Pop quiz hot shot. There's a brand new conference in college football, two schools joined the ACC and one conference has been wiped off the face of the college football map. Do you know who is where now?
July 1 marks the day all of the conference realignment changes for 2013 officially become reality so there are a number of changes to keep up with. It can be overwhelming at times, so we'll forgive you if you have forgotten that Central Florida was now in The American, or if you forgot all about The American. Here is a conference-by-conference look at who is in and who is out and what the updated conference and division layouts look like in each.
Be sure to take notes, because there will be a test at a later point in time.
ACC
Who's In: Pittsburgh, Syracuse
Who's Out: Nobody (yet)
Maryland will leave for the Big Ten in 2014. Louisville will join to fill the upcoming vacancy and keep the divisions intact. Notre Dame also joins the ACC in most sports in 2013 but will remain independent in football. The Irish begin a scheduling arrangement with the ACC in 2014 with five games reserved on the schedule for ACC opponents on a rotating basis.
Atlantic Division | Coastal Division |
Boston College | Duke |
Clemson | Georgia Tech |
Florida State | Miami |
Maryland | North Carolina |
NC State | Pittsburgh |
Syracuse | Virginia |
Wake Forest | Virginia Tech |
The American
Who's In: Houston, SMU, Memphis, Central Florida
Who's Out: Pittsburgh, Syracuse
Technically this is the Big East, just flying under a brand new name. Louisville will leave the conference in 2014 for the ACC and Rutgers will leave for the Big Ten at the same time. The conference will be adding Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina in 2014 and Navy in 2015. The trick will be keeping the existing membership intact as well. No divisions in 2013 with 10 members, but look for some division format to come in 2014.
Big Ten
No changes in 2013. Rutgers and Maryland join the conference in 2014.
Big 12
No changes in 2013. None on the schedule for 2014.
Pac 12
No changes in 2013. None on the schedule for 2014.
SEC
No changes in 2013. None on the schedule for 2014.
Conference USA
Who's In: Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, North Texas, North Texas, UTSA
Who's Out: Houston, SMU, Central Florida, Memphis
West | East |
Louisiana Tech | UAB |
North Texas | East Carolina |
Rice | Florida Atlantic |
UTEP | Florida International |
UTSA | Marshall |
Tulane | Middle Tennessee |
Tulsa | Southern Miss |
For 2013 Conference USA will welcome a handful of younger or upcoming programs in hopes of long term growth to fill the holes left by departing members. Conference USA also will welcome FCS programs Old Dominion (2014) and Charlotte (2015) in the next two years after Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina leave for The American in 2014. Western Kentucky also joins the conference in 2014.
Mountain West Conference
Who's In: Utah State, San Jose State
Who's Out: None
Mountain | West |
Air Force | Fresno State |
Boise State | Hawaii |
Colorado State | Nevada |
New Mexico | San Diego State |
Utah State | San Jose State |
Wyoming | UNLV |
The Mountain West would have been in a tough situation if Boise State and San Diego State followed through on plans to join the Big East (American), but the schools each decided to stick in the MWC. With the additions of former WAC members Utah State and San Jose State the conference moves to 12 members and regains a footing in the state of Utah a few years after losing Utah (Pac 12) and BYU (independent).
MAC
No changes in 2013. None on the schedule for 2014.
Sun Belt
Who's In: Texas State, Georgia State
Who's Out: Middle Tennessee, FAU, FIU,North Texas
The 2014 season will see a few changes in the Sun Belt as well. Western Kentucky will leave to join Conference USA in 2014, and the Sun Belt will welcome FCS powers Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. The Sun Belt added South Alabama last season and Georgia State this season so the conference will have a handful of programs looking to build up in the future.
WAC
R.I.P.
Kevin McGuire is the host of the No 2-Minute Warning podcast. Follow him on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.