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    With college football realignment continuing to change the landscape of the sport, which teams are playing where in the 2024 season?
    Nov 25, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; California Golden Bears defensive back Miles Williams (13) celebrates with teammates after the game against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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    With college football realignment continuing to change the landscape of the sport, which teams are playing where in the 2024 season?
    Nov 25, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; California Golden Bears defensive back Miles Williams (13) celebrates with teammates after the game against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

    2024 College Football Realignment

    With college football realignment continuing to change the landscape of the sport, which teams are playing where in the 2024 season?

    By Oliver Hodgkinson

    Alongside NIL and the transfer portal, college football realignment is changing the landscape of the sport like we’ve never known it before. With so many moves taking place before and during the season, it can be difficult to keep track of who is playing where next season.

    Thankfully, our 2024 college football realignment tracker breaks down every single conference.

    2024 College Football Realignment

    American Athletic Conference (AAC)

    The AAC is in perpetual flux during ongoing college football realignment. There will be further changes for the 2024 campaign after losing and gaining several programs this past year. The conference loses the SMU Mustangs to the ACC but gains the former FBS Independent Army Black Knights.

    Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

    After watching the initial phases of recent college football realignment play out, the ACC finally made some moves for the 2024 season.

    MORE: ACC 2024 Football Schedule

    The SMU Mustangs, Cal Bears, and Stanford Cardinal will join the conference next year. Meanwhile, the ACC updated its scheduling format to accommodate the expanded conference.

    Big Ten Conference

    The Big Ten is one of the biggest players in college football realignment for the 2024 college football season. Firstly, they welcome four new teams to the conference: the Washington Huskies, Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, and the USC Trojans.

    Secondly, the Big Ten will do away with divisions and install a new scheduling format from 2024 onwards. Formerly comprised of East and West Divisions, it will be a single-division conference with the two best teams competing in the conference championship game at the end of the season.

    Big 12 Conference

    After welcoming four teams to the conference this past year, the Big 12 is once again at the forefront of college football realignment in 2024. The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners depart for the SEC, with the Utah Utes, Colorado Buffaloes, Arizona Wildcats, and Arizona State Sun Devils incoming.

    Conference USA (CUSA)

    After welcoming two FCS programs for the 2023 season, Conference USA adds another for the 2024 campaign with the Kennesaw State Owls joining the conference. In 2025, the Delaware Blue Hens will further add to the CUSA numbers.

    Mid-American Conference (MAC)

    Although there’s no college football realignment in terms of teams added or gained for the conference that brings us midweek mayhem, the MAC will abandon divisions for the 2024 college football season. With the departure of the East and West divisions, the top two teams in the single-division conference will compete in the MAC Championship Game.

    Mountain West Conference

    An interesting cog in college football realignment, the Mountain West almost lost the San Diego State Aztecs, but they ultimately remained for the 2024 season. The interesting element is their scheduling agreement with the Pac-12 conference, which will see each team from Mountain West face one of Oregon State or Washington State during the 2024 college football campaign.

    Pac-12 Conference

    College football realignment has absolutely decimated the Pac-12 Conference. USC and UCLA set the departure ball rolling, and all-bar-two teams have followed suit as uncertainties over a media rights deal led to the collapse of the conference.

    One important note regarding the status of the Pac-12 for the 2024 college football season relates to bowl status. According to a source close to Action Network, the 10 teams that departed the conference ahead of the 2024 college football season may remain tied to the existing conference bowl affiliations — outside of the newly expanded College Football Playoff.

    Currently, the Pac-12 has mandatory tie-ins with the Alamo Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, Sun Bowl, LA Bowl, and Independence Bowl. With just two teams officially in the conference, the Pac-12 wouldn’t currently be able to fill those spots. As they are contracted for a further two seasons, the expectation is that departed teams will remain tied until then.

    Southeastern Conference (SEC)

    The conference that started the 2024 college football realignment, the SEC will welcome the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners next year. Additionally, the conference will abolish divisions for the upcoming campaign, with the best two teams in the single-division conference competing in the SEC Championship Game at the end of the regular season.

    Sun Belt Conference

    A rarity in the age of college football realignment, there are no changes to the Sun Belt Conference for the 2024 season.

    East Division

    West Division

    FBS Independents

    For the second successive season, the FBS Independent numbers dwindle as the Army Black Knights head to the AAC as part of 2024 college football realignment. There are now just three independent teams.

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