It’s July 1, and for the fifth consecutive year, conference realignment has brought summer movement within the Football Bowl Subdivision.
What started with Texas and Oklahoma’s shocking jump from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2021 has continued to trickle down across the rest of college football, especially in the Group of 5 conferences, which are now a Group of 6. Welcome back, Pac-12.
Eleven more FBS schools officially moved Wednesday, along with some non-football-playing additions, bringing the total to 47 FBS moves since the initial Texas and Oklahoma reveal and growing the FBS to 138 teams (up from 130 in 2021). That’s more than one-third of college football’s top level.
To catch you up on this year’s moves, here’s a look at the changes effective this month.
Pac-12
Out: NoneIn: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State, Gonzaga (non-football)
In 2024, the Pac-12 lost 10 schools to the Big Ten (four), Big 12 (four) and ACC (two), leaving just Oregon State and Washington State. What had started with USC and UCLA’s departure for the Big Ten snowballed into an existential crisis by 2024. Rather than close up shop and join the Mountain West, Oregon State and Washington State spent 2024 in a scheduling partnership with the Mountain West for football and with various leagues for other sports. A year later, the Pac-12 added five Mountain West schools. There were lawsuits, which were recently settled.
To reach the FBS-mandated minimum of eight members, the Pac-12 also added Texas State from the Sun Belt. The league will have a “flex” rematch game to close the regular season, giving everyone eight conference games. Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga is also coming over as a member in all sports, though the Zags don’t have football.
Pac-12 members as of July 1
Mountain West
Out: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah StateIn: UTEP, North Dakota State (football only), Northern Illinois (football only), UC Davis (non-football)
After nearly collapsing following the Pac-12 departures, the Mountain West struck a favorable deal with Air Force and UNLV to keep them in the fold, then added UTEP from Conference USA and brought Hawaii in as a full member (rather than a football-only one) to stabilize. The league also added Northern Illinois from the MAC as a football-only member. Then, in a late move earlier this year, the Mountain West added North Dakota State as a football-only member coming up from the Football Championship Subdivision. A recent NCAA rule change will allow the Bison to be bowl eligible this season, rather than the previous two-year wait for an FCS transition.
Mountain West members as of July 1
Conference USA
Out: Louisiana Tech, UTEPIn: None
CUSA is the only conference to have had a membership change in each of the last five years. This time, UTEP took the Mountain West offer, which made sense geographically. Louisiana Tech then announced last year it would join its fellow Louisiana G6 schools in the Sun Belt. That also led to a lawsuit, which was similarly settled in time for the Bulldogs to move this offseason.
Conference USA members as of July 1
Sun Belt
Out: Texas StateIn: Louisiana Tech
The Sun Belt saw Texas State leave for the Pac-12 but remains a 14-team league after adding Louisiana Tech. The conference has leaned into its tight geographic footprint, and these moves make its members even closer.
Sun Belt members as of July 1
MAC
Out: Northern IllinoisIn: Sacramento State
Northern Illinois had been the MAC’s westernmost program. Now the Huskies are leaving the conference for the second time and will be replaced by a team out in California for football. The Hornets had been trying to move up from the FCS in recent years but didn’t have an FBS conference home. North Dakota State’s move, complete with a sizable payment to the Mountain West, created the blueprint for Sac State to do the same, and the MAC was willing to take it.
