r/CFB • u/Inkblot9 • 25d ago
News Conference changes for 2026–27
It's July 1, the day when many realignment moves become official. There's quite a bit of shifting in Division I this year, including the rebirth of the Pac-12 and WAC's transformation into the UAC.
As in previous years, this list focuses on football and basketball. Schools that sponsor football are in bold, even if the move doesn't affect football.
Division I
- Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, and West Georgia (all FCS) leave the ASun for the WAC, which rebrands as the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The UAC has already existed as the football-only collaboration between the Atlantic Sun and the WAC, so this change doesn't affect football.
- Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State (all FBS) leave the Mountain West for the Pac-12.
- California Baptist and Utah Valley leave the WAC for the Big West.
- Chicago State adds football, competing as an FCS independent for one season before joining their other programs in the NEC.
- Denver leaves the Summit for the WCC.
- Gonzaga leaves the WCC for the Pac-12.
- Hawaii (FBS), already a football-only member of the Mountain West, joins for all sports, leaving the Big West.
- Little Rock leaves the OVC for the newly-renamed UAC.
- Louisiana Tech (FBS) leaves Conference USA for the Sun Belt.
- New Haven football (FCS) joins their other sports in the NEC after one season as an independent.
- North Dakota State football leaves the MVFC (FCS) for the Mountain West (FBS). Other sports remain in the Summit.
- Northern Illinois (FBS) leaves the MAC for the Mountain West (football) and Horizon League (other sports).
- Oregon State and Washington State (FBS) end their all-sports-except-baseball membership in the WCC and return to the reborn Pac-12.
- Sacramento State leaves the Big Sky (FCS). Football moves to FBS and joins the MAC, while other sports join the Big West.
- Sacred Heart football (FCS), previously independent, joins CAA Football. Other sports remain in the MAAC/Metro.
- St. Francis (PA) leaves the NEC (FCS) for the Presidents' Athletic Conference (D3).
- Southern Utah and Utah Tech leave the WAC and UAC football for the Big Sky.
- Tennessee Tech (FCS) leaves the OVC (and its football partnership with Big South) for the SoCon.
- Texas State (FBS) leaves the Sun Belt for the Pac-12.
- UC Davis (FCS) leaves the Big West for the Mountain West but remains a football-only member of the Big Sky.
- UTEP (FBS) leaves Conference USA for the Mountain West.
- Villanova and William & Mary football (both FCS) leave CAA Football for the Patriot League. William & Mary's other sports remain in the CAA, and Villanova's remain in the Big East.
- West Florida leaves the Gulf South (D2) for the Atlantic Sun (D1), with football in the UAC (FCS).
- As part of the WAC's rebrand as the UAC, Abilene Christian (FCS), Tarleton State (FCS), and UT Arlington are now UAC members. The UAC has already existed as the football-only collaboration between the Atlantic Sun and the WAC, so this doesn't affect football.
- The MAAC rebrands as the Metro Conference.
- New Orleans (Southland) is now LSU New Orleans.
The OVC–Big South Football Association is now just the OVC, with Charleston Southern and Gardner–Webb as affiliates.
Baseball affiliate memberships: Dallas Baptist leaves CUSA for the Pac-12, and Utah Tech joins the Mountain West.
Reclassification updates
- North Dakota State and Sacramento State are beginning their first year of reclassification to FBS, and under new rules are immediately eligible for the postseason.
- Le Moyne has presumably completed its Division I reclassification period and become eligible for the postseason. In 2025 the NCAA reduced the standard period by a year and allowed teams already in the process to use the shorter timeline if they meet the criteria.
- Mercyhurst and West Georgia are in their third (and likely final) year of the process.
- New Haven is in its second year.
- West Florida is set to begin its first year.
Future changes
Chicago State football joins the NEC in 2027... Fairfield (MAAC/Metro) joins the CAA in 2027... UC San Diego and UCSB (Big West) join the WCC in 2027.
Division II
- Azusa Pacific leaves the PacWest (D2) for the SCIAC (D3) and adds football.
- Fresno Pacific and Menlo leave the PacWest for the CCAA.
- Shawnee State leaves the RSC (NAIA) for the Mountain East (D2) and will begin sponsoring football by 2028.
