The wave of realignment in college football tapers off this season with only two teams joining a new conference — the Charlotte 49ers and the Navy Midshipmen.
Today, July 1, is the day when each conference move becomes official for the 2015 football season. Let’s take a look at each Football Bowl Subdivision conference and which teams have made a change.
Incoming: None
Outgoing: None
Future Moves: None
The ACC neither adds or loses members for the 2015 season.
Incoming: Navy
Outgoing: None
Future Moves: None
Navy joins the American Athletic Conference season today after 134 years as an Independent. With Navy’s addition, the conference splits into two six-team divisions:
East: UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, East Carolina, USF, Temple
West: Houston, Memphis, Navy, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa
Incoming: None
Outgoing: None
Future moves: None
The Big 12 neither adds or loses members for the 2015 season.
Incoming: None
Outgoing: None
Future moves: None
The Big Ten neither adds or loses members for the 2015 season.
Incoming: Charlotte
Outgoing: UAB
Future moves: UAB (Incoming, 2016 or 2017)
The Charlotte 49ers join Conference USA today after moving up from the Football Championship Subdivision. Charlotte, which just started their program in 2013, will be eligible for the C-USA title this season and bowl eligible following the 2016 season.
UAB is out after shutting down their football program last year before reinstating it in June. The question now is when will the Blazers take the field again. It could be in 2016, but 2017 is more likely. For now, Charlotte takes UAB’s place in the conference’s East Division.
Old Dominion, which joined C-USA in 2014, will be eligible for a bowl this season.
Here is a look at the Conference USA division setup in 2015:
East: Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, FIU, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion, Western Kentucky
West: Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UTEP, UTSA
Incoming: None
Outgoing: Navy (to AAC)
Future moves (2016): UMass (incoming)
Although not technically a conference, one team that was an FBS Independent in 2014 is moving into a conference in 2015 — Navy to the American.
UMass, which has been a football-only member of the MAC, will become an FBS Independent in 2016 and could remain there for a few seasons.
Incoming: None
Outgoing: None
Future moves (2016): UMass (outgoing)
The MAC will drop down to 12 members when UMass departs after the 2015 season.
Mountain West Conference (MWC)
Incoming: None
Outgoing: None
Future moves: None
The MWC neither adds or loses members for the 2015 season.
Incoming: None
Outgoing: None
Future moves: None
The Pac-12 neither adds or loses members for the 2015 season.
Incoming: None
Outgoing: None
Future moves: None
The SEC neither adds or loses members for the 2015 season.
Incoming: None
Outgoing: None
Future moves: None
The Sun Belt, which added four members and lost one last season, remains the same in 2015 with 11 members. The only change this season is that Appalachian State and Georgia Southern both become eligible to play in a postseason bowl game.