The 2026 Realignment Overview
As the 2026 college football season approaches, the landscape of the Football Bowl Subdivision is set to shift dramatically. Nine programs will change conferences, and two schools currently in the Football Championship Subdivision will ascend to the FBS, pushing the total number of FBS members to 138.
Despite the upheaval, the Power 4 conferences — the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC — remain intact, preserving their traditional power structures.
The Pac‑12, once a ten‑team league, has been essentially rebuilt around Oregon State and Washington State, marking a stark transformation for a conference that has seen its membership erode in recent years.
Other Group of 6 leagues have also felt the ripple effects. The Mid‑American Conference, the Mountain West, Conference USA and the Sun Belt each welcomed new members or saw departures, reshaping their competitive balances.
Among them, the American Athletic Conference stands out as the sole Group of 6 league untouched by this round of realignment, retaining its current roster of schools.
Conference Landscape After Realignment
The Atlantic Coast Conference continues to boast traditional powerhouses such as Boston College, Clemson, Miami and Virginia Tech, while also incorporating new entrants that reinforce its depth.
In the Big 12, historic programs like Arizona, Baylor, Texas and West Virginia remain central, with the conference maintaining its blend of historic pedigree and emerging programs.
The Big Ten showcases a mix of legacy giants — Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State — and recent additions such as USC, expanding its geographic footprint.
The Southeastern Conference retains its dominance with perennial contenders Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas, ensuring the league’s reputation as the premier stage of college football.
The American Athletic Conference fields teams including Army, East Carolina, Memphis and Tulane, preserving its identity as a competitive mid‑major league.
Conference USA welcomes programs like Delaware, FIU and Western Kentucky, while the Mid‑American Conference adds schools such as Akron, Michigan State and Western Michigan to its slate.
The Mountain West retains Air Force, Nevada and Wyoming, and the Sun Belt continues to feature Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Troy, underscoring the diversity of competition across these leagues.
Notre Dame remains an independent, opting out of conference affiliation as it has historically done.