics, the venue has been used for youth flag football, combines, university functions, and community events. In 2023, the field was upgraded with a new custom AstroTurf playing surface featuring updated design elements and team branding.[12]
The facility is currently undergoing redevelopment as Darrell Gooden Stadium is being constructed around the existing field. The stadium is scheduled to open in fall 2027 and is expected to accommodate approximately 10,000 spectators, including 7,500 permanent seats, along with premium seating, club areas, and suites. As part of the phased development, an 85-foot by 30-foot high-definition LED video board will be installed in the north end zone in summer 2026 to enhance the game-day experience.[13]
Future non-conference opponents
[edit]Announced schedules as of September 30, 2026.[14]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | at Southern Illinois | at Southeastern Louisiana | at Arkansas |
| at Southeast Missouri State | at Montana | Southeastern Louisiana | |
| Northeastern State | |||
| West Alabama |
References
[edit]- ↑ University of West Florida Art Sheet (PDF). December 14, 2014. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ↑ "UWF Athletics announces move to NCAA Division I athletics, joins Atlantic Sun Conference, United Athletic Conference". University of West Florida Argonauts. April 2, 2026. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
- ↑ "University of West Florida to Join the Atlantic Sun Conference, United Athletic Conference". United Athletic Conference. April 2, 2026. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
- ↑ "2019 NCAA Division II Football Championship". NCAA.com. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Gulf South Conference Football Champions". Gulf South Conference. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
- ↑ "UWF Athletics announces move to NCAA Division I athletics, joins Atlantic Sun Conference, United Athletic Conference". University of West Florida Argonauts. April 2, 2026. Retrieved August 14, 2026.
- ↑ "UWF Rival Florida Tech Drops Football". WUWF. May 13, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Football Coaches". University of West Florida Athletics. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
- 1 2 Newby, Jake (September 9, 2021). "UWF's historic first on-campus football game..." Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- 1 2 Vilona, Bill (September 11, 2021). "University of West Florida football game on campus may be annual event". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ↑ Popowski, Aspen (February 28, 2022). "UWF football games move to Pen Air Field". WKRG-TV. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- 1 2 "Facilities". University of West Florida Athletics. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ Florida, University of West (February 11, 2026). "UWF breaks ground on Darrell Gooden Stadium". University of West Florida Newsroom. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ "West Florida Argonauts Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
External links
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| Athletics | ||
| People | ||
| Student life | ||
| Affiliations | ||
