Gone are the days of old that featured college football conferences based solely on geography.
Starting this upcoming season, we will see a flurry of changes between both the Power Five conferences and the Group of Five conferences in the FBS and a good portion of conferences in the FCS.
Most of the FBS changes are due to the Pac-12’s media rights deal with ESPN and FOX Sports set to expire after the 2023 academic year.
Let's take a look at both the FBS and FCS conference changes between 2023 and 2025.
Current Conference Changes:
Pac-12:
UCLA - Big Ten (2024)
USC - Big Ten (2024)
Oregon - Big Ten (2024)
Washington - Big Ten (2024)
Colorado - Big 12 (2024)
Arizona - Big 12 (2024)
Arizona State - Big 12 (2024)
Utah - Big 12 (2024)
Big 12:
Oklahoma - SEC (2024)
Texas - SEC (2024)
American Athletic Conference:
UCF - Big 12 (2023)
Cincinnati - Big 12 (2023)
Houston - Big 12 (2023)
Conference USA:
Charlotte - AAC (2023)
FAU - AAC (2023)
North Texas - AAC (2023)
Rice - AAC (2023)
UAB - AAC (2023)
UTEP - AAC (2023)
Atlantic Sun Conference:
Jacksonville State - Conference USA (2023)
Liberty - Conference USA (2023)
Kennesaw State - Conference USA (2024)
Western Athletic Conference:
New Mexico State - Conference USA (2023)
Sam Houston - Conference USA (2023)
Big South:
Campbell - Colonial Athletic Association (2023)
West Coast Conference:
BYU - Big 12 (2023)
Summit League:
Western Illinois - Ohio Valley Conference (2023)
The Loser: Pac-12
The Pac-12 is the only loser after these changes since it has resulted in them being left with only four universities, likely signaling the end of the 108-year-old conference.
When it was announced in mid-2022 that both USC and UCLA were heading to the Big Ten it was a huge hit to the Pac-12, although it was originally thought that it was repairable with a new media rights deal and acquiring two new universities from a conference like the Mountain West.
“We're excited to join the Big Ten Conference in 2024 and are grateful to the Board of Regents' thoughtful engagement in this decision. We've always been guided by what is best for our 25 teams and more than 700 student-athletes, and the Big Ten offers exciting new competitive opportunities on a bigger national media platform for our student-athletes to compete and showcase their talent," said UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond.
USC’s Athletic Director also released a statement regarding the move to the Big Ten.
"Ultimately, the Big Ten is the best home for USC and Trojan athletics as we move into the new world of collegiate sports. We are excited that our values align with the league's member institutions. We also will benefit from the stability and strength of the conference; the athletic caliber of Big Ten institutions; the increased visibility, exposure, and resources the conference will bring our student-athletes and programs; and the ability to expand engagement with our passionate alumni nationwide" said Athletic Director Mike Bohn.
In the early part of 2023 Colorado, which was still in the Pac-12 for the foreseeable future at the time, went out and hired Jackson State’s Deion Sanders as its next head coach. The move to hire Sanders brought a lot of excitement to the school and the conference which built hope that it would agree on a new media rights deal.
On July 27, 2023, the Colorado Buffaloes announced that they would be returning to the Big 12 conference, the conference that they spent 14 years in spanning from 1996 through 2010, upon the completion of the 2023 academic year.
Colorado’s Chancellor Philip DiStefano and Athletic Director Rick George released a joint statement regarding the move.
“After careful thought and consideration, it was determined that a switch in conference would give CU Boulder the stability, resources, and exposure necessary for long-term future success in a college athletics environment that is constantly evolving. The Big 12's national reach across three time zones as well as our shared creative vision for the future we feel makes it an excellent fit for CU Boulder, our students, faculty, and alumni. These decisions are never easy and we've valued our 12 years as proud members of the Pac-12 Conference. We look forward to achieving new goals while embarking on this exciting next era as members of the Big 12 Conference,” said the pair.
Talks of both Washington and Oregon joining the Big Ten intensified on August 3, 2023, but nothing was made official that night. It was reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on the morning of August 4, 2023, that “barring an 11th-hour change” both Oregon and Washington would stay in the Pac-12 with the conference signing a new media rights deal with Apple.
