College football realignment rolls on again this year, primarily due to the demise of the Pac-12. On Monday, July 1, most conference changes for the 2024 season officially take effect.
Two years ago, the UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans each announced that they were leaving the Pac-12 and joining the Big Ten Conference. After losing two tentpole programs and unable to secure a new media rights deal, the Pac-12 then lost the Colorado Buffaloes to the Big 12 Conference.
The flood gates would then open as seven more Pac-12 programs announced moves to either the ACC (Cal and Stanford), Big 12 (Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah) or Big Ten (Oregon and Washington).
Two other massive changes in the latest round of college football realignment include the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.
Other changes this season include the Army Black Knights joining The American, SMU joining the ACC, and Kennesaw State moving up from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and joining Conference USA.
Below is a look at the conference alignment for the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2024:
ACC
Leaving: None
Joining: California, SMU, Stanford
2024 Lineup (17): Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, NC State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Note: The two Pac-12 schools don’t officially become members of the ACC until August 2 due to television contracts.
AMERICAN
Leaving: SMU
Joining: Army
2024 Lineup (14): Army, Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, USF, UTSA
The Army Black Knights are set to join the American Athletic Conference beginning with the 2024 season, which marks the end of their 19-season run as an FBS Independent.
BIG 12
Leaving: Oklahoma, Texas
Joining: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah
2024 Lineup (16): Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, West Virginia
Note: The four Pac-12 schools don’t officially become members of the Big 12 until August 2 due to television contracts.
BIG TEN
Leaving: None
Joining: Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington
2024 Lineup (18): Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin
CONFERENCE USA
Leaving: None
Joining: Kennesaw State (from FCS)
2024 Lineup (10): FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP, WKU
Delaware and Missouri State are set to move up from the FCS and join Conference USA in 2025.
FBS INDEPENDENTS
Leaving: Army
Joining: None
2024 Lineup (3): Notre Dame, UConn, UMass
UMass will return to the MAC as a full member beginning with the 2025 season.
MAC
Leaving: None
Joining: None
2024 Lineup (12): Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
The MAC has maintained the same 12 members since UMass departed after the 2015 season. However, UMass will return to the conference in 2025.
MOUNTAIN WEST
Leaving: None
Joining: None
2024 Lineup (12): Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming
The Mountain West retains its 12 members for the 2024 season, but signed a scheduling agreement with the only remaining members of the Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State.
Each Mountain West team will play either Oregon State or Washington State, but the contests will not count as conference games for the Mountain West teams, and neither Pac-12 school is eligible to play in the Mountain West Championship Game.
Pac-12
Leaving: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, Utah, UCLA, USC, Washington
Joining: None
2024 Lineup (2): Oregon State, Washington State
The Pac-12 loses 10 of its members to other conferences, with only Oregon State and Washington State remaining. It’s not yet clear whether the conference will attempt to rebuild its ranks or enter into any further agreements with the Mountain West.
SEC
Leaving: None
Joining: Oklahoma, Texas
2024 Lineup (16): Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Arguably the top conference in college football gets better in 2025 with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12. The 2025 season will also be the first for the conference without divisions.
SUN BELT
Leaving: None
Joining: None
2024 Lineup (14): Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy, ULM
The Sun Belt is the only FBS conference to retain a divisional structure (East and West).
As mentioned above, Kennesaw State is moving up from the FCS to the FBS and joining Conference USA for the 2024 season. But those aren’t the only changes in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Two teams from the Big South Conference are on the move on Monday, as Bryant joins the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and Robert Morris returns to the Northeast Conference (NEC).
The NEC also adds Mercyhurst from Division II on Monday. The additions of Mercyhurst and Robert Morris fill the void left by Merrimack and Sacred Heart, who each begin play as FCS Independents this season.
Other changes in the FCS include West Georgia moving up from Division II and joining the United Athletic Conference (UAC), while Western Illinois moves from the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) to the Big South-OVC Football Association.
Additionally, Stephen F. Austin officially rejoins the Southland Conference on Monday following three seasons in the United Athletic Conference (formerly known as the WAC and WAC-ASUN Challenge).
Next season, Delaware and Missouri State will depart the FCS ranks for the FBS and Conference USA. 2025 will also see UTRGV play its first season of football in the Southland Conference, while Richmond’s football program will depart the CAA and join the Patriot League.