The Power Four Era Takes Shape
The landscape of college football's elite conferences has undergone profound transformation over the past several years. As of the upcoming 2026 season, the Football Bowl Subdivision comprises 138 member institutions divided among the Power Four conferences, the Group of Five, and two independent schools. The Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, and Southeastern Conference now constitute what many observers call the Power Four.
This evolution traces back to decades of postseason restructuring. After consecutive split national championships following the 1990 and 1991 seasons, prominent conferences formed the Bowl Coalition and later the Bowl Alliance to establish definitive champions. The Bowl Championship Series emerged in 1998, featuring what were then called the Power Six conferences alongside four major bowl games.
Texas, Oklahoma, and the Catalyst for Change
The modern realignment wave accelerated dramatically in July 2021 when reports surfaced that Texas and Oklahoma would depart the Big 12 Conference for the Southeastern Conference by the 2024-25 academic year. Their motivation centered on increased media exposure and revenue opportunities—a pattern that would repeat throughout the realignment cycle.
The consequences rippled across the entire FBS. The Pac-12 Conference suffered catastrophic losses, shedding ten of its twelve members ahead of the 2024-25 academic year. This collapse triggered lawsuits and necessitated ad hoc arrangements for the conference's remaining two members until newly invited institutions could join in 2026.
Group of Five Restructuring
Changes extended well beyond the power conferences. At the Group of Five level, six Conference USA members announced departures for the American Athletic Conference—now known simply as the American Conference—in pursuit of improved media exposure. Three additional CUSA members subsequently left for the Sun Belt Conference amid fears their conference might fold entirely.
To survive as an FBS competitor, Conference USA absorbed six FCS members and two FBS independents over a three-year span. Since 2021, eight FCS members have either transitioned or are transitioning to FBS conferences, illustrating the upward mobility driving much of this realignment activity.
FCS Transformations and New Formations
The Football Championship Subdivision experienced equally significant upheaval. The Atlantic Sun Conference initiated football sponsorship, while the Western Athletic Conference returned to football after previously sponsoring the sport at the FBS level until the end of the 2012 season. Two football-only conference mergers emerged: one uniting the ASUN and WAC, another combining the Big South Conference and Ohio Valley Conference.
A third FCS development established a formal relationship between the Missouri Valley Football Conference and two non-football leagues, the Missouri Valley Conference and Summit League. In 2026, the Western Athletic Conference rebranded as the United Athletic Conference, with the existing ASUN-WAC football alignment continuing within the rebranded all-sports entity. Also in 2026, the Big South-OVC football alliance was reincorporated into the OVC.
Looking Ahead: The 2026 Season
The 2026 Mountain West Conference football season represents the 28th campaign for the conference and features ten competing teams. Beginning August 29, 2026, and concluding with the Mountain West Conference Football Championship Game on December 4, 2026, the full schedule was released on March 9, 2026.
As these structural changes settle, college football enters a new era defined by concentrated power at the top, fluid boundaries between divisions, and continued financial pressures driving institutional decisions. The realignment cycle that began in 2021 continues to reshape how the sport competes, broadcasts, and generates revenue across all levels of collegiate athletics.
