FLORENCE, Ala. — The date was August 20, 2024.
 
This was a seemingly routine day for members of the University of North Alabama Department of Athletics. Construction was underway near CB&S Bank Arena and the Hal Self Field House on what would later be Bank Independent Stadium. Fall sports were beginning to practice. Excitement was in the air.
 
One particular item stood out on the calendar — an all-staff meeting at 1:30 p.m. inside the Pierce Suite at CB&S Bank Arena.
 
The meeting included coaches from all 14 sports. It included every support staff member from full-time, to part-time, to graduate students. The room was full. Not just full of people…but also full of optimism.
 
"Let's get started," said UNA Director of Athletics Dr. Josh Looney.
 
The audible chatter began to minimize and heads began turning toward the front of the room. The meeting started as each department introduced its new employees. A number of new faces — maybe a fifth of the room — did their own variation of a small wave as they were introduced. Most of the faces in the room were familiar — even some from the Division II days.
 
Then the floor went back to Looney.
 
As UNA's fourth year athletic director began to welcome the new employees and welcome back the returning staff, the transition to the next topic began — 2024-25 goals and themes. The goal? Celebrate the department's first Division I championships.
 
 
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
 
Rewind to December 6, 2016, as UNA made one of the most important announcements in its history — the decision to move up to NCAA Division I.
 
The news sent a shockwave throughout the country — as one of the perennial powers in NCAA Division II is moving up a level. This was a polarizing announcement at the time, many thought of the tradition of conference and national championships.
 
Those who believed in the move were proven right — just seven years into the transition.
 
The transition began on July 1, 2018. UNA competed against Division I opponents on a regular basis, but were not eligible for NCAA postseason play until the end of four-year transition period. That end came on August 3, 2022 as UNA obtained full Division I membership status from the NCAA.
 
For the first four years as a transitional member and for the next two as a full member, UNA experienced steady growth. UNA appeared in four championship finals over that span, finishing runner-up in women's soccer twice, men's basketball once and softball once. A number of school records, career records and Division I "firsts" were accomplished in those six years.
 
Fast forward to year seven at Division I. UNA honored its first regular individual champion, its first regular season champion and its first tournament champion — all in the same season. The Lions also won the Jesse C. Fletcher ASUN Men's All-Sport Trophy, which marks UNA's first men's all-sport trophy since 2000 as a member of the Gulf South Conference.
 
There are over 100 years of documented competition for North Alabama Athletics — dating back to the first football team in 1912, the first basketball team in 1932, the birth of women's athletics in the 1960s and the seven national championships won from 1979-2016.
 
However, the 2024-25 season will be one of the most memorable in school history. It will forever be known as "The Year of Division I Champions."

 
FIRST INDIVIDUAL ASUN CHAMPIONSHIP
 
On November 1, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida, North Alabama freshman Brian Bett toed the start line at the Atlantic Sun Conference Cross Country Championships. Flanked by his teammates and runners from 11 other schools, Bett was among the favorites, owning most of UNA's school records in just one season.
 
Just over 23 minutes after the starting gun was sounded, Bett crossed the line first and made history. The freshman became the first student-athlete since UNA's move to Division I to win a championship.
 
The race to the finish involved healthy competition from last year's champion — Eastern Kentucky's Taha Er Raouy. In the end, Bett made a final surge and beat the reigning ASUN champion by six seconds.
 
Not only did Bett win the race and UNA's first ASUN Championship of any kind — in any sport — he also led his team to a fifth-place finish, which was tied for the best finish in program history.
 
The Eldoret, Kenya native achieved multiple school records this season, including a 23:26.4 time for a new personal-best at the Gans Creek Classic. He was three seconds off that time at the ASUN Championship. He later set a 10K school record at the NCAA South Regional with a time 30:34.9 in Tallahassee, Florida.
 
These accomplishments came despite another "transitional period" for the UNA cross country program. New coach Connor Callahan arrived on campus officially in August 2024 and had just three weeks to prepare his team for the first race of the season.
 
When the dust settled in Jacksonville, the UNA Cross Country team claimed the school's "first" Division I champion. Brian Bett will live in the UNA record book forever.
 
"This is the best thing that has ever happened in my life," said Bett after the win. "We have a good team. The teamwork is great. We have a good coach — the best coach. The training is perfect. We get the best results and we always prepare well. I like being the champion and being the first at UNA. It's perfect."
 
 
FIRST ASUN REGULAR SEASON CHAMPION
 
The date was October 14, 2024. The news broke at 9:45 a.m.
 
"UNA announces a contract extension for men's basketball coach Tony Pujol."
 
Pujol was originally hired on April 2, 2018 after serving as an assistant coach at Wyoming. He also served stints at Appalachian State, VCU and Alabama. With his track record as a Division I assistant, UNA decided to make Pujol its first Division I coach.
 
The first few years of Division I competition brought excitement. The Lions played multiple powerhouse schools for the first time, such as Gonzaga, Pitt, Indiana, South Carolina and Mississippi State — to name a few. UNA played in over 20 different states the first four years. While the record had less wins than losses for four of the first five years, the growth was evident.
 
The 2020-21 season brought the first taste of what a championship could feel like — even though COVID-19 was in full effect. The Lions were still ineligible for the NCAA postseason, but landed in the ASUN Championship final with wins over North Florida and FGCU. The championship took place against Liberty University with hardly any fans in attendance — just essential personnel donning masks. UNA lost that game 79-75 inside UNF Arena in Jacksonville.
 