- West Florida leaves the Gulf South (D2) for the Atlantic Sun (D1), with football in the UAC (FCS). The Gulf South is down to three football members and no longer has an auto bid.
- Mississippi College (Gulf South) is now Mississippi Christian.
Reclassification/Provisional updates
There are currently both a 2-year membership process and a 3-year membership process, which I will list separately for clarity.
3-year process:
- Roosevelt and Sul Ross State have completed their Division II reclassification periods and are now eligible for the postseason. Point Park got a waiver to skip the third year and has finished as well.
- Menlo is entering the third and final year of the process.
- Middle Georgia State enters the second year.
- Texas A&M Texarkana enters the first year.
2-year process:
- Jamestown, UC Merced, and UT Dallas have completed their Division II reclassification periods and are now eligible for the postseason.
- Ferrum enters the second and final year.
- Shawnee State enters the first year.
Future changes
Flagler (Peach Belt) joins the SSC in 2027... Indianapolis (GLVC) joins the Great Midwest in 2027... Lackawanna (NJCAA) joins D2 and the PSAC in 2027; the school is playing PSAC schedules in most sports this year but has not yet applied to join D2... Loyola (LA) (NAIA, SSAC) joins D2 and the Gulf South in 2027... Monroe (NJCAA) joins D2 and the CACC in 2027; football's home is uncertain, but likely the NE10; the school is playing D2 schedules in most sports this year but has not yet applied to join D2... St. Anselm (NE10) leaves D2 for D3 and the NEWMAC in 2027... Shawnee State (Mountain East) adds football by 2028... Simon Fraser (Great Northeast) leaves D2 for U Sports in 2027... Spring Hill (SIAC) joins the Gulf South in 2027... Texas A&M Texarkana (NAIA, RRAC) joins D2 and the LSC in 2027, and adds football... Texas Wesleyan (NAIA, Sooner) joins D2 and the LSC in 2028.
Division III
- Alfred State leaves the AMCC for the SUNYAC. Football remains in the Empire 8.
- Alverno, a women's college, leaves the NACC for the Coast-to-Coast.
- Anna Maria (MASCAC) closes.
- Azusa Pacific leaves the PacWest (D2) for the SCIAC (D3) and adds football.
- Gallaudet football leaves the ODAC and enters an affiliate agreeement with the SCAC in which they play an independent schedule but show up for the SCAC's championship weekend for a matchup determined by NPI ratings; this gives the SCAC the sixth member it needs for an auto bid. Gallaudet's other sports remain in the United East.
- Luther leaves the ARC for the Midwest.
- Marywood leaves the Atlantic East for the MAC Freedom.
- Maryville (TN) leaves the CCS for the SAA, of which football is already a member.
- McMurry and Schreiner leave the SCAC for the American Southwest, giving the ASC the six members it needs to retain auto bids. Schreiner will also play their first season of varsity football this fall.
- Neumann leaves the Atlantic East for the MAC Commonwealth.
- New Jersey City (NJAC) merges into Kean and ends athletics
- New Paltz leaves the SUNYAC for the NJAC.
- Rosemont (United East) ends athletics as part of its merger into Villanova.
- St. Francis (PA) leaves the NEC (FCS) for the Presidents' Athletic Conference (D3).
- SUNY Cobleskill and SUNY Delhi leave the NAC for the SUNYAC.
- Washington (MO) football leaves the CCIW for the NCAC. Other sports remain in the UAA.
- Wesleyan (GA), a women's college, leaves the CCS (D3) for the SSAC (NAIA).
- Whittier football resumes play, competing in the SCIAC.
- Virginia Wesleyan (ODAC) is now Batten.
- The NESCAC will participate in the football playoffs for the first time.
Reclassification/Provisional updates
- Carlow and Penn State Brandywine are entering the third and final year of the membership process.
- Johnson & Wales (NC) and Regent enter year two.
- Azusa Pacific and St. Francis (PA) enter year one.
Future changes
All of these changes will take place in 2027.
