College football’s realignment churn isn’t slowing down, and the 2026 season will bring another round of shifting conference homes across the FBS landscape.
There are 138 teams at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, spread across 10 conferences plus two independents. The Power Four still consists of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, along with Notre Dame, for a total of 68 teams. The Group of Six includes the American, Conference USA, the MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, Sun Belt and UConn, and that group adds up to 70 teams.
The College Football Playoff will also continue with its 12-team format for a third season. The five automatic bids go to the highest-ranked conference champion from the Group of Six and the champions from each of the Power Four leagues.
The rest of the field will be filled by seven at-large teams. Notre Dame is guaranteed a spot if it is inside the top 12 on selection day.
The seeding protocol remains unchanged from last year.
Here’s how the 138 FBS teams line up for 2026:
The ACC will feature Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
The Big 12 will include Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Colorado, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, Utah and West Virginia.
The Big Ten will be made up of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Washington and Wisconsin.
Conference USA’s 2026 lineup is Delaware, FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, Missouri State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston and Western Kentucky.
The MAC will consist of Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio, Sacramento State, Toledo, UMass and Western Michigan.
The Mountain West will have Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming.
The Pac-12 will be Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State.
The SEC will remain Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
The Sun Belt will be split into East and West divisions. The East includes Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall and Old Dominion. The West includes Arkansas State, Louisiana, Louisiana Tech, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Troy and ULM.
FBS independents are also part of the picture for 2026.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Got A National Nod That Will Fire Up Sooners Fans
Pro Football Focus gave Oklahoma a preseason boost this week by slotting defensive tackle David Stone at No. 31 on its college football top 50 for 2026, a notable national nod for a Sooners defense that figures to lean on him again. Stone was the lone Oklahoma player to make the list, and the recognition fits the way he flashed in 2025 as a disruptive interior force.
PFF pointed to Stones pressure production and his ability to impact the run game, two traits that should keep him central to Oklahomas plans as the new season approaches. With other key pieces like John Mateer, Isaiah Sategna and Michael Fasusi expected to shape the offense, the Sooners have reasons to feel good about their roster balance, but Stones rise gives the defense a headline name and a reminder that the front can still set the tone. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Receiver Depth Looks Better But One Doubt Still Lingers
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The lingering question is what comes after those three. Brent Venables has talked up several reserve wideouts during spring practice, but Oklahoma has not leaned heavily on its receiver depth in the past, and it is still unclear how much trust the staff will place in the lower part of the chart once the season starts. If the Sooners are going to get where they want to go, they may need more than just the headline names to hold up when the games start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces A 2026 Quarterback Gauntlet Fans Wont Ignore
The Manning Passing Academy always offers a glimpse at the next wave of quarterbacks, but for Oklahoma, this years version came with a little extra relevance. Four of the 11 passers singled out from the event are already on the Sooners 2026 schedule, which means the conversation quickly shifts from summer buzz to a real look at the kind of arms Brent Venables defense will have to chase around next fall.
Arch Manning sits near the top of that group, while LaNorris Sellers checks in at No. 7 and Bryce Underwood brings the sort of ceiling that keeps evaluators talking. Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, and the appeal is obvious if he keeps climbing toward that level. Oklahoma also has to account for John Mateer, whose offseason transformation drew plenty of attention, adding another layer to a schedule that already looks loaded with quarterback talent. [Read more 🡒]