College Football Realignment Timeline and Updates

Conference Realignment hit College Football hard over the last few years, and the ripples haven’t stopped. With powerhouse programs switching leagues, the collapse and rebirth of traditional conferences, and Group of Five reshuffling, keeping track of where everyone is playing has become a full-time job.

Below is your complete primer on where every team moved during this wild era of realignment and when they officially took the field in their new homes.

Conference Realignment Timeline

2022

• Marshall, Southern Miss, and Old Dominion leave Conference USA to join the Sun Belt.
• James Madison transitions from FCS to FBS to join the Sun Belt.

2023

• Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston leave the American Athletic Conference (AAC) to join the Big 12.
• BYU ends its independent status to join the Big 12.
• UAB, Rice, UTSA, North Texas, FAU, and Charlotte leave Conference USA to join the AAC.
• Sam Houston State and Jacksonville State transition from FCS to FBS to join Conference USA.
• Liberty and New Mexico State leave independent status to join Conference USA.

2024

• Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 to join the SEC.
• USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington leave the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten.
• Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah leave the Pac-12 to join the Big 12.
• Cal and Stanford leave the Pac-12, and SMU leaves the AAC, to join the ACC.
• Kennesaw State transitions from FCS to FBS to join Conference USA.
• Army leaves independent status to join the AAC for football.

2025

• Delaware and Missouri State transition from FCS to FBS to join Conference USA.
• UMass leaves independent status to join the MAC.

2026 & Beyond

• Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State leave the Mountain West to rebuild the Pac-12.
• Texas State leaves the Sun Belt to join the Pac-12.
• Gonzaga leaves the WCC to join the Pac-12 as a non-football member.
• UTEP leaves Conference USA to join the Mountain West.
• Louisiana Tech leaves Conference USA to join the Sun Belt.

SEC Realignment Summary

Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024

The seismic shift that kicked off this entire modern wave of realignment officially came to fruition in 2024 when Texas and Oklahoma made their move from the Big 12 to the SEC. Texas—the chief financial driver of the Big 12—and powerhouse Oklahoma sought the higher media rights payouts and elevated national profile of the SEC. Both programs immediately altered the power balance in what is widely considered the strongest conference in college football.

Big Ten Realignment Summary

Washington, Oregon, USC, and UCLA joined the Big Ten in 2024

The Big Ten pulled off one of the boldest geographical expansions in sports history. It started in July 2022 with the stunning announcements from USC and UCLA, and was finalized a year later when Oregon and Washington joined the exodus. All four West Coast powerhouses joined in 2024, stretching the Big Ten footprint from New Jersey all the way to the Pacific Ocean and solidifying a Super-Conference alongside the SEC.

Big 12 Realignment Summary

Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah joined the Big 12 in 2024

When Texas and Oklahoma announced their exits, many pundits speculated the Big 12 was on the brink of collapse. Instead, Commissioner Brett Yormark went on the offensive. The conference stabilized itself in 2023 by adding BYU, Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston. Then, as the Pac-12 fractured in late 2023, the Big 12 pounced—snagging Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah to create a robust 16-team national footprint spanning four time zones.

ACC Realignment Summary

Cal, Stanford, and SMU joined the ACC in 2024

With top brands like Florida State and Clemson publicly challenging the league’s revenue distribution models, the ACC took aggressive preemptive action to secure its future membership numbers. The league reached across the country to grab Pac-12 castaways Cal and Stanford, while bringing in SMU from the AAC. In a move that made headlines, SMU agreed to forgo nine years of TV revenue distributions just to get a seat at the Power 4 table.

The Rebuilt Pac-12 Summary

The Pac-12 resurrects with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Texas State, and Gonzaga

After being decimated in 2023, Oregon State and Washington State were left as the lone two “Pac-2” members. Rather than letting the conference die or joining the Mountain West, the remaining duo leveraged the conference’s assets and brand equity to orchestrate a dramatic rebuild.

The Pac-12 raided the top tier of the Mountain West—landing Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State—while also pulling Sun Belt contender Texas State and basketball juggernaut Gonzaga.

Group of Five & FCS Realignment Summary

American Athletic Conference (AAC)

After losing Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston, the AAC added six Conference USA schools (UAB, Rice, UTSA, North Texas, FAU, and Charlotte) in 2023. They followed up in 2024 by adding service academy powerhouse Army as a football-only member.

Conference USA (CUSA)

CUSA was hit hardest by realignment raids, but responded by reloading from the FCS level. After adding Sam Houston State, Jacksonville State, Liberty, and New Mexico State in 2023, and Kennesaw State in 2024, CUSA further expanded by promoting FCS powers Delaware and Missouri State in 2025.

Mountain West & Sun Belt

With five teams departing for the rebuilt Pac-12, the Mountain West responded quickly by adding CUSA’s UTEP to bolster its roster. Meanwhile, the Sun Belt added Louisiana Tech to maintain its footprint in the Deep South.

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