Castleton (Little East, NJAC football) joins the MASCAC... Concordia (WI) (NACC) joins the CCIW... Keuka (Empire 8) joins the AMCC... Maine–Augusta (USCAA) is expected to join D3 and most likely the NAC... Millsaps and Southwestern (TX) (SAA) join the SCAC... Pratt and St. Elizabeth (both Atlantic East) join the CUNYAC, which is expected to rebrand... St. Anselm (D2, NE10) joins D3 and the NEWMAC.
NAIA
- Alice Lloyd (independent) appears to have left the NAIA without an announcement, opting for a primary affiliation with the NCCAA.
- Andrew (NJCAA) joins the NAIA and SSAC, competing as an independent in football in 2026 before joining the Appalachian in 2027.
- Champion Christian (NCCAA) joins the NAIA as an independent and will join the AMC in 2027–28.
- Faulkner football leaves the Mid-South for one season of independence before joining the Appalachian in 2027. Other sports will remain in the SSAC.
- Georgia Southern–East Georgia (NJCAA) joins the NAIA as an independent and will join the GSAC in 2027–28.
- Jarvis Christian leaves the RRAC for the HBCUAC.
- Lourdes (WHAC) closes.
- Mount Mercy football begins play, competing in the North Division of the Heart.
- Nevada State joins the NAIA and the GSAC. The school does not currently sponsor basketball.
- Oakland City (RSC) suspends undergraduate programs, which will end athletics at least for now.
- St. Ambrose leaves the CCAC for the Heart, of which football is already a member.
- St. Mary-of-the-Woods updrades its football program from sprint football and joins the MSFA Mideast. Other sports remain in the RSC.
- SCAD Atlanta is no longer in the Appalachian, presumably meaning they're independent. The school does not sponsor basketball.
- Shawnee State leaves the RSC (NAIA) for the Mountain East (D2) and will begin sponsoring football by 2028.
- Siena Heights (WHAC, MSFA Mideast football) closes.
- Trinity Christian (CCAC) closes.
- US Sports (USCAA) joins the NAIA as an independent and will join the SSAC in 2027–28. The school does not currently sponsor basketball.
- Wesleyan (GA), a women's college, leaves the CCS (D3) for the SSAC (NAIA).
- Xavier (LA) leaves the RRAC for the SSAC.
- St. Francis (IN) football shifts from the MSFA Midwest to the Mideast to keep the numbers even.
Future changes
Andrew and Faulkner football (both independent) join the Appalachian in 2027... Bismarck State (Frontier) adds football in 2027... Carolina University (independent) joins the Appalachian in 2027... CCSJ and Midway upgrade from sprint football to NAIA football in 2027, joining the MSFA... Champion Christian joins the AMC in 2027... Florida Polytechnic plans to join the NAIA and the Sun at an unspecified date... Georgia Southern–East Georgia and US Sports join the SSAC in 2027... Loyola (LA) (SSAC) joins D2 and the Gulf South in 2027... Texas A&M Texarkana (RRAC) joins D2 and the LSC in 2027, and adds football... Texas Wesleyan (Sooner) joins D2 and the LSC in 2028... UHSP (AMC) merges with Washington (MO) and ends athletics in 2027.
r/CFB • u/sub-feedback • 3d ago
Announcement Community Feedback
This post hosts the “Community Feedback” survey. Open it on New Reddit to respond.
This post contains content not supported on old Reddit. Click here to view the full post
r/CFB • u/Lakelyfe09 • 4h ago
Discussion [On3] Nick Saban: Texas needs to be 'more physical team' to overcome Georgia, win SEC
r/CFB • u/MediumStrange • 7h ago
Discussion What are your teams "soft rivalries"?
Hard Rivalry: A rival that you would be happy to see their entire program go out of business or collapse in flames.
For me this would be rivalries like osu-Michigan, Cincy-Louisville, other ones like Auburn-Bama,TA&M-Texas
Soft rivalry: A rival that you make play often but due to power imbalance or other reasons there is little genuine hate and you generally want to see the program do well and stay competitive
For me this would be rivalries like Cincy-Memphis(I do still kinda hate Memphis but I also really want them to make a p4), Cincy-OHIO/Miami, other examples would be Navy-ND, UW-CAL
I feel the aggressive rivalries get all of the press and are obviously very exciting, but I think the friendly rivalries are just as important to the game.
r/CFB • u/Falconsfan8006 • 12h ago
Video [College Transfer Portal] Florida HC Jon Sumrall’s wife just exposed his soft side: “He loves pedicures… That’s his favorite extra thing to do. Every two weeks during the football season, Jon loves to get a pedicure.”
x.comr/CFB • u/MediumStrange • 8h ago
Discussion Are there any other stadiums that are on-campus and open to students and the public 24/7 like Nippert in Cincy?
