There has been plenty of conference realignment in the last few years. Here is the conference realignment outlook for 2024
California Golden Bears
Previous Conference: Pac-12
City: Berkley, California
California is one of the many Pac-12 teams joining a new conference this season. They will be traveling a lot across the country as a new member of the ACC. The Golden Bears have head coach Justin Wilcox returning for year eight after posting a 36-43 record at the school.
SMU Mustangs
Previous conference: AAC
City: Dallas, Texas
SMU made a hard push to get into the ACC and it worked. The Mustangs never quite recovered from the Death Penalty, but have made strides in recent years. They went from the SWC to the WAC to C-USA to the AAC and now to the ACC. The program has made five straight bowl games.
Stanford Cardinal
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Palo Alto, California
Stanford will join Cal as former Pac-12 members in the ACC. The Cardinal have some good history, but have fallen on tough times recently.They have five straight seasons with four wins or less. Head coach Troy Taylor is entering his second season of his rebuilding job.
Arizona Wildcats
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Tucson, Arizona
Arizona was a long-time Pac-12 member before agreeing to join the Big 12 for this season. While they have had their struggles, Arizona won 10 games last season. Jedd Fisch left Arizona for Washington and former San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Tempe, Arizona
The Sun Devils were another long-time Pac-12 team who are joining the Big 12 this season. Arizona State has had a few down seasons, with their last season above .500 being in 2019. Kenny Dillingham is entering his second season in charge at Arizona State.
Colorado Buffaloes
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Boulder, Colorado
Colorado went from the Big 12 to the Pac-12 and now is heading back. They have had plenty of buzz around their program, as Deion Sanders is leading the way. Those results still need to show up on the field, as they won just four games last season.
Utah Utes
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah has moved up conferences over the years, as they have been in the WAC, Moutain West and Pac-12 before now joining the Big 12. Kyle Whittingham has been a constant for the program at head coach, being there since 2005. They won eight games last season and are now one of the favorites in the Big 12.
Oregon Ducks
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Eugene, Oregon
Oregon is one of four Pac-12 teams joining the Big Ten this season. The Ducks have been a successful program over the years, especially recently with three straight double-digit win seasons. Dan Lanning is entering year three at the helm and will have a very talented roster.
UCLA Bruins
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Los Angeles, California
UCLA has some decent history and has won at least eight games in three straight seasons. Head coach Chip Kelly left to become the offensive coordinator at Ohio State, so former Bruin great DeShaun Foster has a rebuilding job on his hands as the Bruins enter the new conference.
USC Trojans
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Los Angeles, California
USC is one of the most storied programs in the sport. Lincoln Riley has found some success in his two seasons with 11 and eight wins respectively, but more will be expected as time progresses.
Washington Huskies
Previous conference: Pac-12
City: Seattle, Washington
Washington is coming off of a National Championship Game appearance last season. Their head coach, Kalen DeBoer, left for Alabama this offseason. Now, Jedd Fisch takes over while the Huskies transition to the Big Ten.
Kennesaw State Owls
Kennesaw State isn’t just new to the FBS for this season, they are a relatively new football program overall. They joined the FCS level of play in 2015, playing in the Big South Conference. It was a solid start for a new program, as the Owls went 6-5 in their inaugural season.
The Owls were able to build up very quickly, as they made the FCS Playoffs in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. They left the Big South for the ASUN conference in 2022 and then were an FCS Independent in 2023 as they prepared for their step up to the FBS level.
In their first season at the FBS level, Kennesaw State will play in Conference USA. With conference realignment, C-USA has added a few new FBS teams, including Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State last season.
Oklahoma Sooners
Previous conference: Big 12
City: Norman, Oklahoma
Oklahoma was a member of the Big 8 then the Big 12 and now joins the SEC. Brent Venables is in charge, heading into his third season. He has notched six and 10-win seasons in his first two years, but the SEC presents a new challenge.
Texas Longhorns
Previous conference: Big 12
City: Austin, Texas
Texas was in the Big 12 after being in the SWC. They are now in the SEC looking to jump in and immediately compete after making the College Football Playoff last season. Steve Sarkisian has coached at Texas for three seasons doing a good job of restoring the program.
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