Nonetheless, an hour later Thamel reported that the media rights deal would not be signed and both Washington and Oregon were fully engaged with the Big Ten.
At 11:40 a.m. CT, it was reported that the Big Ten officially offered the two universities a spot in the conference. A vote was scheduled for later in the day, the result was unanimous.
“Accepting membership into the Big Ten Conference is a transformational opportunity for the University of Oregon to change the short and long-term trajectory of our university and athletics department. The stability and exposure of joining the Big Ten is of great benefit to the University of Oregon, and we are grateful to the Big Ten presidents and chancellors for accepting our application to join the conference. We look forward to the opportunity for our student-athletes to compete in this conference, which includes many of the best programs in the nation in every sport,” said Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens.
The University of Washington President Ana Cauce also released a statement about the university’s athletics move.
"The Big Ten is a thriving conference with strong athletic and academic traditions, and we are excited and confident about competing at the highest level on a national stage. My top priority must be to do what is best for our student-athletes and our University, and this move will help ensure a strong future for our athletics program," said Cauce.
With those moves, the conference found itself with only seven of the 12 universities left, but that would change mere hours later.
Around 6:00 p.m. CT, it was reported by Pete Thamel that Utah and Arizona State had applied to join the Big 12 following in the footsteps of Arizona, which was approved before the two schools applied.
Utah and Arizona State were formally voted in at 7:30 p.m. CT, officially leaving the Pac-12 with four schools left; Stanford, Oregon State, Washington State, and California.
It is unclear what the future of the conference will look like but disbanding the conference is the likeliest scenario.
The Winner: Big Ten
Since the first announcement of USC and UCLA joining the conference in 2024, the excitement for the conference began to grow more than ever before.
Former Big Ten Kevin Warren was responsible for bringing those two schools in.
“As the national leader in academics and athletics for over 126 years, the Big Ten Conference has historically evaluated its membership with the collective goal to forward the academic and athletic mission for student-athletes under the umbrella of higher education. The unanimous vote today signifies the deep respect and welcoming culture our entire conference has for the University of Southern California, under the leadership of President Carol Folt, and the University of California, Los Angeles, under the leadership of Chancellor Gene Block. I am thankful for the collaborative efforts of our campus leadership, athletics directors, and Council of Presidents and Chancellors who recognize the changing landscape of college athletics, methodically reviewed each request, and took appropriate action based on our consensus,” said Commissioner Warren.
Everything was quiet regarding the Big Ten, which was planning to be at 16 teams at the start of the 2024 academic year, until Washington and Oregon planned to break apart from the Pac-12.
Adding the two universities was new Big Ten commissioner Tony Peitti’s first move since taking over the conference following Kevin Warren’s departure for the Chicago Bears President job.
"We are excited to welcome the University of Oregon and the University of Washington to the Big Ten Conference. We look forward to building long-lasting relationships with the universities, administrators and staff, student-athletes, coaches, and fans. Both institutions feature a combination of academic and athletic excellence that will prove a great fit for our future," said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti.
What Does the Future of College Football Look Like?
Conference realignment changes a lot of things outside of who they play against. Traveling to play in new states and regions opens up new recruiting avenues that the school may not have had before. Another cool thing that this creates is the potential for new rivalries or different trophy games similar to the Red River Showdown of Texas and Oklahoma.
The 12-team playoff will be debuted in 2024 and will create a new dynamic with the addition of the two new super-conferences (the Big Ten and SEC).
For those unfamiliar with the new playoff format here is the breakdown.
The new 12-team format will feature the top four conference champions (seeded 1-4), followed by the top six at-large bids and the two highest-ranked remaining conference champions. Teams will still be seeded based on the College Football Playoff rankings.
This new format also ensures that one Group of Five team makes the playoff.
The new format means that independent universities such as Notre Dame, Army, UConn, and UMass will never be one of the top four seeds, as they are not a part of any conference nor would they ever receive a bye in the playoff.
Like it or not, there is a new era of college football on the horizon.
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