The realignment atlas.
Conference membership is the only thing in college football that changes without a game being played. Since 1970 the FBS has redrawn itself again and again — 1996 is still the largest single redraw, 29 programs moving at once.
Programs that changed conference, by year
- 1996: 29 programs moved — SMU: Southwest → Western Athletic
- 2013: 22 programs moved — Rutgers: Big East → American Athletic
- 2005: 16 programs moved — UCF: Mid-American → Conference USA
- 2011: 15 programs moved — Colorado: Big 12 → Pac-12
Membership, program by program
Big Ten 18
Oregon Pac-8 (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → Big Ten (2024-2026)
Rutgers FBS Independents (1970-1990) → Big East (1991-2012) → American Athletic (2013) → Big Ten (2014-2026)
UCLA Pac-8 (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → Big Ten (2024-2026)
USC Pac-8 (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → Big Ten (2024-2026)
Washington Pac-8 (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → Big Ten (2024-2026)
Nebraska Big 8 (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2010) → Big Ten (2011-2026)
Maryland ACC (1970-2013) → Big Ten (2014-2026)
Penn State FBS Independents (1970-1992) → Big Ten (1993-2026)
Illinois Big Ten (1970-2026)
Indiana Big Ten (1970-2026)
Iowa Big Ten (1970-2026)
Michigan Big Ten (1970-2026)
Michigan State Big Ten (1970-2026)
Minnesota Big Ten (1970-2026)
Northwestern Big Ten (1970-2026)
Ohio State Big Ten (1970-2026)
Purdue Big Ten (1970-2026)
Wisconsin Big Ten (1970-2026)
ACC 17
Louisville Missouri Valley (1970-1974) → FBS Independents (1975-1995) → Conference USA (1996-2004) → Big East (2005-2012) → American Athletic (2013) → ACC (2014-2026)
SMU Southwest (1970-1986) → Southwest (1989-1995) → Western Athletic (1996-2004) → Conference USA (2005-2012) → American Athletic (2013-2023) → ACC (2024-2026)
California Pac-8 (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → ACC (2024-2026)
Stanford Pac-8 (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → ACC (2024-2026)
Boston College FBS Independents (1970-1990) → Big East (1991-2004) → ACC (2005-2026)
Miami FBS Independents (1970-1990) → Big East (1991-2003) → ACC (2004-2026)
Pittsburgh FBS Independents (1970-1990) → Big East (1991-2012) → ACC (2013-2026)
Syracuse FBS Independents (1970-1990) → Big East (1991-2012) → ACC (2013-2026)
Virginia Tech FBS Independents (1970-1990) → Big East (1991-2003) → ACC (2004-2026)
Florida State FBS Independents (1970-1991) → ACC (1992-2026)
Georgia Tech FBS Independents (1970-1982) → ACC (1983-2026)
Clemson ACC (1970-2026)
Duke ACC (1970-2026)
NC State ACC (1970-2026)
North Carolina ACC (1970-2026)
Virginia ACC (1970-2026)
Wake Forest ACC (1970-2026)
Big 12 16
Cincinnati FBS Independents (1970-1981) → FCS (1982-1983) → FBS Independents (1984-1995) → Conference USA (1996-2004) → Big East (2005-2012) → American Athletic (2013-2022) → Big 12 (2023-2026)
Houston FBS Independents (1970-1975) → Southwest (1976-1995) → Conference USA (1996-2012) → American Athletic (2013-2022) → Big 12 (2023-2026)
TCU Southwest (1970-1995) → Western Athletic (1996-2000) → Conference USA (2001-2004) → Mountain West (2005-2011) → Big 12 (2012-2026)
UCF DII (1983-1986) → FCS (1990-1991) → FCS (1993-1995) → FBS Independents (1996-2001) → Mid-American (2002-2004) → Conference USA (2005-2012) → American Athletic (2013-2022) → Big 12 (2023-2026)
Arizona Western Athletic (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → Big 12 (2024-2026)
Arizona State Western Athletic (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → Big 12 (2024-2026)
BYU Western Athletic (1970-1998) → Mountain West (1999-2010) → FBS Independents (2011-2022) → Big 12 (2023-2026)
