2023 College Football Conference Realignment: Every Move, New FBS Members
Conference realignment dominated college football headlines for the majority of the past two offseasons. Oklahoma and Texas' bombshell announcement to move to the SEC began a domino effect that toppled teams as far down as the FCS level. In 2023, the biggest college football shakeup in over a decade takes place. And now, those changes are finally here.
Below, you can find every move and new home for teams next season. You may want to bookmark this article for when you go to look for a team's record and can't find them among the shuffle.
In total, at least 12 teams are moving conferences and two new members are beginning FBS membership in 2023
2023 Conference Realignment: New Big 12 Members
BYU Cougars
Coming From: Independent (since 2011)
Previous Conferences: Mountain West, Western Athletic, Skyline
After compiling a 99-56 record as an FBS independent, BYU is re-joining a conference. Kilani Sitake turned down multiple bigger offers in the past few years to keep BYU a strong contender.
BYU hails from Provo, Utah, and has possibly the most scenic stadium backdrop of any school. They're also a storied program with their own Heisman Trophy winner, Ty Detmer (1990), and a claimed national championship in 1984.
Cincinnati Bearcats
Coming From: American Athletic (since 2013)
Previous Conferences: Big East, Conference-USA, Missouri Valley, Independent
Cincinnati became the first team from a Group of Five conference to notch a berth in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Coming off the historic season, the Bearcats sold out all season tickets for the first time in school history.
They play in historic Nippert Stadium, the third oldest stadium in the FBS. However, they've been playing on the same grounds since 1901. Cincinnati also won two of the last three AAC Championships and usher in a new era in the Big 12 under newly-hired coach Scott Satterfield.
Houston Cougars
Coming From: American Athletic (since 2013)
Previous Conferences: Conference-USA, Southwest, Missouri Valley, Independent
During their stint in the ACC, Houston won 12 or more games twice, most recently in 2021. They've also found themselves in a bowl game in three straight seasons under head coach Dana Holgorsen, winning each of their last two.
Houston is the US' fourth-largest city, giving the Big 12 another large footprint. However, TDECU Stadium– built in 2014– becomes the Big 12's smallest at 40,000 seats without any plans to expand.
UCF Knights
Coming From: American Athletic (since 2013)
Previous Conferences: Conference-USA, MAC, Independent
UCF began their FBS membership in 1996, making them the youngest Power Five program in the nation. However, in their relatively short history at the FBS level, UCF won 10+ games seven times and claimed an undefeated National Championship in 2017.
The program has shown immense resilience, too, having gone from zero to 10 wins within a four-year span twice. UCF is also the largest college in the US according to student enrollment with nearly 70,000 students.
2023 Conference Realignment: New AAC Members
Charlotte 49ers
Coming From: Conference-USA (since 2015)
Charlotte made the jump to FBS in 2015 and– heading into the 2022 season– had the smallest college football venue in the country. Jerry Richardson Stadium, located on a gorgeous UNC-Charlotte campus, sits just 15,314 but has plans to expand to 30,000 in the coming years.
The addition of Charlotte was a strategic one to add the Queen City into the AAC fold. With an enrollment at over 30,000 students, UNC-Charlotte is the second-largest university in North Carolina. In terms of football, they have just one winning season in their FBS history (2019, 7-6).
Florida Atlantic Owls
Coming From: Conference-USA (since 2013)
Previous Conferences: Sun Belt
FAU is located in beautiful Boca Raton, giving the AAC three strongholds in Florida (Tampa, Orlando, Miami). Having made the jump to the FBS level in 2004, FAU has been a destination job for big names in need of a reset.
Lane Kiffin, Willie Taggart, Carl Pelini, and now Tom Herman make up four of the six all-time head coaches in Boca. The area is so desirable that FAU Stadium hosts its own bowl game, the Boca Raton Bowl.
North Texas Mean Green
Coming From: Conference-USA (since 2013)
Previous Conferences: Sun Belt, Big West, Missouri Valley, Independent
The AAC already had a footprint in Dallas, so they add Fort Worth with the inclusion of North Texas. The Mean Green also bring in a new head coach: Eric Morris, who called plays for Washington State after a stint at Incarnate Word in 2021.
