Conference realignment is not a new concept.
Since college football began, schools have been organizing themselves as independents, associations, and conferences. And with more than 150 years of wars, economic rises and falls, civil rights movements, politics, and media money, programs have reorganized themselves multiple times.
The NCAA began its current three-division structure in 1973. Five years later, the schools formerly in the "University Division" that were made into Division I, were further split into I-A and I-AA, eventually renamed for FBS and FCS. We look at that subdivision of larger schools.
Our baseline begins in that 1978 season.
1978
ACC \- Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Wake Forest
Big Eight \- Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
Big Ten \- Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin
Ivy \- Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale
MAC \- Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Missouri Valley \- Drake, Indiana State, New Mexico State, Southern Illinois, Tulsa, West Texas State, Wichita State
Pacific Coast \- Cal State Fullerton, Fresno State, Long Beach State, Pacific (CA), San Jose State, Utah State
Pac-10 \- Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State
SEC \- Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Southern \- Appalachian State, Chattanooga, Furman, Marshall, The Citadel, VMI, Western Carolina
Southland \- Arkansas State, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, McNeese State, Southwestern Louisiana, Texas-Arlington
Southwest \- Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Rice, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
WAC \- BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, Utah, UTEP, Wyoming
Independents \- Air Force, Army, Boston College, Cincinnati, Colgate, East Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Hawai'i, Holy Cross, Illinois State, Louisville, Memphis State, Miami (FL), Navy, North Texas State, Northeast Louisiana, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Rutgers, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Temple, Tulane, UNLV, Villanova, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, William & Mary
1979
East Tennessee moved from the Ohio Valley in I-AA to the Southern Conference. Hawai'i ended its independence and joined the WAC.
1980
Air Force ended its independence and joined the WAC.
1981
Illinois State ended its independence and joined the Missouri Valley. Villanova (I-A Independent) dropped its football program.
1982
The Ivy League, Southern Conference, and Southland Conference dropped to the I-AA level. Southwestern Louisiana left the Southland to remain in I-A as an independent.
Most of the Missouri Valley schools were upgraded to I-AA: Drake, Illinois State, Indiana State, Southern Illinois, and West Texas State. Several I-A Independents also dropped to I-AA: Colgate, Holy Cross, Northeast Louisiana, North Texas State, Richmond, and William & Mary.
UNLV ended its independence and joined the Pacific Coast.
1983
Georgia Tech, already a member of the ACC in all other sports, ended its football independence to become a full member of the ACC.
1984
New Mexico State left the Missouri Valley to join the Pacific Coast.
1986
The Missouri Valley ended its hybrid league of both I-A and I-AA programs. Tulsa and Wichita State left the conference to become I-A Independent. Northern Illinois left the MAC to become Independent.
1987
Akron left the Ohio Valley (I-AA) to become I-A Independent. Wichita State dropped its program.
1988
The Pacific Coast Athletic Association changed its name to the Big West Conference.
1989
Louisiana Tech upgraded from a I-AA Independent to a I-A Independent.
1991
The Big East began sponsoring football, ending independence for Boston College, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech, West Virginia.
1992
After joining in all other sports the year before, Florida State ended its independence and joined the ACC. The SEC expands with two programs: Arkansas from the Southwest and formerly Independent South Carolina.
The Big West lost two programs: Fresno State joined the WAC and Long Beach State dropped its program. Nevada left the Big Sky (I-AA) to join the Big West.
Akron ended its independence and joined the MAC. Arkansas State upgraded from I-AA to I-A, remaining an Independent.
1993
The Big West lost Cal State Fullerton, who dropped their program, but added four independents: Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois, and Southwestern Louisiana.
Penn State ended its independence and joined the Big Ten.
1994
Northeast Louisiana left the Southland (I-AA) to become a I-A Independent.
1995
North Texas left the Southland (I-AA) to become a I-A Independent.
1996
The Big 12 began its first season after merging the Big Eight with four members of the former Southwest (Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech).
Conference USA began its first season after merging two previously non-football conferences: the Metro Conference and the Great Midwest Conference. This new league included former Southwest member Houston and five former independents: Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Miss, and Tulane.
The WAC added former Southwest members Rice, SMU, and TCU, while also taking San Jose State and UNLV from the Big West. Tulsa ended its independence and joined the WAC.
The Big West lost Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Northern Illinois, and Southwestern Louisiana, all of whom became I-A Independent programs. The league added Boise State (I-AA Big Sky), Idaho (I-AA Big Sky), and North Texas (I-A Independent).
UAB and UCF upgraded from I-AA Independent to become I-A Independent.
Pacific (Big West) dropped its football program.
1997
The MAC added Marshall (I-AA Southern) and Northern Illinois (I-A Independent). East Carolina ended its independence and joined Conference USA.
1998
Army ended more than 100 years of independence to join Conference USA.
1999
Eight former members of the WAC form the Mountain West Conference: Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah, and Wyoming.
Arkansas State ended its independence and joined the Big West. UAB ended its independence to join Conference USA.
Two schools moved up from I-AA to I-A: Middle Tennessee from the Ohio Valley to independence and Buffalo from independence to the MAC.
2000
Nevada left the Big West to join the WAC.