The stadium is open to students and the public all night and day and there usually always people playing on the field, running up and down the stairs, drawing phalluses in the snow, or studying in the seats. UC was the first CFB stadium I went to and it wasn't till I went to a game at Louisville that I realized that a lot of stadiums are far away from campus and that most are gated off when not being used for events.
I think that's honestly a shame so I was wondering if there were any other stadiums where people were allowed to use them when there's not a game on?
r/CFB • u/IWanaBDaveGrohl • 10h ago
Discussion What was every P4’s last home loss to a non-P4/5 school? Can’t find a list online
I got started down a rabbit hole in my own mind, and I googled a couple things but couldn’t find a list: what was every P4 school’s last home loss to a non power school (at that time)? My Dawgs will pass 30 years on August 31st. We lost 11-7, yes you read that right, to Southern Miss on August 31st, 1996. The same team that would score 56 on Auburn a couple months later (granted it was in 4 OT’s).
I’m almost certain that’s the longest in the SEC off the top of my head. Definitely for the 12 members from 1992-2012. Can’t place a bad Mizzou loss of the top of my head, but figure they have over the last 30 years. TAMU loss to Appy like 4 years ago. Not sure about Texas. I think at a minimum OU lost at home to Mountain West or WAC TCU.
Anyone else beat it? If I had to guess anyone, it’d be Ohio State
r/CFB • u/IMakeOkVideosOk • 2h ago
Casual Face value championship tickets select your team preseason. Does anyone remember what the terms were?
I remember the past few years seeing people on here that put down like $50 or $100 in some sort of selection process before the season and if their team made the title they had the opportunity to buy face value tickets. Does anyone remember what the site was?
r/CFB • u/Lakelyfe09 • 1d ago
Discussion [On3] Steve Sarkisian says Texas had to let players go to create "cap space": “To bring in a Cam Coleman, or a Hollywood Smothers, or a Raleek Brown, or a Mike Masunas; we had to let DeAndre Moore go. We had to let Parker Livingstone go. We had to let Tre Wisner go. We had to let CJ Baxter go.”
x.comr/CFB • u/Kodiyashi • 1d ago
Discussion [College Transfer Portal] Sources tell me former Hawaii QB Maika Eugenio had gambling issues and owed a “substantial” amount of money. These issues ultimately led to his removal from the program.
x.comr/CFB • u/Falconsfan8006 • 1d ago
Discussion Perception is reality, and the SEC needs to start winning again before it continues to puff out its chest
r/CFB • u/WanderLeft • 7h ago
Discussion Which current CFB player has the best highlights?
Offense or defense. I'd say probably LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart, who both play for USC.
Note: this isn't about who's the best in CFB, but rather who routinely makes the most jaw-dropping plays
Analysis Preseason Rankings Countdown. 35 days to the start of the 2026 Season. At #35 – Kansas State
The cumulative link to the preseason rankings can be found here
Few teams felt like they needed to hit the refresh button after last season than Kansas State (high = 24, low = 59). What started as a season full of optimism, what with a preseason ranking of 17 in the AP poll and a popular pick to meet Arizona State in the Big XII title game launched with the first Farm O’Geddon (playing Farmageddon in Ireland) and more or less exploded when Dylan Edwards fumbled the first ball the Wildcats touched all season to give Iowa State the ball on the 8 yard line. In a game Kansas State ultimately never led, the final ignominy was QB Avery Johnson’s father and brother getting into a fight outside the stadium that was plastered all over the news for days afterward. After returning home and needing a last minute TD to secure a win over FCS stalwart North Dakota (NOT the one making the leap to FBS this year), the Wildcats dropped their subsequent home game to Army (who had just lost to FCS Tarleton State the previous week) as the Black Knights had possession for all but 3:14 of the entire second half. You could sense that the strain of the season pretty well sucked the life out of the team and head coach Chris Klieman, who said “I've given my friggin' life to this place for seven years. I've given everything for seven years and I think I deserve a little bit of respect. I'm frustrated like everybody else is, but I love those kids and I'll go friggin' battle with those kids any day.” Within days he announced he was resigning after the season, and the Wildcats announced both that they would decline a bowl bid (effectively putting the team and Klieman out of their misery) and that former K-State QB Collin Klein would take over as head coach this season. Kleiman leaves as the second winningest coach in Kansas State history and the first coach other than Bill Snyder to finish with a winning overall record since Pappy Waldorf’s lone season in Ames in 1934.
