Three years after the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma announced they would join the SEC, sparking major changes in college sports, the Longhorns and Sooners are finally joining the SEC.
The departure of two prestigious schools from the Big 12 Conference was officially announced on July 1, along with many other conference realignment moves throughout Division I. The departure of 10 schools from the Pac-12 to other conferences will be officially announced on August 1.
In all, 15 FBS schools are changing conferences this summer. Including the four Sun Belt schools switching in 2022 and the 14 FBS schools switching in 2023, a total of 33 FBS teams have changed conferences since Texas and Oklahoma announced their moves. That's nearly a quarter of the FBS, which has grown from 130 teams to 134 in that time. And that doesn't include three additional moves scheduled for the summer of 2025.
To help you keep track of all the moves, here is a refresher on the changes that are in effect now (or will soon be in effect) and which schools will be in which FBS conferences in 2024.
Big Ten (18 teams)
- Add USC and UCLA from the Pac-12 on August 1 (to be announced in 2022)
- Add Oregon and Washington from the Pac-12 on August 1 (announced in 2023)
Regular members as of August 1, 2024:
When Texas and Oklahoma announced their departures in 2021, the Big Ten helped form an “alliance” with the ACC and Pac-12 to delay realignment and keep the conferences from destroying each other. At least, that's what it seemed. A year later, the Big Ten announced the addition of USC and UCLA, along with new TV contracts. At the time, the league passed on Oregon and Washington. But last summer, as the Pac-12 struggled to finalize its TV deal, Oregon and Washington acquired Big Ten membership at a last-minute discount, breaking up the powerhouse West Coast conference.
The Big Ten eliminated divisions and is now comprised of 18 teams, making it the largest FBS conference since the Southern Conference had 23 teams in the early 1930s, surpassing the WAC in the late 1990s.
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SEC (16 teams)
- Add Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 (announced in 2021)
Regular members as of July 1, 2024:
The move that sparked this wave of realignment may be the easiest to understand: The SEC is already based in Texas, and the addition of the storied programs of the Longhorns and Sooners keeps the conference in the contiguous state. The football division was also eliminated here.
Big 12 (16 teams)
Regular members as of August 1, 2024:
The Big 12 Conference was caught off guard by the elimination of Texas and Oklahoma in 2021 and appeared to be on the brink of collapse, but not only did it survive last season by officially adding four schools, it also gained the “Four Corners” Pac-12 Conference schools after more than a year of negotiations and is now up to 16 teams.
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ACC (17 football teams)
- Add SMU from the American Athletic Conference (announced in 2023)
- Adding University of California and Stanford from the Pac-12 on August 1 (announced in 2023)
Regular members as of August 1, 2024:
(Notre Dame does not have a football team).
The ACC took an aggressive realignment step after the Pac-12 collapsed, adding UC, Stanford and SMU, but it required NC State to reverse its original position to make it happen. Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina voted against the move. Clemson and FSU then filed a lawsuit against the league, potentially voiding the rights the league granted them and leaving the conference. While the realignment may not be happening yet, the ACC is hoping to stabilize at the back in case it does.
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Pac-12 (2 teams)
- USC and UCLA lose to Big Ten teams on Aug. 1 (announced in 2022)
- Oregon and Washington lose to Big Ten games on Aug. 1 (announced in 2023)
- Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will join the Big 12 on August 1 (announced in 2023)
- University of California and Stanford will join the ACC on August 1 (announced in 2023)
Regular members as of August 1, 2024:
There will be only two teams this year and no Pac-12 championship. Oregon State and Washington State will each play at least six Mountain West football games, but will essentially operate as independents. The Mountain West cut conference play to seven games this season to allow for more room to play. A merger between the two teams is possible, but OSU and WSU have until 2026 to come up with a plan.
Learn more
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American Athletic Conference (14 football teams)
- SMU loses to ACC (announced in 2023)
- Addition of Army from independence as football-only member (to be announced in 2023)
Number of members as of July 1, 2024:
The AAC has lost four schools to powerhouse conferences over the past two years, but the addition of Army will keep the league at 14 teams. Army and Navy will still play each other on championship weekend, but it will be a non-conference game and will not affect the College Football Playoff scenario.
Conference USA (10 teams)
Regular members as of July 1, 2024:
CUSA was down to five prospective schools at one point in 2021, but the league has come together and added four schools for 2023 and is now in the 10th round with the addition of Kennesaw State for 2024. Though the Owls only started playing football in 2015, the school outside Atlanta has become a solid FCS program.
No change: MAC, Mountain West, Sun Belt.
Coming in 2025: UMass joins the MAC, while Delaware State and Missouri State join Conference USA.
(Photo: Daniel Dunn/USA Today)