Two programs upgraded from I-AA Independent to I-A Independent: UConn and South Florida.
2001
The Big West stopped sponsoring football. As such, its remaining football-playing members departed for the WAC (Boise State), the Sun Belt (Arkansas State, New Mexico State, and North Texas), or independence (Utah State).
The Sun Belt began sponsoring football. With the addition of the former Big West programs, Idaho joined the league as a football-only member. Louisiana–Lafayette, Louisiana–Monroe, and Middle Tennessee ended their independence to join the Sun Belt.
The WAC lost TCU to Conference USA but added formerly independent Louisiana Tech.
Troy State upgraded from I-AA Independent to I-A Independent.
2002
UCF ended its independence to join the MAC.
2003
South Florida ended its independence to join Conference USA. Utah State ended its independence to join the Sun Belt.
2004
The Big East lost Miami and Virginia Tech to the ACC and added formerly independent UConn.
Troy State ended its independence and joined the Sun Belt.
Florida Atlantic and Florida International upgraded from I-AA Independent to I-A Independent.
2005
Temple (expelled from Big East) and Army (left Conference USA) both became Indpendent.
The Big East also lost Boston College to the ACC and added Cincinnati, Louisville, and South Florida from Conference USA. TCU left Conference USA to join the Mountain West.
Conference USA added Marshall and UCF from the MAC and Rice, SMU, Tulsa, and UTEP from the WAC.
The WAC added Idaho, New Mexico, State and Utah State from the Sun Belt Conference.
The Sun Belt added formerly independents Florida Atlantic and Florida International.
2006
The NCAA changed classification from I-A and I-AA to FBS and FCS.
2007
Temple ended its independence to join the MAC.
2008
Western Kentucky upgraded from FCS Independent to FBS Independent.
2009
Western Kentucky ended its independence and joined the Sun Belt.
2011
The Pac-10 becomes the Pac-12 with the additions of Colorado (Big 12) and Utah (Mountain West). The Big 12 also loses Nebraska to the Big Ten. The Mountain West also loses BYU, who becomes an FBS Independent.
Boise State leaves the WAC to join the Mountain West.
2012
The Big 12 loses Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC and adds TCU (Mountain West) and West Virginia (Big East).
The Mountain West adds former WAC programs Fresno State, Hawai'i, and Nevada. The Big East adds Temple from the MAC.
The MAC adds former Colonial(FCS) member UMass.
The WAC adds former FCS programs Texas State (Southland) and UTSA (Indpenedent).
South Alabama ends its FCS independence to join the Sun Belt.
2013
The Big East lost Pittsburgh and Syracuse to the ACC. With those losses, the league experienced a split between its FBS and non-FBS schools. After the "Catholic 7" took the Big East name, the remaining schools were reorganized as The American. Along with members Cincinnati, Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida, Temple, and UConn, the American also added former Conference USA programs, Houston, Memphis, SMU, and UCF.
Conference USA added former Sun Belt members Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee, and North Texas, as well as former WAC members Louisiana Tech and UTSA.
The WAC discontinued sponsoring football. Idaho and New Mexico State became FBS Independents. San Jose State and Utah State both joined the Mountain West. Texas State joined the Sun Belt.
Georgia State upgraded from the Colonial (FCS) to the Sun Belt.
2014
The Big Ten added Maryland (ACC) and Rutgers (The American).
The ACC added Louisville from The American.
The American added former Conference USA members East Carolina, Tulane, and Tulsa.
Conference USA added Old Dominion (FCS Independent) and Western Kentucky (Sun Belt).
The Sun Belt added Appalachian State and Georgia Southern from the Southern Conference (FCS). Idaho and New Mexico State ended their independence to join the Sun Belt.
2015
Charlotte ended its FCS independence to join Conference USA.
Navy ended its independence to join The American.
UAB (Conference USA) shut down its football program.
2016
UMass left the MAC to become Independent.
2017
UAB restarted its football program in Conference USA.
Coastal Carolina upgraded from FCS Independent to the Sun Belt.
2018
The Sun Belt lost Idaho (FCS Big Sky) and New Mexico State (Independent).
Liberty upgraded from the Big South (FCS) to become an FBS Independent.
2020
Notre Dame joined the ACC for the COVID-19 pandemic-altered season.
UConn left The American to become Independent.
2021
Notre Dame returned to independence.
2022
The Sun Belt added Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss from Conference USA and James Madison from the Colonial (FCS).
2023
The Big 12 added American programs Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF, as well as Independent BYU.
The American added Conference USA programs Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA.
Conference USA added FCS programs Jacksonville State (ASUN) and Sam Houston (WAC), as well as independents Liberty and New Mexico State.
__2024\__*
American \- Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, SMU, South Florida, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA
ACC \- Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (FL), North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Big 12 \- Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah, West Virginia
Big Ten \- Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Wisconsin
Conference USA \- FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, UTEP, Western Kentucky, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA
MAC \- Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Mountain West \- Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawai'i, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming
Pac-12 \- California, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington State
SEC \- Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Sun Belt \- Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, Louisiana–Monroe, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy
Independents \- Army, Notre Dame, UConn, UMass
Future membership as of publication on Aug. 13, 2023.*
