2012 Conference Realignment: Who’s Playing Where?
Conference realignment has been the talk of college football now for the past two years and while there were some changes for 2011, there are even more scheduled for 2012 and beyond. I have already started to write the 2012 magazine and if you’re like me and are confused with who will be playing where next year, here is a quick conference breakdown for next year as it stands today.
ACC |
|
| ATLANTIC | COASTAL |
| Clemson | Virginia Tech |
| Wake Forest | Virginia |
| Florida St | Georgia Tech |
| NC State | Miami (FL) |
| Boston College | North Carolina |
| Maryland | Duke |
For the 2012 season, the ACC will remain the same. Pittsburgh and Syracuse will officially join the conference in 2014.
Big East |
| Cincinnati |
| Louisville |
| Rutgers |
| Pittsburgh |
| Connecticut |
| South Florida |
| Syracuse |
The Big East loses West Virginia to the Big 12 in 2012 and will lose Syracuse and Pittsburgh to the ACC in 2014. The conference will add Boise St, San Diego St, UCF, Houston and SMU for 2013.
Big Ten |
|
| Legends | Leaders |
| Michigan St | Wisconsin |
| Michigan | Penn St |
| Nebraska | Purdue |
| Iowa | Ohio St |
| Northwestern | Illinois |
| Minnesota | Indiana |
The Big Ten naturally added Nebraska in 2011 and at this point will remain at 12 teams with the two 6-team divisions.
Big 12 |
| Oklahoma St |
| Kansas St |
| Baylor |
| Oklahoma |
| Texas |
| Iowa St |
| Texas Tech |
| Kansas |
| TCU |
| West Virginia |
The Big 12 loses Missouri and Texas A&M to the SEC next year but adds in TCU and West Virginia to remain at 10 teams.
Conference USA |
|
| EAST | WEST |
| Southern Miss | Houston |
| Marshall | Tulsa |
| East Carolina | SMU |
| UAB | Rice |
| UCF | UTEP |
| Memphis | Tulane |
Conference USA remains at 12 members for 2012 but will lose UCF, Houston and SMU to the Big East in 2013 and will form a new conference with the remaining members of the Mountain West.
Independents |
| BYU |
| Notre Dame |
| Navy |
| Army |
The Independents added BYU in 2011 and will remain at 4 teams in 2012.
MAC
|
|
| Ohio | Northern Illinois |
| Temple | Toledo |
| Kent St | Western Michigan |
| Bowling Green | Ball St |
| Miami (OH) | Eastern Michigan |
| Buffalo | Central Michigan |
| Akron | UMass |
Massachusetts becomes the 14th member in 2012 but it has yet to be determined what division the Minutemen will be placed. Naturally they would be best fit in the East Division but that division already has seven teams while the West has six.
Mountain West |
| Boise St |
| Wyoming |
| San Diego St |
| Air Force |
| Colorado St |
| UNLV |
| New Mexico |
| Nevada |
| Fresno St |
| Hawaii |
The MWC lost BYU and Utah in 2011 but added Boise St. In 2012 the conference will lose TCU to the Big 12 but will add Fresno St, Nevada and Hawaii from the WAC. In 2013 the Mountain West will lose Boise St and San Diego St to the Big East but then will combine with the remaining members of CUSA to form a new conference.
Pac-12 |
|
| NORTH | SOUTH |
| Oregon | USC |
| Stanford | UCLA |
| Washington | Arizona St |
| California | Utah |
| Oregon St | Colorado |
| Washington St | Arizona |
The Pac-12 added two new members (Colorado and Utah) for the 2011 season and will remain at 12 members for 2012 with two 6-team divisions.
SEC |
|
| EAST | WEST |
| Georgia | LSU |
| South Carolina | Alabama |
| Florida | Arkansas |
| Vanderbilt | Auburn |
| Kentucky | Mississippi St |
| Tennessee | Ole Miss |
| Missouri | Texas A&M |
The SEC adds two members for 2012 in Missouri and Texas A&M from the Big 12. Missouri will play in the East Division while A&M will be in the West.
Sun Belt |
| Arkansas St |
| WKU |
| Louisiana |
| FIU |
| North Texas |
| ULM |
| Troy |
| Middle Tennessee |
| Florida Atlantic |
| South Alabama |
The Sun Belt adds FCS South Alabama next year and while the Jaguars will play a full Sun Belt schedule in 2012 they will not be eligible to win the SBC title until 2013.
WAC |
| Louisiana Tech |
| Utah St |
| San Jose St |
| New Mexico St |
| Idaho |
| UTSA |
| Texas St |
The WAC loses Hawaii, Fresno St and Nevada to the MWC in 2012 but will add two FCS programs in UTSA and Texas St.
I will be back later today with tonight’s Las Vegas Bowl Forecast!
RELEASED TODAY AT 5:00 PM EST
 |
LAS VEGAS BOWL Thursday, December 22nd @ 8:00 p.m. Click on the bowl logo for MORE info!!!! |
|
|---|
ARIZONA ST (6-6) VS BOISE ST (11-1) |
||||||
|
Rushing
|
Passing
|
Points
|
TO’s
|
ST
|
A.O.R
|
|
| ARIZONA ST | 79 |
295
|
27
|
2.6
|
-
|
104.9 |
| BOISE ST |
151
|
340
|
42
|
2.3
|
-
|
91.5 |
|
PHIL’S FORECAST:
|
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