Colorado Big 8 (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → Big 12 (2024-2026)
Utah Western Athletic (1970-1998) → Mountain West (1999-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2023) → Big 12 (2024-2026)
West Virginia FBS Independents (1970-1990) → Big East (1991-2011) → Big 12 (2012-2026)
Baylor Southwest (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2026)
Iowa State Big 8 (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2026)
Kansas Big 8 (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2026)
Kansas State Big 8 (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2026)
Oklahoma State Big 8 (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2026)
Texas Tech Southwest (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2026)
SEC 16
Missouri Big 8 (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2011) → SEC (2012-2026)
Oklahoma Big 8 (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2023) → SEC (2024-2026)
South Carolina ACC (1970) → FBS Independents (1971-1991) → SEC (1992-2026)
Texas Southwest (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2023) → SEC (2024-2026)
Texas A&M Southwest (1970-1995) → Big 12 (1996-2011) → SEC (2012-2026)
Arkansas Southwest (1970-1991) → SEC (1992-2026)
Alabama SEC (1970-2026)
Auburn SEC (1970-2026)
Florida SEC (1970-2026)
Georgia SEC (1970-2026)
Kentucky SEC (1970-2026)
LSU SEC (1970-2026)
Mississippi State SEC (1970-2026)
Ole Miss SEC (1970-2026)
Tennessee SEC (1970-2026)
Vanderbilt SEC (1970-2026)
Sun Belt 14
Louisiana Tech DII (1970) → Southland (1971-1981) → FCS (1982-1988) → FBS Independents (1989-1992) → Big West (1993-1995) → FBS Independents (1996-2000) → Western Athletic (2001-2012) → Conference USA (2013-2025) → Sun Belt (2026)
Arkansas State Southland (1970-1981) → FCS (1982-1989) → FBS Independents (1990-1992) → Big West (1993-1995) → FBS Independents (1996-1998) → Big West (1999-2000) → Sun Belt (2001-2026)
Louisiana DII (1970) → Southland (1971-1981) → FBS Independents (1982-1992) → Big West (1993-1995) → FBS Independents (1996-2000) → Sun Belt (2001-2026)
Marshall FBS Independents (1970-1976) → Southern (1977-1981) → FCS (1982-1988) → FCS (1991-1993) → FCS (1995) → Mid-American (1997-2004) → Conference USA (2005-2021) → Sun Belt (2022-2026)
Southern Miss FBS Independents (1970-1995) → Conference USA (1996-2021) → Sun Belt (2022-2026)
App State DII (1971) → Southern (1972-1981) → FCS (1982-2013) → Sun Belt (2014-2026)
Old Dominion FCS (2009-2013) → Conference USA (2014-2019) → Conference USA (2021) → Sun Belt (2022-2026)
Troy DII (1977) → DII (1991-1992) → FCS (1994-1995) → FCS (1998-2000) → FBS Independents (2001-2003) → Sun Belt (2004-2026)
UL Monroe DII (1971) → FBS Independents (1972-1981) → FCS (1982-1993) → FBS Independents (1994-2000) → Sun Belt (2001-2026)
Coastal Carolina FCS (2003-2016) → Sun Belt (2017-2026)
Georgia Southern FCS (1984) → FCS (1986-1988) → FCS (1990-1994) → FCS (1996) → FCS (1999-2000) → FCS (2003-2013) → Sun Belt (2014-2026)
Georgia State FCS (2010-2012) → Sun Belt (2013-2026)
James Madison DIII (1978) → DII (1979) → FCS (1980-1983) → FCS (1988-1992) → FCS (1997-2000) → FCS (2003-2021) → Sun Belt (2022-2026)
South Alabama FCS (2011) → Sun Belt (2012-2026)
American Athletic 14
North Texas Missouri Valley (1970-1974) → FBS Independents (1975-1981) → FCS (1982-1994) → FBS Independents (1995) → Big West (1996-2000) → Sun Belt (2001-2012) → Conference USA (2013-2022) → American Athletic (2023-2026)
Temple DII (1970) → FBS Independents (1971-1990) → Big East (1991-2004) → FBS Independents (2005-2006) → Mid-American (2007-2011) → Big East (2012) → American Athletic (2013-2026)
