History of Conference Realignment

www.usatoday.com

Mountain West adds Hawaii as full-time member, bringing conference to NCAA minimum of 8

The Mountain West Conference added Hawaii Tuesday as a full-time member beginning in July 2026
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The Mountain West has added Hawaii as a full-time member, effective July 1, 2026. The Rainbow Warriors have been a football-only member of the league since 2012 and have competed in the Big West Conference in most other sports.

With Hawaii now aboard, the Mountain West has enough full-time members to meet the minimum NCAA requirements.

The new look Mountain West

Air Force
Hawaii
Nevada
New Mexico
San Jose State
Texas-El Paso
UNLV
Wyoming

Brett McMurphy is reporting that the MW would like to add at least one (if not two) additional football-only members and are targeting Northern Illinois and Toledo.
 
www.espn.com

Grand Canyon flips from WCC, to join MWC by '26

Grand Canyon will join the Mountain West Conference by at least 2026, the school and conference announced.
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Grand Canyon, who six months ago committed to joining the West Coast Conference, has now announced they will join the Mountain West by at least 2026 as a non-football member.

The Mountain West is still seeking at least one more football-playing member.
 
Today being July 1st means that today is also official conference realignment day.

- Conference USA is adding Delaware and Missouri State as its 11th and 12th members, moving up from the FCS ranks. Those two become the 135th and 136th FBS schools.

- Massachusetts leaves the independents and will join the MAC

In non-football moves, New Haven is moving up from Division II to the Northeast Conference in Division I, Seattle is moving from the WAC to the West Coast Conference.

Conference alignments for the 2025 season:

American Athletic Conference (14)
Alabama-Birmingham
Army
Charlotte
East Carolina
Florida Atlantic
Memphis
Navy
North Texas
Rice
South Florida
Temple
Texas-San Antonio
Tulane
Tulsa

Atlantic Coast Conference (17)
Boston College
California
Clemson
Duke
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Louisville
Miami (FL)
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Pittsburgh
Southern Methodist
Stanford
Syracuse
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest

Big 12 Conference (16)
Arizona
Arizona State
Baylor
Brigham Young
Central Florida
Cincinnati
Colorado
Houston
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas Tech
Utah
West Virginia

Big Ten Conference (18)
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Maryland
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern
Ohio State
Oregon
Penn State
Purdue
Rutgers
UCLA
USC
Washington
Wisconsin

C-USA (12)
Delaware
Florida International
Jacksonville State
Kennesaw State
Liberty
Louisiana Tech
Middle Tennessee State
Missouri State
New Mexico State
Sam Houston State
Texas-El Paso
Western Kentucky

Independents (2)
Connecticut
Notre Dame

Mid-American Conference (13)
Akron
Ball State
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Kent State
Massachusetts
Miami (OH)
Northern Illinois
Ohio
Toledo
Western Michigan

Mountain West Conference (12)
Air Force
Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State
Hawaii
Nevada
New Mexico
San Diego State
San Jose State
UNLV
Utah State
Wyoming

Pac-12 Conference (2)
Oregon State
Washington State

Southeastern Conference (16)
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
LSU
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Missouri
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Texas A&M
Vanderbilt

Sun Belt Conference (14)
Appalachian State
Arkansas State
Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
James Madison
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
Marshall
Old Dominion
South Alabama
Southern Mississippi
Texas State
Troy
 
Last edited:
Alum-Ni said:
Texas State will join the Pac-12 in 2026, which will give the Pac-12 eight football playing members (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Oregon State and Washington State........Gonzaga will join as a non-football member)

www.cbssports.com

Texas State to join Pac-12: Why the Bobcats are a perfect fit, even 1,100 miles from the Pacific Ocean

The Bobcats offer high upside and access to fertile recruiting ground as the league adds one more member
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com
Click to expand...

The Sun Belt looks to be adding Louisiana Tech from CUSA to replace Texas State in their league.

www.espn.com

Louisiana Tech returns to Sun Belt, sources say

The Sun Belt's CEOs voted to invite Louisiana Tech as the league's 14th member Monday morning, sources told ESPN.
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www.espn.com

Sources: North Dakota State joins Mountain West for football

FCS powerhouse North Dakota State has finalized an agreement to join the Mountain West Conference in football only starting in 2026, sources told ESPN.
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North Dakota State will join the Mountain West as a football-only member for 2026.

The Bison will pay $12 million to join the conference in addition to the $5 million it will pay to the NCAA to move from FCS to FBS.

The Bison have won 10 of the past 15 FCS national championships.

The Mountain West will have 10 football members for 2026:

Air Force
Hawaii
Nevada
New Mexico
North Dakota State
Northern Illinois
San Jose State
Texas-El Paso
UNLV
Wyoming
 
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) will add Sacramento State to the league as a football-only member starting in 2026.

The cost for Sacramento State to move up from FCS is reportedly $23 million, a $5 million fee to the NCAA and an $18 million entrance fee to the MAC.

The move would keep the MAC at 13 schools for football, with Sacramento State replacing Northern Illinois, which is leaving for the Mountain West.

Sacramento State's other sports will remain in the Big West.
 
Alum-Ni said:
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) will add Sacramento State to the league as a football-only member starting in 2026.

The cost for Sacramento State to move up from FCS is reportedly $23 million, a $5 million fee to the NCAA and an $18 million entrance fee to the MAC.

The move would keep the MAC at 13 schools for football, with Sacramento State replacing Northern Illinois, which is leaving for the Mountain West.

Sacramento State's other sports will remain in the Big West.
Click to expand...
Whats was the entry fee for the MWC for Northern Illinois?
 
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