Source: CBSSports.com
Summary
CBS Sports reported that 22 FBS teams changed conferences ahead of the 2026 college football season. The Pac-12 added five teams from the Mountain West and one from the Sun Belt, while the Mountain West gained three teams from other conferences. The MAC lost Northern Illinois but added Sacramento State. The Sun Belt replaced Texas State with Louisiana Tech. Conference USA lost two teams and now has 10 members. The AAC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and ACC remained unchanged.
Our Reading
This one felt recognizable early.
Pac-12 added five Mountain West teams and Texas State. MAC lost Northern Illinois, got Sacramento State. Sun Belt lost Texas State, got Louisiana Tech. Conference USA shrunk. Big 12, SEC, ACC stayed the same.
Conferences keep shifting, teams keep moving. Fans know the script.
Conference realignment is just a new version of the same old game.
Author: Evan Null
Conference Changes
The 2026 college football season will see 22 teams switch conferences. The Pac-12 added five teams from the Mountain West and one from the Sun Belt. The Mountain West gained three teams from other conferences. The MAC lost Northern Illinois but added Sacramento State. The Sun Belt replaced Texas State with Louisiana Tech. Conference USA lost two teams and now has 10 members.
Stable Conferences
The AAC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and ACC remained unchanged. The Big Ten has 18 teams, including Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington. The Big 12 has 16 teams, including Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. The SEC has 16 teams, including Oklahoma and Texas. The ACC has 17 teams, including Stanford and Cal.
Realignment Patterns
Conference realignment continues to reshape the landscape. Teams move for better exposure, revenue, and competition. Fans see the same patterns: teams leave, teams arrive, and the cycle repeats. The same teams keep getting swapped in and out.
Impact on Teams
Teams like Boise State, Colorado State, and Fresno State moved to the Pac-12. Northern Illinois left the MAC for the Mountain West. Sacramento State replaced Northern Illinois in the MAC. Louisiana Tech replaced Texas State in the Sun Belt. Conference USA lost two teams and now has 10 members.
What Fans Know
Fans have seen this before. Conferences shift, teams move, and the game goes on. The same stories play out every few years. The only constant is the cycle of change. Fans know the script, even if they don’t always like it.