Tulsa Missouri Valley (1970-1985) → FBS Independents (1986-1995) → Western Athletic (1996-2004) → Conference USA (2005-2013) → American Athletic (2014-2026)
Army FBS Independents (1970-1997) → Conference USA (1998-2004) → FBS Independents (2005-2023) → American Athletic (2024-2026)
East Carolina Southern (1970-1976) → FBS Independents (1977-1996) → Conference USA (1997-2013) → American Athletic (2014-2026)
Florida Atlantic FCS (2002-2003) → FBS Independents (2004) → Sun Belt (2005-2012) → Conference USA (2013-2022) → American Athletic (2023-2026)
Memphis Missouri Valley (1970-1972) → FBS Independents (1973-1995) → Conference USA (1996-2012) → American Athletic (2013-2026)
Rice Southwest (1970-1995) → Western Athletic (1996-2004) → Conference USA (2005-2022) → American Athletic (2023-2026)
South Florida FCS (1999) → FBS Independents (2000-2002) → Conference USA (2003-2004) → Big East (2005-2012) → American Athletic (2013-2026)
Tulane FBS Independents (1970-1995) → Conference USA (1996-2013) → American Athletic (2014-2026)
UAB FCS (1994-1995) → FBS Independents (1996-1998) → Conference USA (1999-2014) → Conference USA (2017-2022) → American Athletic (2023-2026)
UTSA FCS (2011) → Western Athletic (2012) → Conference USA (2013-2022) → American Athletic (2023-2026)
Charlotte FCS (2013-2014) → Conference USA (2015-2022) → American Athletic (2023-2026)
Navy FBS Independents (1970-2014) → American Athletic (2015-2026)
Mid-American 13
Ball State Midwestern Universities (1970-1971) → College Division Independents (1972) → Mid-American (1973-2026)
Massachusetts FCS (1970-1984) → FCS (1988) → FCS (1999) → FCS (2001-2011) → Mid-American (2012-2015) → FBS Independents (2016-2024) → Mid-American (2025-2026)
Sacramento State Far Western (1972-1974) → Far Western (1977) → Western Football (1985-1988) → Western Football (1990-1992) → FCS (1993) → FCS (2002-2019) → FCS (2021-2025) → Mid-American (2026)
Akron DII (1970-1979) → FCS (1980-1986) → FBS Independents (1987-1991) → Mid-American (1992-2026)
Buffalo FBS Independents (1970) → FCS (1997) → Mid-American (1999-2026)
Bowling Green Mid-American (1970-2026)
Central Michigan DII (1970) → DII (1972-1974) → Mid-American (1975-2026)
Eastern Michigan DII (1972-1975) → Mid-American (1976-2026)
Kent State Mid-American (1970-2026)
Miami (OH) Mid-American (1970-2026)
Ohio Mid-American (1970-2026)
Toledo Mid-American (1970-2026)
Western Michigan Mid-American (1970-2026)
Conference USA 10
New Mexico State FBS Independents (1970) → Missouri Valley (1971-1983) → PCAA (1984-1987) → Big West (1988-2000) → Sun Belt (2001-2004) → Western Athletic (2005-2012) → FBS Independents (2013) → Sun Belt (2014-2017) → FBS Independents (2018-2019) → FBS Independents (2021-2022) → Conference USA (2023-2026)
Middle Tennessee FCS (1971-1972) → FCS (1974-1981) → FCS (1984) → FCS (1988-1989) → FCS (1991-1993) → FCS (1995-1996) → FCS (1998) → FBS Independents (1999-2000) → Sun Belt (2001-2012) → Conference USA (2013-2026)
Western Kentucky FCS (1972-1979) → FCS (1982-1986) → FCS (1988-1990) → FCS (1992-1993) → FCS (1996-1998) → FCS (2000-2007) → FBS Independents (2008) → Sun Belt (2009-2013) → Conference USA (2014-2026)
Florida International FCS (2003-2004) → Sun Belt (2005-2012) → Conference USA (2013-2026)
Liberty UNCL (1981) → FCS (1989) → FCS (1992) → FCS (1994) → FCS (1999-2017) → FBS Independents (2018-2022) → Conference USA (2023-2026)
Delaware DII (1970-1979) → FCS (1980-1992) → FCS (1995-1996) → FCS (2003-2019) → FCS (2021-2024) → Conference USA (2025-2026)
Jacksonville State DII (1974-1978) → DII (1980-1981) → DII (1994-1995) → FCS (1996-1997) → FCS (2000-2022) → Conference USA (2023-2026)
Kennesaw State FCS (2015-2019) → FCS (2021-2023) → Conference USA (2024-2026)