UNA finished the 2020-21 season with a 13-11 record.
 
More steps were taken in the 2022 season, as UNA became eligible for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time. That is, if UNA could find a way back to the title game and win it all. UNA took on the challenge and accomplished a successful two-year stretch that included 33 wins — 18 to end 2023 and 15 to end 2024.
This is what led to the extension Pujol's contract through 2026-27 with an option beyond 2027. The desire for more growth. The upward trajectory that was in progress. The faith from administration that Pujol was the one to bring that success.
 
He delivered.
 
UNA was picked among the top teams in the preseason poll, led by the likes returning first team all-conference guard Jacari Lane, senior veterans Will Soucie and Dallas Howell, transfer portal additions such as Donte Bacchus, Corneilous Williams and Taye Fields, rising sophomore Canin Jefferson and the return of former all-conference guard Daniel Ortiz, who transferred from UAB to UNA, won a championship at UAB, then decided to come "home" to UNA for his last season.
 
The ingredients were in place for a successful 2024-25 season.
 
It started with a thrilling win at Air Force to open the season. The Lions won 73-57. The college basketball social media pundits took notice. More wins followed, but not without adversity. Despite an early injury to Howell and returning post man Jamal Albritton, the Lions persevered.
 
UNA's only regular season loss at home came to Samford, the defending Southern Conference champion, in a 97-96 overtime thriller. This was just four games into the season, but could be viewed as a turning point for the program — UNA is here to compete with NCAA tournament level teams.
 
UNA never lost another regular season home game, finishing 14-1 inside CB&S Bank Arena. The Lions also pulled off some key road wins, including one at East Carolina in non-conference play.
 
Conference play had its share of moments, as UNA swept the season series with Central Arkansas, West Georgia, North Florida and Austin Peay, along with one-off wins over Stetson, EKU and Bellarmine. UNA also won games against the top tier of the league — Jacksonville, Lipscomb, EKU with thrilling home wins in front of near-sold out crowds.
 
The pinnacle of all of this came on February 26, 2025. UNA hosted Queens for the final regular season game. It was senior night. The crowd was electric.
 
UNA was tied with Lipscomb at the top of the standings, meaning the school's first ASUN Regular Season Championship was on the line. UNA battled for 40 minutes, but held on for a 74-69 win. The teams shook hands, and the visitors cleared the court. Confetti fell. Fans stormed the court. Nets were cut down.
 
A seven-year destiny was achieved.
 
The Lions went on to win two home games in the ASUN Championship Tournament, both of which were sellouts. Lipscomb defeated UNA in the conference championship game in Nashville, but the Lions had a strong showing on ESPN2. The regular season championship was enough to catch the eye of the NCAA, who selected UNA to compete in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) for the first time in school history. UNA finished with a 24-11 record, the most wins in a season since 2008.
 
This team will forever be the first ASUN Regular Season Champions in school history.
 
 
FIRST ASUN TOURNAMENT CHAMPION
 
The date was June 10, 2022. Looney announced the hire of Olaya Garrido-Rivas as the Director of Tennis at UNA. Garrido-Rivas was a former head coach for Looney at Missouri Western and went on to success at NJIT as the head women's coach.
 
Garrido-Rivas joined forces with Aitor Reparaz while at NJIT, then joined her at UNA. He became the men's tennis coach. The pair took over a program that had just 34 wins over four seasons of men's and women's tennis.
 
In just three seasons under the new regime, the men's and women's tennis teams have won a combined 84 matches. The records have improved each season, leading to a 17-5 record on the women's side and a 19-3 record on the men's side.
 
While the women's team finished tied for second in the ASUN standings, the men's team completed a perfect 8-0 record in conference play to win the ASUN Regular Season Championship. This included a win over nationally-ranked Stetson and a dominant 6-1 win on senior day against North Florida to secure the league title and top seed.
 
UNA Men's Tennis joined UNA Men's Basketball as the first two regular season champions in the school's young Division I history. However, more history awaited the tennis program in Jacksonville.
 
On April 18, 2025, UNA Men's Tennis won 4-2 against North Florida on the Ospreys' home court in the ASUN Semifinal Round. The women's program defeated the same opponent in the same round. Both programs were heading to the ASUN championship for the first time in history.
 
While the women were unable to win, the men made history as the first UNA program to win an ASUN Tournament Championship. With UNA leading 3-1, true freshman Saturo Nakajima won a thrilling third set to pull off a 7-5 set three score on his court, sending the rest of the team his way in celebration.
 
Garrido-Rivas and Reparaz were both named ASUN Coach of the Year, joining beach volleyball coach Kaleb Vandeperre as the first three UNA coaches to win that award in the ASUN. Four UNA men's tennis players were named to the all-conference team, including Lachlan Brain as a first-team selection.
 
The Lions soaked in another milestone on April 28, as the team was joined by staff, fellow student-athletes from other sports and members of the community to watch the NCAA Selection Show at Mugshots Grill and Bar.
 
As the Starkville Regional was revealed on the screen, "North Alabama" appeared on one of the slots below Michigan State. The crowd erupted in celebration, as reality set in that UNA will officially compete for an NCAA Division I National Championship.
 
The Lions did not advance past the No. 22 Spartans but finished No. 63 in the final ITA ranking — the highest finish in school history.
 
 
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
 
As August approaches, the next all-staff meeting will soon be added to the docket. Perhaps the message is no longer about "firsts" that have never been done, but rather "nexts" as the momentum continues to build.
 
The landscape in college athletics is evolving, but one thing is certain — UNA is just getting started.

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