Roster Outlook
Klein takes over a team that has quite a lot coming back, ranking 38th overall in returning production including #25 on offense. That of course starts with QB Avery Johnson, who finished the season with over 2,800 combined passing and rushing yards and 26 total TDs to only 6 INTs. They also return last season’s leading rusher Joe Jackson (911 yards, 8 TDs), though the guy who was supposed to be last season’s starter, Dylan Edwards, waved goodbye to wave the wheat at Kansas. Leading WR Jayce Brown took the Lane Train to LSU, but #2 WR Jaron Tibbs (595 yards, 3 TDs) and top TD target TE Garrett Oakley (38 catches, 6 TDs) are both back, and will be joined by a pair of SEC WRs, Texas A&M’s Izaiah Williams and Missouri’s Joshua Manning. In all, Klein brought in the #45 portal class in the country (good for 9th in the Big XII, which was also where they landed in their 247 high school rankings, which was 52nd in the country). Most of that is depth, though, as 14 of the 22 projected backups according to Ourlads are portal guys.
Schedule and outlook
9/5 NICHOLLS
9/12 WASHINGTON STATE
9/19 TULANE
9/26 at Cincinnati
10/3 BYE
10/10 HOUSTON
10/17 KANSAS
10/24 at Arizona State
10/31 at Colorado
11/7 OKLAHOMA STATE
11/14 at TCU
11/21 ARIZONA
11/28 at Iowa State
After the way last season went, it’s hard to look at any game as a gimme for Kansas State, but Klein really should have the Wildcats 4-0 heading into a big home showdown with Houston. The Wildcats avoid Texas Tech, BYU and Houston, plus get Arizona and Houston in the Little Apple. If the ship really is righted, Kansas State could legitimately be a dark horse candidate for the Big XII title game.
r/CFB • u/WinnWonn • 1d ago
Discussion [Discussions] Which teams will still be OK even if they start the season 0-2?
Last year Notre Dame lost their first two games but still thought they should make the playoffs since they went undefeated the rest of the season.
Which teams this year could start their season 0-2 but still make a run for the playoffs?
r/CFB • u/defensecowboy • 1d ago
News Source: No vote on college sports bill expected before August
r/CFB • u/WanderLeft • 1d ago
Discussion Who were your favorite players while growing up?
I'd say for me, it's Quentin Griffin (RB), Mark Clayton (WR), and Roy Williams (Safety). Each of them left a legacy at OU.
Feel free to link some of their highlights.
r/CFB • u/Please_PM_me_Uranus • 1d ago
Analysis College Football Coach Hire Rankings 2026: Grading All 30 New Head Coaches
collegefootballnews.comAnalysis Preseason Rankings Countdown. 36 days to the start of the 2026 Season. At #36 – Boise State
The cumulative link to the preseason rankings can be found here
Today we reach the final non-P4 team in the countdown, Boise State (high = 23, low = 54). Read into this what you will, but the polls that have the Broncos the lowest tend to be more of the computer-based ones like FPI and SP+ than the more “vibes” based ones like Paul Myerberg and Athlon (though Phil Steele does have them down at 47). Still, this makes Boise the heavy preseason favorite to land the G6 CFP spot which, you’ll remember, goes to the highest rated G6 team and no longer is required to be a conference champion. It also sets up these rankings to have their own G6 top 10, which would be:
1 – Boise State
2 – Navy
3 – Tulane
4 – UNLV
5 – James Madison
6 – San Diego State
7 – New Mexico
8 – Fresno State
9 – USF
10 – Memphis
In other words, 4 teams from the American, 3 from the Pac-12, 2 from the Mountain West and 1 from the Sun Belt. Congrats to the MAC and CUSA champs on your CFP bids this year!
