It\u2019s July 1, and for the fifth consecutive year, conference realignment has brought summer movement within the Football Bowl Subdivision.<\/p>\n
What started with Texas and Oklahoma\u2019s shocking jump from the Big 12 to the SEC in 2021 has continued to trickle down across the rest of college football, especially in the Group of 5 conferences, which are now a Group of 6. Welcome back, Pac-12.<\/a><\/p>\n Eleven more FBS schools officially moved Wednesday, along with some non-football-playing additions, bringing the total to 47 FBS moves since the initial Texas and Oklahoma reveal and growing the FBS to 138 teams (up from 130 in 2021). That\u2019s more than one-third of college football\u2019s top level.<\/p>\n To catch you up on this year\u2019s moves, here\u2019s a look at the changes effective this month.<\/p>\n Pac-12<\/p>\n Out: None In 2024, the Pac-12 lost 10 schools to the Big Ten (four), Big 12 (four) and ACC (two), leaving just Oregon State and Washington State. What had started with USC and UCLA\u2019s departure for the Big Ten snowballed into an existential crisis by 2024. Rather than close up shop and join the Mountain West, Oregon State and Washington State spent 2024 in a scheduling partnership with the Mountain West for football and with various leagues for other sports. A year later, the Pac-12 added five Mountain West schools. There were lawsuits<\/a>, which were recently settled.<\/p>\n To reach the FBS-mandated minimum of eight members, the Pac-12 also added Texas State from the Sun Belt. The league will have a \u201cflex\u201d rematch game to close the regular season, giving everyone eight conference games<\/a>. Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga is also coming over as a member in all sports, though the Zags don\u2019t have football.<\/p>\n Pac-12 members as of July 1<\/p>\n Mountain West<\/p>\n Out: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State After nearly collapsing following the Pac-12 departures, the Mountain West struck a favorable deal with Air Force and UNLV to keep them in the fold, then added UTEP from Conference USA and brought Hawaii in as a full member (rather than a football-only one) to stabilize. The league also added Northern Illinois from the MAC as a football-only member. Then, in a late move earlier this year, the Mountain West added North Dakota State as a football-only member coming up from the Football Championship Subdivision. A recent NCAA rule change will allow the Bison to be bowl eligible this season<\/a>, rather than the previous two-year wait for an FCS transition.<\/p>\n Mountain West members as of July 1<\/p>\n Conference USA<\/p>\n Out: Louisiana Tech, UTEP
In: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State, Gonzaga (non-football)<\/p>\n
In: UTEP, North Dakota State (football only), Northern Illinois (football only), UC Davis (non-football)<\/p>\n
In: None<\/p>\n