College Football Conference Realignment for 2024-25
College Football Conference Realignment for 2024-25
It’s tough enough trying to keep up with all the transfers, coaching changes, etc. Now, if you are betting college football, you also need to know the latest conference moves. For example, the ACC is adding SMU, Stanford and Cal for the 2024-25 season. Does it make geographical sense? Of course not, but with the Pac-12 disintegrating, the Big 12, ACC and Big 10 took advantage of a league in turmoil. Let’s take a look at the latest Additions and Subtractions in Division I college football for the 2024-25 season.
(new team in bold)
American Athletic Conference (AAC)
The AAC loses SMU to the ACC and gains former Independent Army.
American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2024: Army Black Knights, Charlotte 49ers, East Carolina Pirates, Florida Atlantic Owls, Memphis Tigers, Navy Midshipmen, North Texas Mean Green, Rice Owls, South Florida Bulls, Temple Owls, Tulane Green Wave, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, UAB Blazers, UTSA Roadrunners
As of now, the ACC doesn’t lose anybody and they add Cal and Stanford from the Pac 12. SMU arrives from the AAC.
ACC in 2024: Boston College Eagles, Cal Golden Bears, Clemson Tigers, Duke Blue Devils, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Louisville Cardinals, Miami Hurricanes, North Carolina Tar Heels, NC State Wolfpack, Pittsburgh Panthers, SMU Mustangs, Stanford Cardinal, Syracuse Orange, Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia Tech Hokies, Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The Big Ten Conference took four new teams and all were from the Pac-12 with Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC joining. Instead of dividing the conferences up into two divisions, the Big 10 decided to have one long division with 18 teams. The two top teams will square off in the championship game at the end of the season.
Big 10 in 2024: Illinois Fighting Illini, Indiana Hoosiers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Maryland Terrapins, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Northwestern Wildcats, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Purdue Boilermakers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Washington Huskies, Wisconsin Badgers, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans.
The Big 12 Conference continues to change after adding Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State. However, they lose historical powers Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC.
Big 12 in 2024: Arizona State Sun Devils, Arizona Wildcats, Baylor Bears, BYU Cougars, Cincinnati Bearcats, Colorado Buffaloes, Houston Cougars, Iowa State Cyclones, Kansas Jayhawks, Kansas State Wildcats, Oklahoma State Cowboys, TCU Horned Frogs, Texas Tech Red Raiders, UCF Knights, Utah Utes, West Virginia Mountaineers.
Conference USA (CUSA) is continuing to add programs in football. In the 2024 season, they add Kennesaw State. In 2025, they welcome Delaware, another former FCS school, to the fold.
CUSA in 2024: FIU Panthers, Jacksonville State Gamecocks, Kennesaw State Owls, Liberty Flames, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, New Mexico State Aggies, Sam Houston Bearkats, UTEP Miners, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) will stay the same for the 2024 season, but will no longer have an East and West Division. The top two teams in the 12-team conference will compete for the MAC title.
The Mountain West Conference will remain the same in 2024 after San Diego State decided to stay in the conference. Oregon State and Washington State, the lone members left of the Pac-12 have an agreement to face the MVC this season.
The Pac-12 Conference sadly has just two teams left in Oregon State and Washington State. Those teams will face most of the Mountain West squads as the rest of the league left for Big 12 and Big 10.
Oregon State Beavers, Washington State Cougars
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 2024 adds Texas and Oklahoma. They also will go to a single-division and have the top two teams competing for the SEC title game after the regular season.
SEC in 2024: Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Ole Miss Rebels, South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Longhorns, Vanderbilt Commodores.
Shockingly, there are no changes to the Sun Belt Conference for the 2024 season.
