Three years after Texas and Oklahoma introduced their transfer to the SEC and set off a tectonic shift throughout faculty sports activities, the Longhorns and Sooners are lastly truly becoming a member of the SEC.
On July 1, the 2 blue bloods’ departure from the Large 12 grew to become official, as did many different convention realignment strikes, which have trickled down to each nook of Division I. The ten-school exodus from the Pac-12 to different conferences will change into official on Aug. 1.
In complete, 15 FBS colleges will change conferences this summer time. Whenever you embody the 4 Solar Belt modifications in 2022 and 14 extra FBS modifications in 2023, a complete of 33 FBS groups have modified conferences since Texas and Oklahoma introduced their transfer. That’s almost 1 / 4 of the FBS, which has grown from 130 groups to 134 in that point. And this doesn’t embody the three extra strikes deliberate for the summer time of 2025.
That will help you hold observe of all of the strikes, here’s a refresher on the modifications now in impact (or that can quickly take impact) and which colleges belong to which FBS conferences in 2024.
Large Ten (18 groups)
- Will add USC and UCLA from the Pac-12 on Aug. 1 (introduced in 2022)
- Will add Oregon and Washington from the Pac-12 on Aug. 1 (introduced in 2023)
Full members as of Aug. 1, 2024:
When Texas and Oklahoma introduced their transfer in 2021, the Large Ten helped kind “The Alliance” with the ACC and Pac-12 to decelerate realignment and hold conferences from destroying one another. Or so it appeared. A 12 months later, the Large Ten introduced the additions of USC and UCLA, in addition to a brand new TV deal. The league opted in opposition to including Oregon and Washington on the time. However final summer time, because the Pac-12 struggled to place collectively a TV deal, Oregon and Washington jumped for Large Ten membership at a reduced share on the final minute, unraveling the West Coast’s energy convention.
The Large Ten has performed away with divisions and now sits at 18 groups, surpassing the late Nineteen Nineties WAC as the biggest FBS convention because the Southern Convention had 23 groups within the early Thirties.
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SEC (16 groups)
- Added Texas and Oklahoma from the Large 12 (introduced in 2021)
Full members as of July 1, 2024:
The transfer that began this realignment wave is perhaps the simplest to grasp. The SEC was already in Texas, and including the Longhorns and Sooners’ historic packages retains the convention in contiguous states. Soccer divisions have additionally been scrapped right here.
Large 12 (16 groups)
Full members as of Aug. 1, 2024:
The Large 12 appeared on the snapping point in 2021 when it was caught off-guard by Texas and Oklahoma’s exit. It not solely survived, formally including 4 colleges final season, but it surely now grows to 16 groups by taking the “4 Corners” Pac-12 colleges, which got here after greater than a 12 months of courtship.
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ACC (17 soccer groups)
- Added SMU from the American Athletic Convention (introduced in 2023)
- Will add Cal and Stanford from the Pac-12 on Aug. 1 (introduced in 2023)
Full members as of Aug. 1, 2024:
(Notre Dame is a non-football member)
The ACC made a proactive realignment transfer in including Cal, Stanford and SMU after the Pac-12 unraveled, although NC State wanted to flip its preliminary place to make it occur. Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina voted in opposition to the transfer. Clemson and FSU have since filed lawsuits in opposition to the league in hopes of negating the league’s grant of rights and probably leaving the convention. Realignment will not be performed but, however the ACC hopes it has stabilized itself on the again finish in that occasion.
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Pac-12 (Two groups)
- Will lose USC and UCLA to the Large Ten on Aug. 1 (introduced in 2022)
- Will lose Oregon and Washington to the Large Ten on Aug. 1 (introduced in 2023)
- Will lose Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah to the Large 12 on Aug. 1 (introduced in 2023)
- Will lose Cal and Stanford to the ACC on Aug. 1 (introduced in 2023)
Full members as of Aug. 1, 2024:
There might be no Pac-12 championship this 12 months with simply two groups. Oregon State and Washington State will every play at the least six Mountain West soccer video games however basically function as independents. The Mountain West made room for the video games by chopping its schedule all the way down to seven convention video games this season. A possible merger between the perimeters is feasible, however OSU and WSU have till 2026 to determine their plans.
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American Athletic Convention (14 soccer groups)
- Misplaced SMU to the ACC (introduced in 2023)
- Added Military from independence as a football-only member (introduced in 2023)
Members as of July. 1, 2024:
The AAC has misplaced 4 colleges to energy conferences within the final two years, however the addition of Military will hold the league at 14 groups. Military and Navy will hold their post-championship weekend matchup, however it is going to be a nonconference recreation and received’t issue into potential Faculty Soccer Playoff eventualities.
Convention USA (10 groups)
Full members as of July 1, 2024:
CUSA was down to simply 5 future colleges at one level in 2021. However the league held collectively, added 4 colleges for 2023 and is now at a spherical 10 for 2024 with the addition of Kennesaw State. The Owls solely started enjoying soccer in 2015, however the suburban Atlanta college has been a strong FCS program.
No modifications: MAC, Mountain West, Solar Belt.
Coming in 2025: UMass joins the MAC; Delaware and Missouri State be part of Convention USA.
(Photograph: Daniel Dunn / USA In the present day)