Strange things are afoot as the 2023 college football season begins.
Realignment continues to be a popular topic heading into the final season before the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams in 2024. The Big 12 welcomed four new teams – BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF – on July 1.
That led to a trickle-down impact on the Group of 5 conferences, and there is more to come when Oklahoma and Texas join the SEC, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah move to the Big 12 and Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington go to the Big Ten.
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That's not all. Some conferences have divisions. Some do not. There is a lot to sort out. Here is a look at the arrivals and departures for the Power 5, Group of 5 and Independents heading into the 2023-24 season:
How many schools are in the FBS in 2023?
A total of 133 schools will compete in the FBS in 2023-2024; an increase of two from last season. Sam Houston and Jacksonville State are making the jump from the FCS to the FBS level.
Which schools compete in the Power 5?
A total of 68 schools will compete in Power 5 conferences in 2023. A look at the makeup of those conferences:
ACC
The ACC will have 14 schools in 2023.
| Boston College | North Carolina |
| Clemson | NC State |
| Duke | Pitt |
| Florida State | Syracuse |
| Georgia Tech | Virginia |
| Louisville | Virginia Tech |
| Miami | Wake Forest |
Who's in? Who's out?
The ACC has the same 14 schools heading into the 2023-24 season, and Notre Dame still has a five-game arrangement with the conference. This year, the Irish will play at Duke, Clemson and NC State and at home against Pitt and Wake Forest.
Divisions and championship game
The ACC will not have divisions for the first time since splitting into the Atlantic and Coastal in 2005. The top two teams in the conference standings (after an eight-game conference schedule) will play in the ACC championship game at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 2. By preseason rankings, that means Clemson could meet Florida State for the conference championship.
What's next?
Reports circulated in May that seven ACC schools were exploring ways to exit the conference despite the conference's television deal, which runs through 2036. As of now, the conference remains the same for 2024.
Big 12
The Big 12 will have 14 schools in 2023.
| Baylor | Oklahoma |
| BYU | Oklahoma State |
| Cincinnati | TCU |
| Houston | Texas |
| Iowa State | Texas Tech |
| Kansas | UCF |
| Kansas State | West Virginia |
Who's in? Who's out?
The Big 12 had 10 schools in 2022. The conference added BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF for the 2023 season. Oklahoma and Texas are playing their final season in the conference.
Divisions and championship game
The Big 12 does not have divisions, and the 14 teams will play nine conference games. The top two teams will play in the Big 12 championship game on Dec. 2.
What's next?
Texas and Oklahoma are leaving for the SEC in 2024. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are joining the Big 12 in 2024. The Big 12 is slated to have 14 teams for 2024.
Big Ten
The Big Ten will have 14 schools in 2023.
| East | West |
| Indiana | Illinois |
| Maryland | Iowa |
| Michigan | Minnesota |
| Michigan State | Nebraska |
| Ohio State | Northwestern |
| Penn State | Purdue |
| Rutgers | Wisconsin |
Who's in? Who's out?
The Big Ten will have 14 teams in two divisions for the 2023 season. Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State are the only teams to win a Big Ten championship in the CFP era.
Divisions and championship game
This is the final year of the East and West divisions in the Big Ten. The division winners will meet in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 2.
What's next?
Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are joining the Big Ten in 2024.
Pac-12
The Pac-12 will have 12 teams in 2023.
| Arizona | Stanford |
| Arizona State | UCLA |
| Cal | USC |
| Colorado | Utah |
| Oregon | Washington |
| Oregon State | Washington State |
Who's in? Who's out?
The Pac-12 will have the same 12 teams for the 2023 season. The conference will play the customary nine-game schedule. Eight teams are leaving the Pac-12, leaving just Cal, Oregon State, Stanford and Washington.
Divisions and championship game
The Pac-12 moved away from divisions in 2022. The top two teams will play in the Pac-12 championship game on Dec. 1.
What's next?
The conference is slated to have nine teams in 2024 and is awaiting a new media rights deal that will in part dictate its future. Potential expansion targets are San Diego State and SMU, among others.
SEC
The SEC will have 14 teams in 2023.
| East | West |
| Florida | Alabama |
| Georgia | Arkansas |
| Kentucky | Auburn |
| Missouri | LSU |
| South Carolina | Mississippi State |
| Tennessee | Ole Miss |
| Vanderbilt | Texas A&M |
Who's in? Who's out?
