The landscape of college sports is on the brink of some significant transformations, as exemplified by a remarkable settlement and continued conference realignment activity. Recently, a $2.8 billion settlement has been approved, which paves the way for colleges to distribute millions in revenue to athletes, marking a historic shift towards compensating college athletes. Moreover, major conferences, navigating their second year of realignment, are adjusting to the inclusion of new programs from various parts of the country.
This settlement introduces a fresh set of challenges regarding how athletes will be compensated and how rosters will be managed. Meanwhile, the realignment efforts continue, exemplified by the Pac-12 next season, which will integrate multiple programs from the Mountain West Conference, spurring a chain reaction across national teams.
In the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), 1996 saw nine active members, including renowned names like Clemson and Florida State. By 2023, this number had risen to fourteen, incorporating schools such as Louisville and Miami. The conference is on track to expand further to 17 teams by 2025, adding programs like California and Stanford.
The Big Ten Conference, which had 11 teams in 1996, expanded to 14 in 2023, with notable additions like Maryland and Rutgers. By 2025, the lineup will include 18 teams, integrating high-profile programs like UCLA and Southern California.
The Big 12 Conference in 1996 was host to 12 schools including giants such as Texas and Oklahoma. The 2023 lineup includes 14 teams, adding schools like Central Florida and Houston. By 2025, the Big 12 will expand to 16 schools, with new entrants like Arizona and BYU.
As for the Pac-12 Conference, it consisted of 10 schools in 1996. This increased to 12 by 2023, including Utah and Colorado. Nevertheless, structural shifts will return the count to nine schools by 2026, with new participants like Fresno State and Texas State entering the scene.
Next, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) had 12 school members in 1996, but expanded to 14 by 2023. It’s set to grow to 16 schools by 2025, notably including Oklahoma and Texas, boosting its competitive landscape.
The American Athletic Conference, established in 2013, started with 10 schools. By 2023, it expanded to 14. This conference will maintain its size in 2025, but with fresh additions like Army.
Conference USA experienced growth from 6 teams in 1996 to 9 in 2023, with plans to have 12 schools by 2025, including newcomers like Missouri State.
In the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the membership count has gently risen from 10 schools in 1996 to 12 by 2023. By 2025, Massachusetts will join, bringing the total to 13 schools.
The Mountain West Conference (MWC) scenarios show fluctuating membership over the years. Initially parts of the Big West and WAC, by 2025, MWC will redefine itself with 12 schools from varied backgrounds.
The Sun Belt Conference, which started in 2001 with 7 schools, is projected to grow to 14 by 2025 but will settle with 13 programs by 2026.
Lastly, independent schools have seen a significant reduction from 11 in 1996 to only 2 by 2025, with only Connecticut and Notre Dame remaining unfettered by conference alignments.