West Florida Argonauts football
Florida intercollegiate American football team
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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).
4th season, 25–9 (.735)
| West Florida Argonauts football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| |||
| First season | 2016; 10 years ago | ||
| Athletic director | Dave Scott | ||
| Head coach | Kaleb Nobles 4th season, 25–9 (.735) | ||
| Location | Pensacola, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Stadium | Pen Air Field at Darrell Gooden Stadium | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | UAC | ||
| Colors | Royal blue and Kelly green[1] | ||
| All-time record | 81–30 (.730) | ||
| NCAA Division II championships | |||
| 2019 | |||
| Conference championships | |||
| GSC: 2021, 2022, 2025 | |||
| Rivalries | Valdosta State | ||
| Mascot | Argie the Argonaut | ||
| Website | goargos.com/football | ||
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 at Darrell Gooden Stadium 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
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]
Yearly results
| NCAA Division I champions | NCAA Division II champions | Conference champions | Division champions | Bowl Eligible | Undefeated Season |
| Year | NCAA Division | Conference | Overall | Conference | Coach | Final Ranking (AFCA) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Win | Loss | Tie | Pct. | Games | Win | Loss | Tie | Pct. | Standing | |||||
| 2016 | NCAA Division II | Gulf South | 11 | 5 | 6 | 0 | .455 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | .375 | T–6th | Pete Shinnick | — |
| 2017 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 0 | .733 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | .625 | T–2nd | 2 | |||
| 2018 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | .545 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 | 5th | — | |||
| 2019 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | .867 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | .875 | 2nd | 1 | |||
| 2021 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | .818 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | .857 | T–1st | 12 | |||
| 2022 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | .857 | T–1st | 4 | |||
| 2023 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | 3rd | Kaleb Nobles | 23 | ||
| 2024 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | .700 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | .714 | 3rd | — | |||
| 2025 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0 | .834 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | T–1st | 9 | |||
| Totals | 111 | 81 | 30 | 0 | .729 | 64 | 44 | 20 | 0 | .687 | |||||
Championships
National championships
| 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
| Year | Conference | Head coach | Overall record | Conference record | Title type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Gulf South Conference | Pete Shinnick | 12–2 | 7–0 | Co-champions |
| 2022 | Gulf South Conference | Pete Shinnick | 12–1 | 7–0 | Co-champions |
| 2025 | Gulf South Conference | Kaleb Nobles | 10–2 | 5–1 | Co-champions |
Coaching staff
| Position | Coach |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Kaleb Nobles |
| Assistant head coach / Offensive line | Steve Saulnier |
| Offensive coordinator / Wide receivers | Donny Baker |
| Defensive coordinator / Linebackers | Kavell Conner |
| Special teams coordinator / Defensive backs | Jordan Remsza |
| Recruiting coordinator / Defensive line / Defensive run game coordinator | Lucas Melo |
| Director of football operations / Offensive run game coordinator / Running backs / Tight ends | Joe Wintrick |
| Offensive assistant / Quarterbacks | Jake Lange |
| Defensive assistant / Defensive backs | McGrew Fortune |
| Defensive assistant / Linebackers | Jason Manary |
Facilities
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.[8]
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.[8][9] 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.[10]
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.[9]
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.[11]
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.[11]
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.[12]
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of August 4, 2026.[13]
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | at Southern Illinois | at Southeastern Louisiana | Southeastern Louisiana |
| at Southeast Missouri State | at Montana | ||
| Northeastern State | |||
| West Alabama |