The SEC has its traditional 14-team setup for one more season in 2023.
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Divisions and championship game
This is the final season where the SEC will have divisions, which has been the case since 1992. The conference will keep an eight-game schedule in 2024.
What's next?
Oklahoma and Texas will join the conference in 2024, and that eight-game conference schedule has already been revealed.
Independents
There are four independent schools in the FBS in 2023.
| Army | Notre Dame |
| UConn | UMass |
Who's in? Who's out?
BYU, Liberty and New Mexico State joined conferences, so that leaves the Irish with Army, the Huskies – who have been independent the last two seasons; and UMass – an independent since 2019.
What's next?
Notre Dame will remain independent in 2024, which is part of the legacy of outgoing athletic director Jack Swarbrick. Will that change under incoming athletic director Peter Bevacqua, an alumnus who has been the chairman at NBC Sports since 2020?
Group of 5
A total of 61 schools will compete in the Group of 5 in 2023. A look at the makeup of those conferences:
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference will have 14 teams in 2023.
| Charlotte | SMU |
| East Carolina | South Florida |
| FAU | Temple |
| Memphis | Tulane |
| Navy | Tulsa |
| North Texas | UAB |
| Rice | UTSA |
Who's in? Who's out?
In: Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB, UTSA
Out: Cincinnati, Houston, UCF
Divisions and championship game
The AAC will play an eight-game conference schedule, and there are no divisions in the conference. The top two teams will play in the AAC championship game on Dec. 2.
What's next?
AAC will maintain its 14-school membership heading into 2024.
Conference USA
Conference USA will have nine schools in 2023.
| FIU | New Mexico State |
| Jacksonville State | Sam Houston |
| Liberty | UTEP |
| Louisiana Tech | Western Kentucky |
| Middle Tennessee |
Who's in? Who's out?
In: Liberty, New Mexico State, Sam Houston*, Jacksonville State*
Out: Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB, UTSA
* - ineligible for 2023 CUSA championship game
Divisions and championship game
Conference USA will not have divisions. The championship game will be on either Dec. 1 or Dec. 2.
What's next?
Kennesaw State will move up from the FCS and join Conference USA in 2024.
MAC
The MAC will have 12 schools in 2023.
| East | West |
| Akron | Ball State |
| Bowling Green | Central Michigan |
| Buffalo | Eastern Michigan |
| Kent State | Northern Illinois |
| Miami, Ohio | Toledo |
| Buffalo | Western Michigan |
Who's in? Who's out?
The MAC will have the same 12 schools for 2023.
Divisions and championship game
The MAC will continue its eight-game conference schedule, and the East and West division winners will play in the conference championship game on Dec. 2.
What's next?
More of the same. The 12 current schools in the MAC have all been in the conference together since 1998, and the conference hasn’t added a member since UMass left after the 2015 season.
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West will have 12 schools in 2023.
| Air Force | New Mexico |
| Boise State | San Diego State |
| Colorado State | San Jose State |
| Fresno State | UNLV |
| Hawaii | Utah State |
| Nevada | Wyoming |
Who's in? Who's out?
The Mountain West has the same schools in 2023.
Divisions and championship game
The big change for the conference was moving away from divisions, which the conference had since 2013. The top two teams will play in the conference championship game on Dec. 2.
What's next?
The San Diego State saga continues. San Diego State left a notice that it intends to resign from the conference on June 13, then reaffirmed its membership on July 3. The Mountain West Conference is holding the Aztecs’ exit fee, pending reinstatement. A meeting on July 17 will determine the next steps.
Sun Belt
The Sun Belt will have 14 schools in 2023.
| East | West |
| Appalachian State | Arkansas State |
| Coastal Carolina | Louisiana |
| Georgia Southern | UL-Monroe |
| Georgia State | South Alabama |
| James Madison | Southern Miss |
| Marshall | Texas State |
| Old Dominion | Troy |
Who's in? Who's out?
The Sun Belt has the same schools in 2023.
Divisions and championship game
The Sun Belt will have the same two-division setup in 2023. The conference championship game will be played on Dec. 2 on campus.
What's next?
There are no plans for expansion in the Sun Belt for 2024.
