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Conference Realignment Contingent Announces Groundbreaking New Conference Alignment For 2025 Season
Indianapolis, IN. - The Conference Realignment Contingent (CRC) has officially unveiled its latest Division I conference realignment, announcing the changes just a month after the independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish claimed the National Championship title.
“Let’s be clear, not everyone will agree with the CRC’s decision,” cautioned former USC head coach Pete Carroll. “The last realignment left some damaged relationships, and despite our best efforts, some teams may have faced setbacks as a result.”
Although Carroll refrained from naming specific teams, his comments appeared to address the contentious move of UCLA and USC to the Mountain West Conference instead of returning them to the Pac-12.
“There’s lingering animosity from the Pac-12 commissioner and other schools over what they see as a cash grab by USC and UCLA,” an anonymous source revealed to The Athletic. “While the Pac-12 mended fences with other schools that had left, there was a clear unwillingness to welcome back USC and UCLA.”
This resistance left the CRC in a bind. With the Pac-12 ruling out their return and the CRC’s commitment to regional alignment, keeping USC and UCLA in the Big Ten was off the table. Ultimately, the Mountain West, often regarded as a “lesser” conference, became the only viable option.
“The Mountain West was eager to accept the Los Angeles schools, especially after losing Boise State, their reigning conference champion,” the insider added.
While USC and UCLA’s shift was the most significant storyline, it wasn’t the only headline from the realignment.
Florida State and Louisville will leave the ACC for the SEC, while founding ACC member South Carolina will return to its original conference in a swap.
“Florida State has long expressed its desire to exit the ACC, even before the CRC’s formation,” said former NCAA president Mark Emmert. “ACC leadership strongly opposed losing the Seminoles, but the prospect of reuniting with a founding member like South Carolina helped soften their stance.”
Simultaneously, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas A&M will depart the SEC to rejoin the Big 12, which needed reinforcements after losing four schools to the Pac-12.
While most teams are gearing up for new rivalries, one notable outlier remains without a conference: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
“Our goal was to eliminate FBS independents entirely,” stated CRC member Gene Smith. “But Notre Dame remains resolute in its refusal to join a conference, and their recent National Championship win has only strengthened their position.”
Notre Dame athletic director Peter Bevacqua reiterated this on X, stating, “We remain committed to our tradition of independence. While we recognize the challenges of not having a conference championship, our National Championship victory proves our ability to rise to the occasion.”
The CRC also announced the reintroduction of divisions within conferences to preserve traditional rivalries and fixed neutral sites for conference championship games:
Full Conference Listings
**You can click the box on the top left of the map to select individual conferences**
Indianapolis, IN. - The Conference Realignment Contingent (CRC) has officially unveiled its latest Division I conference realignment, announcing the changes just a month after the independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish claimed the National Championship title.
“Let’s be clear, not everyone will agree with the CRC’s decision,” cautioned former USC head coach Pete Carroll. “The last realignment left some damaged relationships, and despite our best efforts, some teams may have faced setbacks as a result.”
Although Carroll refrained from naming specific teams, his comments appeared to address the contentious move of UCLA and USC to the Mountain West Conference instead of returning them to the Pac-12.
“There’s lingering animosity from the Pac-12 commissioner and other schools over what they see as a cash grab by USC and UCLA,” an anonymous source revealed to The Athletic. “While the Pac-12 mended fences with other schools that had left, there was a clear unwillingness to welcome back USC and UCLA.”
This resistance left the CRC in a bind. With the Pac-12 ruling out their return and the CRC’s commitment to regional alignment, keeping USC and UCLA in the Big Ten was off the table. Ultimately, the Mountain West, often regarded as a “lesser” conference, became the only viable option.
“The Mountain West was eager to accept the Los Angeles schools, especially after losing Boise State, their reigning conference champion,” the insider added.
While USC and UCLA’s shift was the most significant storyline, it wasn’t the only headline from the realignment.
Florida State and Louisville will leave the ACC for the SEC, while founding ACC member South Carolina will return to its original conference in a swap.
“Florida State has long expressed its desire to exit the ACC, even before the CRC’s formation,” said former NCAA president Mark Emmert. “ACC leadership strongly opposed losing the Seminoles, but the prospect of reuniting with a founding member like South Carolina helped soften their stance.”
Simultaneously, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas A&M will depart the SEC to rejoin the Big 12, which needed reinforcements after losing four schools to the Pac-12.
While most teams are gearing up for new rivalries, one notable outlier remains without a conference: the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
“Our goal was to eliminate FBS independents entirely,” stated CRC member Gene Smith. “But Notre Dame remains resolute in its refusal to join a conference, and their recent National Championship win has only strengthened their position.”
Notre Dame athletic director Peter Bevacqua reiterated this on X, stating, “We remain committed to our tradition of independence. While we recognize the challenges of not having a conference championship, our National Championship victory proves our ability to rise to the occasion.”
The CRC also announced the reintroduction of divisions within conferences to preserve traditional rivalries and fixed neutral sites for conference championship games:
- The AAC will host its championship at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
- Conference USA’s championship will take place at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.
- The Mountain West will hold its championship at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA.
- The Pac-12 will continue using Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV.
- The Sun Belt will play its championship at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN.
Full Conference Listings
Spoiler
**You can click the box on the top left of the map to select individual conferences**
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