The country's most unique stadium is Apogee Stadium, which features large end zone stands in the shape of an eagle tale. The name "Mean Green" in fact does not come from their NFL Hall of Fame player "Mean" Joe Greene, but a cheer first heard in 1966. Other famous athletes from UNT: Chuck Beatty, Brian Waters, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
Rice Owls
Coming From: Conference-USA (since 2005)
Previous Conferences: Western Athletic, Southwest
Sometimes, conference affiliation comes with the intention of fortifying academics. Rice has just one bowl appearance since 2015– this year's LendingTree Bowl despite a losing record– and just six appearances since 1961. So why bring them in?
Rice boasts an acceptance rate of just 9.5% and a litany of academic accolades. Further, they are a storied football program. Their stadium was built to host a Super Bowl, which they did, as well as President John F. Kennedy's famous, "We choose to go to the moon" speech.
UAB Blazers
Coming From: Conference-USA (re-joined in 2017)
Previous Conferences: Conference-USA, Independent
UAB made headlines when they hired Super Bowl QB Trent Dilfer as their next head coach. UAB supported football from 1996-2014 before it was discontinued. Bill Clark was hired to be the program's head coach when it was revived in 2017 and the Blazers posted a 49-26 under Clark.
Just one season after reviving their football program, UAB won 11 games, including their first-ever bowl win in 2018. In 2021, they opened their brand new stadium, Protective Stadium, which hosts the Birmingham Bowl.
UTSA Roadrunners
Coming From: Conference-USA (since 2013)
Previous Conferences: Western Athletic
Under head coach Jeff Traylor, UTSA's gone 25-5 in the last two seasons with two Conference-USA championships. Star QB Frank Harris announced his return for 2023 to usher in a new era for the Roadrunners.
UTSA is a newer member to the FBS ranks, playing their first season in the final season of the WAC in 2012. They subsequently moved to Conference-USA, finding little success until Traylor took over in 2020. The Roadrunners are still in search of their elusive first bowl win, posting an 0-3 record under Traylor and an 0-4 all-time record in bowl games.
2023 Conference Realignment: New Conference-USA Members
Liberty Flames
Coming From: Independent (since 2018)
Liberty joined the FBS ranks in 2018, where they were coached one season by Turner Gill before handing the keys over to Hugh Freeze. Freeze led the Flames to a 34-16 record, including a 10-1 record in 2020. Liberty put a starting QB in the NFL, Malik Willis, and won their three bowls under Freeze.
This is the first conference affiliation of Liberty's short FBS career. They'll be under new leadership after hiring Coastal Carolina's Jamey Chadwell as their head coach after Freeze left for Auburn. Their home venue– Arthur Williams Stadium– recently underwent renovations and is one of the premiere stadiums in the Group of Five.
New Mexico State Aggies
Coming From: Independent (since 2018)
Previous Conferences: Sun Belt, Western Athletic, Big West, Missouri Valley, Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association (BIAA)
Despite being a bottom-of-the-barrel FBS program for quite some time, New Mexico State has never lost a bowl game. Incredibly, that history stretches back to 1931, although they've only appeared in five bowl games.
However, the Aggies return a solid head coach, Jerry Kill, and an exciting star QB, Diego Pavia. Although the decision to add New Mexico State was met with pushback, the Aggies notched a bowl win this year and their roster may be a force in the conference this coming year.
New FBS Members For 2023
Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Jacksonville State's football history is long. They played their first season in 1904 and have found plenty of recent success. The Gamecocks accepted their FBS invitation in Nov. 2021 and will join Conference-USA this coming season.
Sam Houston State Bearkats
The 2020 FCS National Champions are moving up to the FBS in 2023. Since 2011, the Bearkats made it to the FCS National Championship three times, but captured their elusive first title on their third try. SHSU joins Conference-USA at the start of the 2023 season.
But Wait! There's More
Kennesaw State accepted an invitation to join the FBS ranks starting in 2024. The announcement came in mid-Oct. 2022, and they'll be a member of Conference-USA. Kennesaw State has hosted football since 2015 after an eight-year struggle to get the program up and running.
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