Missouri State FCS (1982-1985) → FCS (1987-1988) → FCS (1990-2024) → Conference USA (2025-2026)
Sam Houston UNCL (1981) → FCS (1987-1988) → FCS (1990) → FCS (1992-1993) → FCS (1996-2022) → Conference USA (2023-2026)
Mountain West 10
Northern Illinois FBS Independents (1970-1974) → Mid-American (1975-1985) → FBS Independents (1986-1992) → Big West (1993-1995) → FBS Independents (1996) → Mid-American (1997-2025) → Mountain West (2026)
UNLV DII (1970-1974) → DII (1976-1977) → FBS Independents (1978-1981) → PCAA (1982-1987) → Big West (1988-1995) → Western Athletic (1996-1998) → Mountain West (1999-2026)
San José State PCAA (1970-1987) → Big West (1988-1995) → Western Athletic (1996-2012) → Mountain West (2013-2026)
Air Force FBS Independents (1970-1979) → Western Athletic (1980-1998) → Mountain West (1999-2026)
Hawai'i DII (1970) → FBS Independents (1971) → DII (1972-1973) → FBS Independents (1974-1978) → Western Athletic (1979-2011) → Mountain West (2012-2026)
Nevada DII (1974) → FCS (1978-1987) → FCS (1989-1991) → Big West (1992-1999) → Western Athletic (2000-2011) → Mountain West (2012-2026)
UTEP Western Athletic (1970-2004) → Conference USA (2005-2025) → Mountain West (2026)
New Mexico Western Athletic (1970-1998) → Mountain West (1999-2026)
Wyoming Western Athletic (1970-1998) → Mountain West (1999-2026)
North Dakota State FCS (2004-2025) → Mountain West (2026)
Pac-12 8
Utah State FBS Independents (1970-1977) → PCAA (1978-1987) → Big West (1988-2000) → FBS Independents (2001-2002) → Sun Belt (2003-2004) → Western Athletic (2005-2012) → Mountain West (2013-2025) → Pac-12 (2026)
Fresno State PCAA (1970-1987) → Big West (1988-1991) → Western Athletic (1992-2011) → Mountain West (2012-2025) → Pac-12 (2026)
San Diego State PCAA (1970-1975) → FBS Independents (1976-1977) → Western Athletic (1978-1998) → Mountain West (1999-2025) → Pac-12 (2026)
Boise State FCS (1970-1975) → FCS (1977-1995) → Big West (1996-2000) → Western Athletic (2001-2010) → Mountain West (2011-2025) → Pac-12 (2026)
Colorado State Western Athletic (1970-1998) → Mountain West (1999-2025) → Pac-12 (2026)
Oregon State Pac-8 (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2026)
Texas State DII (1977) → DII (1980-1981) → FCS (1984-1988) → FCS (1994) → FCS (1996) → FCS (2000-2011) → Western Athletic (2012) → Sun Belt (2013-2025) → Pac-12 (2026)
Washington State Pac-8 (1970-1977) → Pac-10 (1978-2010) → Pac-12 (2011-2026)
FBS Independents 2
UConn FCS (1970-1981) → FCS (1983) → FCS (1989-1990) → FCS (1999) → FBS Independents (2000-2003) → Big East (2004-2012) → American Athletic (2013-2019) → FBS Independents (2021-2026)
Notre Dame FBS Independents (1970-2019) → ACC (2020) → FBS Independents (2021-2026)
Each tone cycles arbitrarily — it exists to separate adjacent conference-membership runs, not to name a conference. Hover or tap any segment (or a program’s current-conference tag next to its name) for the specific conference and years. A pale cell means the program wasn’t FBS that season (or predates this dataset’s coverage for it), not a gap in the record we chose to hide.
More from the Zeitgeist List
The Zeitgeist List →
Every program's tier, right now, and how it got there.
Zeitgeist History →
91 years of stature, season by season, for every program.
The turncoat ledger →
Every portal move straight from one side of a named rivalry to the other.
The talent factory →
Which programs actually turn recruits into draft picks.
The throne →
Who's held the #1 spot, and for how long.
System Shift →
The biggest run/pass identity swings the year a new coach arrived.
System Coaches →
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The perception gap →
Which programs the AP and Coaches polls ranked better, or worse, than they actually played.