Oh boy! Just when you thought NIL and the transfer portal were the pivotal purveyors of change in the college football landscape, a whirlwind of college football realignment has shaken up the sport as we know it. As teams switch conferences at a record pace, it can be difficult to keep track of who is playing where — and when. Thankfully, our guide to college football realignment provides a road map for the next two seasons.
2023 College Football Realignment
Here’s how every conference lines up for the 2023 college football season.
American Athletic Conference (AAC)
One of the conferences most impacted by college football realignment ahead of the 2023 college football season, they lose three teams (Cincinnati, Houston, UCF) to the Big 12 but welcome multiple programs from Conference USA.
- Charlotte 49ers (formerly Conference USA)
- East Carolina Pirates
- Florida Atlantic Owls (formerly Conference USA)
- Memphis Tigers
- Navy Midshipmen
- North Texas Mean Green (formerly Conference USA)
- Rice Owls (formerly Conference USA)
- SMU Mustangs
- South Florida Bulls
- Temple Owls
- Tulane Green Wave
- Tulsa Golden Hurricane
- UAB Blazers (formerly Conference USA)
- UTSA Roadrunners (formerly Conference USA)
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
There are no departures or new additions from a program perspective. However, the ACC has eradicated the Coastal and Atlantic divisions for the 2023 college football season. The ACC Championship Game will be fought by the two teams with the best record rather than its divisional winners. The ACC is one to watch for 2024 and beyond, as several teams are thought to want out — with some being more vocal on the subject than others.
- Boston College Eagles
- Clemson Tigers
- Duke Blue Devils
- Florida State Seminoles
- Georgia Tech Yellowjackets
- Louisville Cardinals
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes
- NC State Wolfpack
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Pittsburgh Panthers
- Syracuse Orange
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Virginia Tech Hokies
- Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Big Ten Conference
There are no changes to the Big Ten Conference for 2023 under the current college football alignment.
East Division
- Indiana Hoosiers
- Maryland Terrapins
- Michigan Wolverines
- Michigan State Spartans
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights
West Division
- Illinois Fighting Illini
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Northwestern Wildcats
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Wisconsin Badgers
Big 12 Conference
College football realignment brings big changes to the Big 12 for 2023, with even bigger ones set to come down the pipe in the 2024 college football season.
- Baylor Bears
- BYU Cougars (formerly Independent)
- Cincinnati Bearcats (formerly AAC)
- Houston Cougars (formerly AAC)
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Kansas State Wildcats
- Oklahoma Sooners
- Oklahoma State Cowboys
- TCU Horned Frogs
- Texas Longhorns
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- UCF Knights (formerly AAC)
- West Virginia Mountaineers
Conference USA
One of the conferences impacted most by college football realignment for the 2023 season, the Conference USA loses both teams that contested the title game in 2022 but welcomes four new teams and a revised television deal.
- FIU Panthers
- Jacksonville State Gamecocks (formerly FCS)
- Liberty Flames (formerly Independent)
- Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
- Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
- New Mexico State Aggies (formerly Independent)
- Sam Houston Bearkats (formerly FCS)
- UTEP Miners
- Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Mid-American Conference (MAC)
There are no changes for the conference that brings us midweek MACtion.
East Division
- Akron Zips
- Bowling Green Falcons
- Buffalo Bulls
- Kent State Golden Flashes
- Miami (OH) RedHawks
- Ohio Bobcats
West Division
- Ball State Cardinals
- Central Michigan Chippewas
- Eastern Michigan Eagles
- Northern Illinois Huskies
- Toledo Rockets
- Western Michigan Broncos
Mountain West Conference
There are no changes to the Mountain West Conference under the 2023 college football alignment. However, they are a conference to monitor going forward as a potential partner for the Pac-12 as realignment ravages that conference for the 2024 college football season.
