After several years of realignment, it seemed as if things were going to settle down in the NCAA.
That was before the rumors started swirling about FSU and Clemson. Then the Pac-12 said ‘Hold my beer’. As we prepare for the 2024 College Football season, let’s take a look at where the conferences stand.
The biggest change for 2024 is the implosion of the Pac-12. After the exodus of teams fleeing to the midwest and east, all that remains are Oregon State and Washington State. At least now they have full control of the conference and the recently departed schools are no longer eligible to vote on conference matters.
| Pac-12 |
|---|
| Oregon State |
| Washington State |
The ACC hasn’t been immune to realignment. After poaching Cal, SMU, and Stanford, the conference now sits at 17 teams. After eliminating the divisions, it’s just a straight table with the top two teams competing for the conference championship. Can the newcomers hold up against the travel requirements and the difference in play? Will FSU and Clemson stay? Still plenty of questions for the ACC.
| ACC |
|---|
| Boston College |
| Cal |
| Clemson |
| Duke |
| Florida State |
| Georgia Tech |
| Louisville |
| Miami |
| NC State |
| North Carolina |
| Pittsburgh |
| SMU |
| Stanford |
| Syracuse |
| Virginia |
| Virginia Tech |
| Wake Forest |
The Big Ten also saw a chance for expansion and added teams from the Pac-12. Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington will all make weekly cross-country trips to see their season unfold. The Big Ten arguably improved considerably more than the ACC with their additions.
| Big Ten |
|---|
| Illinois |
| Iowa |
| Indiana |
| Maryland |
| Michigan |
| Michigan State |
| Minnesota |
| Nebraska |
| Northwestern |
| Ohio State |
| Oregon |
| Penn State |
| Purdue |
| Rutgers |
| UCLA |
| USC |
| Washington |
| Wisconsin |
The Big 12 also saw changes, netting an additional two teams, bringing the conference to 16 teams. Oklahoma and Texas left for the vaunted SEC, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah all joined.
| Big 12 |
|---|
| Arizona |
| Arizona State |
| Baylor |
| BYU |
| Cincinnati |
| Colorado |
| Houston |
| Iowa State |
| Kansas |
| Kansas State |
| Oklahoma State |
| TCU |
| Texas Tech |
| UCF |
| Utah |
| West Virginia |
The SEC is easily the winner in terms of talent acquisition from the latest round of realignment. OU and UT saw the bright side of the best conference in all of the NCAA, and the dollar signs, and put the conference as the likely favorites to go back, and win, a National Championship.
| SEC |
|---|
| Alabama |
| Arkansas |
| Auburn |
| Florida |
| Georgia |
| Kentucky |
| LSU |
| Mississippi State |
| Missouri |
| Oklahoma |
| Ole Miss |
| South Carolina |
| Tennessee |
| Texas |
| Texas A&M |
| Vanderbilt |
That wraps up all of the major changes to the realignment. There were a few smaller changes, the AAC added Army but lost SMU. Conference USA added Kennesaw State to grow to 10 teams. The season hasn’t started yet, but there will be questions all season about who came out on top.
Perhaps it’s time to change the monikers of these conferences due to the geographic footprints they all hold now.