This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/cfb by /u/Inkblot9 on 2025-07-01 04:00:10+00:00.

It’s July 1, the day when many realignment moves become official. After the craziness last year, things are a bit calmer this time around (before ramping up again a year from now).

As in previous years, this list focuses on football and basketball. Schools that sponsor football are in bold.

Division I

Reclassification updates

  • Kennesaw State has completed its reclassification to FBS and is now eligible for the postseason.
  • Delaware and Missouri State are in their second and final year of reclassification to FBS. Both are ineligible for the FBS and FCS postseasons.
  • East Texas A&M, Lindenwood, Queens, St. Thomas, Southern Indiana, and Stonehill have completed their Division I reclassification periods and are now eligible for the postseason. All six completed it a year ahead of schedule, due to the NCAA reducing the standard period by a year and allowing teams already in the process to use the shorter timeline if they meet the criteria.
  • Le Moyne is in its third (and likely final) year of reclassification.
  • Mercyhurst and West Georgia are in their second year.
  • New Haven is set to begin its first year.

Future changes

All the changes listed below take effect for 2026–27 unless otherwise noted.

  • Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, and West Georgia (FCS, ASun/UAC) join the WAC for all sports, which then rebrands as the UAC… Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State (FBS/MWC) join the new Pac-12… California Baptist and Utah Valley (WAC) join the Big West… Chicago State (NEC) adds football, playing as an FCS independent in 2026 before joining the NEC (also FCS) the following year… Gonzaga (WCC) joins the new Pac-12… Hawaii (FBS, Big West/MWC) joins the MWC for all sports… Louisiana Tech (CUSA) joins the SBC by 2027… Northern Illinois (FBS, MAC) joins the MWC for football and the Horizon for other sports… Oregon State and Washington State (FBS, WCC/functionally independent) rejoin the new Pac-12… Sacramento State (FCS, Big Sky) joins the Big West and goes independent in football… St. Francis (PA) (FCS, NEC) drops to D3, joining the PAC… Southern Utah and Utah Tech (FCS, WAC/UAC) join the Big Sky… Texas State (FBS, SBC) joins the new Pac-12… UC Davis (FCS, Big West/Big Sky) joins the MWC for everything except football, which remains in the Big Sky… UTEP (FBS, CUSA) joins the MWC… Villanova and William & Mary football (FCS, CAA) join the Patriot, while other sports are unaffected.

Division II

  • Academy of Art (PacWest) drops all sports.
  • Bloomfield (CACC), which has continued to drop sports since being acquired by Montclair State and is now below the D2 limit, is no longer listed as a member on the NCAA or CACC websites and appears to have joined the USCAA.
  • Ferrum leaves the ODAC (D3) for Conference Carolinas (D2).
  • Jamestown leaves the NSAA (NAIA) for the NSIC (D2).
  • Limestone (SAC) closes.
  • Middle Georgia State leaves the SSAC (NAIA) for the PBC (D2).
  • Mississippi College (GSC) drops football. A year from now, the school’s name will change to Mississippi Christian.
  • New Haven leaves the NE10 (D2) for the NEC (FCS). Similar to what other recent NEC additions have done, football will play as an independent at least for this year.
  • Sonoma State (CCAA) drops all sports.
  • UC Merced leaves the Cal Pac (NAIA) for the CCAA (D2).
  • UT Dallas leaves the ASC (D3) for the LSC (D2).
  • Conference Carolinas begins sponsorship of football, with new member Ferrum joined by six existing all-sports conference members (2024 football conference in parentheses): Barton (SAC), Chowan (GSC), Erskine (GSC), North Greenville (GSC), Shorter (Ind), and UNC Pembroke (MEC). Note that between this and Mississippi College dropping the sport, the GSC is down to 4 football schools.
  • Some housekeeping: St. Augustine’s has been officially expelled from the CIAA (after a suspension last year) and it’s unknown whether they’ll play any sports this year. Last year they seem to have only competed in cross country, which puts them well below D2 minimums. The D2 Membership Committee did not address the case at its July meeting, outside of noting their expulsion from the CIAA.

Reclassification/Provisional updates

There are currently both a 2-year membership process and a 3-year membership process, which I will list separately for clarity.

3-year process:

  • Jessup, Thomas More, USC Beaufort, and Vanguard have completed their Division II reclassification periods and are now eligible for the postseason. Jessup and Vanguard were given waivers to skip the third year.
  • Roosevelt and Sul Ross State are entering their third and final year of the process.
  • Menlo has been held back from advancing to the third and final year of the process, and now must repeat its second year.
  • Point Park enters the second year.
  • Middle Georgia State enters the first year.

2-year process:

  • Jamestown, UC Merced, and UT Dallas enter the second and final year.
  • Ferrum enters the first year.

Future changes

  • Azusa Pacific (PacWest) drops to D3 in 2026, joining the SCIAC and re-adding football… Fresno Pacific (PacWest) joins the CCAA in 2026… Lackawanna (NJCAA) joins D2 and the PSAC at an uncertain date… Shawnee State (NAIA, RSC) joins D2 and the MEC in 2026, and will add football in 2028.

Division III

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