Conference Realignment has always been a part of college athletics, with College football typically at its forefront. But heading into the 2024 College Football Season, there have been more moves than ever before, with plenty of teams playing in new conferences.
Keeping track of all of these shakeups can be difficult, but fear not! We’ve compiled a list of where every single Division I FBS college football team will be playing in 2024. There are a total of 134 teams at the highest level of college football, up one from last year, as Kennesaw State joins the party. That number will jump to 136 in 2025 when Delaware and Missouri State come aboard.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Going conference-by-conference, here is where each FBS team will be in 2024 and beyond.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 18: The University of North Carolina Charlotte 49ers athletic logo is shown with the American Athletic Conference logo in a pylon as the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers take on the Old Dominion Monarchs during the Famous Toastery Bowl at Jerry Richardson Stadium on December 18, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
The American Athletic Conference (AAC) loses SMU in 2024, as the Mustangs will join the ACC. But Army, a former FBS Independent, will be joining the American on a football-only basis. This keeps the AAC at 14 teams for the known future. The Army-Navy game will remain a non-conference affair. They’ve reloaded nicely after some tense moments in the early part of this stage of realignment.
AAC teams for 2024
Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) adds Cal and Stanford from the PAC-12 and SMU from The American in 2024. This balloons the ACC’s football member number from 14 to 17 this season.
However, that is a fluid figure with Florida State currently negotiating its deal with the conference. FSU seems willing to fork over millions of dollars to leave the ACC for the SEC or Big Ten. That would create a ripple effect, leading to other high-profile programs departing the conference. Those messy details are still being sorted out, and the ACC remains strong for the time being, but they’re certainly in the most unstable place of the Power Four leagues. In fact, many experts seem to think the ACC could be the next conference to implode.
ACC teams for 2024
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After adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF prior to the 2023 season, the Big 12 will add Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah from the Pac-12 for 2024. With the conference losing Oklahoma and Texas, the league sits at 16 teams for now.
The conference was thought to be dead upon the news of the Sooners and Longhorns going to the SEC, but the Big 12 has bounced back and stabilized itself.
Expansion for the Big 12 seems to be quiet for the foreseeable future, but enjoy the name of the conference while you still can. If Brett Yormark has his way, it might not be around for much longer.
Big 12 teams for 2024
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Big Ten will be the biggest FBS college football conference in 2024. They took Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington from the Pac-12 and currently sit at 18 teams.
One of the “Power Two” conferences in the sport, the Big Ten could be a landing spot for Florida State or some of the other ACC teams, were that league to implode.
Big Ten teams for 2024
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Conference USA sat at nine teams a season ago, and they’ll have an even ten teams this year. CUSA will bring Kennesaw State up from the FCS ranks to be the newest FBS team.
The conference will grow to 12 teams in 2025 as Delaware and Missouri State will be the next programs to move up from the FCS level. Nearly half of the conference next season will be recent call-ups from FCS, after Jacksonville State and Sam Houston were promoted last year. It’s a nice rebound after the AAC poached them earlier in this cycle of realignment.
Conference USA teams for 2024
Conference USA teams for 2025
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The MAC has been untouched by all of the mayhem of conference realignment so far. They stay at the same 12 teams for the 2024 season.
In 2025, however, they’ll be at 13 teams after they add UMass, an FBS Independent. It’s the second stint for the Minutemen in the MAC.
MAC teams for 2024
MAC teams for 2025
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Mountain West has also been protected from conference realignment to this point. It’s a 12-team league again in 2024.
The MWC almost lost San Diego State when the Aztecs prematurely announced a departure to the Pac-12 last summer. That, of course, didn’t happen, and now the Mountain West has a scheduling agreement with the Pac-12’s two remaining members, Oregon State and Washington State. They’ve been the conference that has reached out with the most help for the “Pac-2”.
There’s potential for a conference merger if the Pac-12 fully dissolves, but for now, the league will play 15 combined games against the two Pac-12 holdovers, seven against OSU and eight against WSU. The future is uncertain, but the present has been smoothed over…for now.
Mountain West teams for 2024
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The Pac-12 imploded last summer. Plain and simple. What initially was predicted to happen to the Big 12 happened out west instead. Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington went to the Big Ten. Cal and Stanford bolted to the ACC. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah now reside in the Big 12. There are now just two teams left in the league; Oregon State and Washington State.
The Beavers and the Cougars will play seven and eight games against Mountain West schools, respectively. With just two members, the future of the Pac-12 is bleak. The best option for the “Pac-2” would seem to be some kind of merger with the Mountain West Conference or to convince Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark to bring them into the league.
They already have a scheduling agreement, but it’s hard to see a future where OSU and WSU are “power conference” teams again, or one where the Pac-12 can become a premier conference in college football down the road.
Pac-12 teams for 2024
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College football’s premier conference is only getting stronger in 2024. The SEC snagged Oklahoma and Texas from the Big 12, starting this latest round of conference realignment back in 2021.
Much like the Big Ten, the 16-team SEC is one of the “Power Two” leagues in the sport. If the ACC breaks apart, the SEC could be a landing spot for Florida State or some of the other ACC teams. Geographically, it makes more sense than the Big Ten. Aside from that, the SEC looks to be waiting on the Big 10 and the other conferences, leading to stability for the time being.
SEC teams for 2024
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Stability exists for the second straight season in the Sun Belt Conference. They are unique in the FBS, in the fact that they still have divisions. The 14-team conference has seven teams in the East and seven in the West. The two divisional winners play in the conference championship game.
The Sun Belt faced some uncertainty in the early stages of this realignment, but they’ve rebounded nicely to have a solid league heading into the 2024 season.
Sun Belt teams for 2024
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Four teams were FBS Independents in 2023. Army has joined The American, leaving three among the ranks for 2024.
UMass rejoins the MAC in 2025, meaning that Notre Dame and UConn are slated to be the only two Independents in a couple of years.
It would likely be in UConn’s best interest to join a conference on a football-only basis (similar to Army). The Huskies can only do so much on the football field without being able to recruit to a conference but they don’t want to disrupt what’s happening with their juggernaut of a basketball program.
Notre Dame has long been independent, but the new 12-team College Football Playoff might push the Fighting Irish to a conference. Currently, Notre Dame can’t get a bye in the new CFP, as they can’t win a conference if they aren’t in one. To avoid missing out on the bye and a top-four seed, there’s a chance that Notre Dame will finally drop its independent status.
FBS Independents for 2024
FBS Independents for 2025
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