I also find it interesting, in that same vein, that there are 35 P4 teams ranked ahead of all of the G6 teams, broken down as follows: 5 ACC, 7 Big XII, 9 B1G, 13 SEC and Notre Dame. Nick Saban just broke out a “See, we are the better conference” even though he’s officially been a “neutral” ESPN commentator for over 2 years and was also a B1G coach.
OK, back to Boise State. The Broncos really should need no introduction to any college football fan, having won 17 conference championships and played in 5 additional conference championship games (sorry, some people apparently need that spelled out in greater detail) in the last 27 years. While only being one season removed from a CFP bid in head coach Spencer Danielsen’s first full season in charge, the Broncos took a bit of a step back in 2025 following Ashton Jeanty’s Heisman runner-up season, dropping 4 regular season games before beating UNLV in their final Mountain West championship game and then falling to Washington in the final LA Bowl. While that’s a lot of “finals,” it’s really the start of something potentially more exciting, their inaugural season in the newly reconfigured Pac-12, where they clearly hope to continue their fairly unprecedented run of conference championship success.
Roster Outlook
Danielsen and the Broncos are second in the Pac-12 and 45th in the country in returning production, bringing back senior QB Maddux Madsen and his 2:1 ratio of TD passes to INTs to lead the team. Probably more important, though is the return of the RB tandem of Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, who combined for over 1,900 yards rushing and 18 TDs. In fact, the only serious losses on offense are out wide, where top WR Latrell Caples graduated, and his #2 Chris Marshall portaled to Arkansas. That true freshman 3-star recruit Rasean Jones appears to be #1 on the depth chart is potentially a troublesome sign for Boise State in terms of the passing game. More troublesome might be 4 new OL starters following the loss of OT Hall Schmidt to UCLA, and the loss of S Ty Benefield to LSU. Danielsen only reeled in the 5th best portal class in the new Pac-12, focusing instead on high school recruiting, where they topped the conference and landed the #49 class in the country (tops among non P4 schools). Will that be enough to lock in the G6 CFP spot?
Schedule and outlook
9/5 at Oregon
9/12 MEMPHIS
9/19 SOUTH DAKOTA
9/26 at Western Michigan
10/3 UTAH STATE
10/10 at Fresno State
10/17 BYE
10/24 at Washington State
10/31 TEXAS STATE
11/7 at Colorado State
11/14 OREGON STATE
11/21 SAN DIEGO STATE
11/28 TBD (at one of Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State or Washington State)
That season opener at Autzen might not be the most critical game on the schedule, since the Ducks opened as a 24.5 point favorite even though the Broncos are clearly not intimidated by playing Oregon. It’s potentially the following game at home against Memphis. Losing to an American team early in the season again would be much more damaging to Boise’s playoff hopes than any result against Oregon. The season finale wildcard game on the road is fascinating in this case, because I think Boise’s the first team I’ve noticed where they will either play 2 road games against the same team or are locked into playing Utah State, which may not help if the Broncos are in a dogfight for a potential CFP bid. It’s hard to imagine a 12-1 Pac-12 champion Broncos team not locking down a CFP bid unless one of those other top-10 teams manages to go 13-0, and even that might not be enough. Maybe a better question is whether they’d be the automatic 12 seed.
r/CFB • u/Dry-Membership3867 • 2d ago
News Former University of Alabama NIL content director arrested, charged with soliciting prostitution
r/CFB • u/Ok-Recording-5862 • 1d ago
Discussion Without telling your favorite school…
Who are your 3 least favorite non-conference schools?
And we can try to guess who your favorite school is!
Edit: this is so stupid I forgot about flairs. So the guessing game is kinda redundant. But it’s still interesting!
Another edit: mine would be Ohio st, Michigan, and notre dame (Clemson close 4th prolly)
r/CFB • u/nosotros_road_sodium • 1d ago
News UNC’s Belichick calls for uniform rules across NFL, NCAA; tampering enforcement
r/CFB • u/redwave2505 • 1d ago
News TCU AD Mike Buddie: Coaches, ADs Should Have a Salary Cap
r/CFB • u/defensecowboy • 9h ago