- Air Force Falcons
- Boise State Broncos
- Colorado State Rams
- Fresno State Bulldogs
- Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
- Nevada Wolfpack
- New Mexico Lobos
- San Diego State Aztecs
- UNLV Rebels
- Utah State Aggies
- Wyoming Cowboys
PAC-12 Conference
There are no changes to the structure of the Pac-12 Conference or the teams competing in it for the 2023 college football season. However, following the most recent round of college football realignment, the 2024 campaign is extremely uncertain — as we’ll explain shortly.
- Arizona Wildcats
- Arizona State Sun Devils
- California Bears
- Colorado Buffaloes
- Oregon Ducks
- Oregon State Beavers
- Stanford Cardinal
- UCLA Bruins
- USC Trojans
- Utah Utes
- Washington Huskies
- Washington State Cougars
Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Like the Pac-12, there are no changes to the SEC as a result of college football realignment in 2023. However, there are substantial changes coming to the conference for 2024 — which you can find the details below.
East Division
- Florida Gators
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Missouri Tigers
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Vanderbilt Commodores
West Division
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Auburn Tigers
- LSU Tigers
- Mississippi State Bulldogs
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Texas A&M Aggies
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt underwent changes prior to the 2022 season under college football realignment. As a result, they remain unchanged for 2023, with James Madison still ineligible to compete for a title or bowl eligibility.
East Division
- Appalachian State Mountaineers
- Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
- Georgia Southern Eagles
- Georgia State Panthers
- James Madison Dukes
- Marshall Thundering Herd
- Old Dominion Monarchs
West Division
- Arkansas State Red Wolves
- Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
- Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks
- South Alabama Jaguars
- Southern Miss Golden Eagles
- Texas State Bobcats
- Troy Trojans
FBS Independents
With several teams moving from FBS Independent status to a conference under college football realignment, there are now just four independent teams set to play out the 2023 college football season.
2024 College Football Realignment
Following the first round of college football realignment, there were already set to be substantial changes to multiple conferences for the 2024 season. Events of the last week have allowed for tectonic shifts in the very fabric of college football, leading to a very different look for multiple conferences. Others may not even exist once fall 2023 comes around.
Big Ten Conference
Having already welcomed the USC Trojans and UCLA Bruins for the 2024 college football season, the Big Ten had opted to do away with its current East and West divisions in favor of one conference with the championship game contested by the two teams with the best record. There’s no reason to believe that will change, but they now bring in two additional former Pac-12 teams in the form of the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies.
Big 12 Conference
When the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners announced their departure for the SEC, many analysts feared the demise of the Big 12 Conference. Yet, with the latest college football realignment developments, they’re in as strong of a position than they’ve ever been. They already added four teams for 2023, and will welcome four more programs from the Pac-12 for the 2024 college football campaign.
The Colorado Buffaloes return to the conference after a 14-year hiatus, while the Arizona State Sun Devils, Arizona Wildcats, and the Utah Utes — the reigning Pac-12 champions — have followed their conference compatriots to the Big 12 for the 2024 season. As a result, the Big 12 Conference will boast a 16-team field for the 2024 campaign.
Conference USA
Conference USA will bolster its numbers by one for the 2024 season as it welcomes another former FCS program through its doors. The Kennesaw State Owls will play the 2023 college football campaign as an FCS Independent before joining CUSA in the 2024 season.
Pac-12 Conference
At present, it’s difficult to see how the Pac-12 survives beyond 2024 as a result of the latest round of college football realignment. The inability to secure a new television/media rights deal has led to all but four of the current programs bolting for other conferences. The remaining four are currently in the process of doing their due diligence on other options.
At present, the Pac-12 will consist of the Washington State Cougars, Oregon State Beavers, California Golden Bears, and Stanford Cardinal for the 2024 season. While the conference will seek to expand via other teams, at this moment in time it seems that a merger with another conference — such as the Mountain West — or a complete cessation of the conference are the most likely outcomes of the last college football realignment.
Southeastern Conference
Following recent developments, the changes coming to the SEC in 2024 seem somewhat tame. The conference will add the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners for the 2024 campaign and will remove the East and West divisions. However, they will retain an eight conference game scheduling format, with each team required to face one Power Five program as an out-of-conference opponent.
