What FBS teams change conferences on July 1, 2026?

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

Happy July 1!

This date often comes with significant meaning in the realm of college sports, as it marks the end of one year’s athletic calendar and the start of the next. In the 2020s, the arrival of July 1 has become especially impactful due to the decade’s non-stop conference realignment. On this day each year, a handful of teams shift conferences, and sometimes, entire divisions or subdivisions.

On July 1, 2026, 11 FBS programs change their conference affiliation. The table below highlights all 11 moves to know prior to the kickoff of the 2026 football season:

To summarize, the Pac-12 expands from the 2-team iteration of Oregon State and Washington State to a full 8-team conference which will relaunch its championship game in December. The refurbished Pac-12 consists of the two incumbents, five Mountain West transplants, and a lone Central Time Zone member in Texas State from the Sun Belt. A good mnemonic to remember which teams are in the new Pac-12 — all eight end in ‘State’.

Louisiana Tech will fill Texas State’s vacancy in the Sun Belt. The Bulldogs were initially included in both the Conference USA and Sun Belt schedules, but the Sun Belt ultimately won the custody battle after Louisiana Tech reached a resolution with the CUSA in April. After completing its first conference move in 14 years, Louisiana Tech will now compete alongside new in-state rivals Louisiana and ULM. The Sun Belt remains at 14 teams for the fifth-straight season and continues to be the only FBS conference bifurcated into divisions — East and West.

The CUSA didn’t add any teams for the first time since 2022, but the league lost another longtime staple in addition to Louisiana Tech. UTEP, the longest tenured CUSA member dating back to 2005, heads to the Mountain West which is a more logical geographic fit for the Miners. The Mountain West also expands eastward by adding a pair of Central Time Zone teams in North Dakota State and Northern Illinois.

NDSU makes its long-awaited jump to the FBS after dominating the FCS to the tune of 10 national champions from 2011-24. Meanwhile, NIU leaves the ever-stable MAC after winning a league-high five MAC championships since 2011. The Mountain West loses five teams to the Pac-12 but adds three, making it a 10-member league in 2026.

Lastly, there’s the most surprising move of this year’s realignment cycle, one which shocked the college football universe on Feb. 14. Sacramento State is heading to the MAC, where it is separated by over 2,000 miles from all 12 full-time member schools. The Hornets are the second FCS school officially making the jump to the FBS this July, putting the FBS at 138 teams.

The 2026 FBS season kicks off Saturday, Aug. 29. Both newcomers, North Dakota State and Sacramento State, will make their FBS debuts that day. The Bison host Jacksonville State in a non-conference matchup, while the Hornets travel to Eastern Michigan for some cross-country MACtion — one of two Week 0 matchups with impact on the conference standings.

The remaining nine teams involved in realignment will wear their new conference patch for the first time in Week 1.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos