The conference-by-conference realignment tracker
With all the action in college football’s seemingly non-stop conference realignment chatter, it can be hard to keep up with exactly who’s coming and who’s going. But that’s why we’re here.
After two consecutive years of seismic moves — Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC back in 2021 and then USC and UCLA to the Big Ten last year — this year’s big move is Colorado returning to the Big 12 starting in 2024.
We’ve got you covered with all the domino effects, including the Big 12’s expansion this year and what it means for the American Athletic Conference and everywhere else.
Below are all the conference realignment moves for the Power 5 and Group of 5 schools scheduled for the next two seasons.
(Newcomers to conferences are in bold)
ACC
The ACC hasn’t announced any plans to expand or contract over the next two seasons. The conference’s last realignment happened when Syracuse and Pittsburgh joined in 2013 from the Big East. Notre Dame also agreed to play five ACC games per season beginning in 2014.
2023
The conference will continue to play with 14 teams this season.
2023 teams: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.
Big Ten
The Big Ten has seen some of the most change over the past decade-plus as far as teams coming into the conference. Nebraska joined from the Big 12 in 2011 and was soon joined by Maryland and Rutgers, from the ACC and Big East respectively, in 2014. USC and UCLA will join the conference in 2024.
2023
The conference will remain at 14 teams.
2024
In one of the biggest moves in realignment history, both USC and UCLA will join the Big Ten to push the conference to 16 teams. More announcements on future divisions will come.
2024 teams: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin.
Big 12
Oklahoma and Texas kicked off the latest round of realignment in the summer of 2021 when the teams announced the intention to leave the Big 12 for the SEC. In what was a move originally planned for 2025, the teams decided to join in 2024 earlier this year. The conference will also welcome in four teams in 2023.
2023
BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will all join the conference this upcoming season. The Big 12 will play with 14 teams in 2023.
2023 teams: Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, UCF, West Virginia.
2024
Oklahoma and Texas leave for the SEC. Colorado rejoins the conference. For now, the league is slated to have 13 teams, although more expansion is certainly possible.
2024 teams: Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, West Virginia.
Pac-12
USC and UCLA will be leaving the conference in 2024 to join the Big Ten, leaving the door open for possible newcomers. The conference last added teams in 2011 when Colorado joined from the Big 12 and Utah joined from the Mountain West.
2023
The conference will remain at 12 teams.
2024
UCLA and USC leave for the Big Ten. Colorado will leave for the Big 12. For now, the conference will have nine teams, although the possibility for further expansion remains.
2024 teams: Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, Utah, Washington, Washington State.
SEC
After adding both Missouri and Texas A&M from the Big 12 in 2012, the SEC will welcome in Oklahoma and Texas beginning in 2024. The move will bring former Big 12 rivals Texas and Texas A&M back together as well as former Big Eight rivals Oklahoma and Missouri.
2023
The conference will remain at 14 teams.
2024
Oklahoma and Texas will join the conference from the Big 12, bumping the conference total to 16 teams.
2024 teams: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Miss. State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
AAC
In 2021, Cincinnati became the first Group of 5 team to make the College Football Playoff. In 2023, the Bearcats make the move to the Big 12 along with fellow former AAC members Houston and UCF. To offset the losses, the conference welcomed in six new teams in July.
2023
Cincinnati, Houston and UCF leave for the Big 12. Meanwhile, Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA all join the AAC. The conference will have 14 football-playing members in the upcoming season.
2023 teams: Charlotte, East Carolina, FAU, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, SMU, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, USF, UTSA.
Conference USA
Conference USA has the most movement of any conference this upcoming season as six teams are leaving and being replaced by five other teams over the next two seasons. Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss left the conference for the Sun Belt in 2022.
2023
Conference USA will be losing Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA to the AAC. The conference will add Jacksonville State, Liberty, New Mexico State and Sam Houston to replace the teams leaving. The conference will play with nine teams in the upcoming season.
2023 teams: FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP, Western Kentucky.
2024
Kennesaw State will join Conference USA to push the conference’s member total to 10.
2024 teams: FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP, Western Kentucky.
MAC
The MAC has not announced plans to expand or contract and will play the 2023 season with 12 teams.
2023 teams: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan.
Mountain West
The Mountain West has not announced plans to expand or contract and will play the 2023 season with 12 teams.
2023 teams: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawai’i, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming.
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt’s latest realignment happened ahead of the 2022 season as James Madison joined from the FCS while Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss joined from Conference USA. The conference has not announced any further plans to expand or contract and will play with 14 teams in 2023.
2023 teams: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy, Louisiana Monroe.
