This is part of an ongoing series covering various college realignment news for all three NCAA Divisions as well as the NAIA. The roundup below will cover news and reports since July 15, 2024, and provide updates on previously discussed topics. As a reminder, all official moves starting with the 2024-25 academic year or later can be found here and all changes – full membership or individual sport changes – starting in 2025-26 can be found here. Please note that individual sports changes occurring in 2025-26 or later will be listed in the standalone article only.
We’ll break out the reports for each Division in the following order: Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, and NAIA. Clicking the links will bring you to that specific section. If a division is not highlighted, there has been no news in the preceding two weeks. We’ve also summarized the news items in a table below if you are more interested in a summary or specific news item rather than having to scroll to find it.
| School(s)/Conference | News Item | Realignment Change / Effective Year | Current Conference | New Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic East | Commish Resigning | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| Augustana (SD) | Men’s Hockey Joining CCHA Early | Yes – 2024-25 | Independent (D1) | CCHA (D1) |
| Brewton-Parker | Men’s Volleyball to Appalachian | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | Appalachian (NAIA) |
| Carolina College | Men’s Volleyball to Appalachian | Yes – 2024-25 | NCCAA | Appalachian (NAIA) |
| Florida State | Big Ten/SEC Not Likely | No | N/A | N/A |
| GPAC | Launching Network | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| Hardin-Simmons | Adding Cycling Team | Yes – 2024-25? | N/A | SCCCC (Non-NCAA) |
| Hollins | Adding Women’s Flag Football | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | Club Sport |
| Holy Family | Adding Women’s Flag Football | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | Atlantic East (D2/D3) |
| Huntingdon | Joining Peach Belt for Esports | Yes – 2024-25 | NACE (Non-NCAA) | Peach Belt (D2) |
| Maryville (TN) | Joining SAA | Yes – 2026-27 | CCS (D3) | SAA (D3) |
| MEAC | Considering Adding Flag Football | TBD | N/A | N/A |
| MVFC | Commissioner Retiring | Yes – 2025-26 | N/A | N/A |
| NCAA D1 | Scholarship Limit Changes | Yes – 2025-26 | N/A | N/A |
| North Carolina | Adding Women’s Club Hockey | Yes – TBD | N/A | ACHA D2 (Club Level) |
| Northeast-10 | Rights Deal with FloSports | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| Oklahoma Christian | Women’s Bowling to GLVC | Yes – 2024-25 | Independent (D2) | GLVC (D2) |
| Saint Augustine’s | Accreditation Restored | No | N/A | N/A |
| Saint Leo | Adding Cross Country Programs | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | Sunshine (D2) |
| Southwestern (TX) | Men’s Lacrosse Joining SAA | Yes – 2024-25 | Independent (D3) | SAA (D3) |
| Spartanburg Methodist | Joining AAC (NAIA) | Yes – 2025-26 | CAC (NAIA) | Appalachian (NAIA) |
| St. Thomas (FL) | Men’s Volleyball to Appalachian | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | Appalachian (NAIA) |
| Sunshine Conference | Commissioner Resigning | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| Talladega | Men’s Volleyball to Appalachian | Yes – 2024-25 | Independent (D3) | Appalachian (NAIA) |
NCAA Scholarship Limits Set to Change
The NCAA and its member conferences are closing in on a settlement in the House lawsuit with one impact being increased scholarship limits. Football, baseball, basketball, softball, and volleyball will all see an increase in the maximum number of scholarships allowed as will plenty of other sports. Football is now allowed to provide partial scholarships under the terms of the settlement. The changes would go into effect starting with the 2025-26 academic year while a challenge to the settlement by Houston Christian was denied.
Football: 85 -> 105
Basketball: 123-> 15
Baseball: 11.7 -> 34
Softball: 12 -> 25
Volleyball: 12 -> 18
There are a lot of steps to go before this becomes the new college athletics world including any additional legal hangups, Congressional meddling, or other outside factors. Ross Dellenger provides a breakdown of what the field settlement entails and what might be next.
Big Ten and SEC Unlikely Destinations for Florida State
Florida State is unlikely to join the Big Ten or SEC if it leaves the ACC, according to Brett McMurphy. The Seminoles are locked in a legal battle with the ACC along with Clemson in an attempt to leave the conference early. The path to one of the two top conferences is daunting for FSU (and Clemson) but there is the possibility they join the Big 12. However, with realignment, things can change quickly and anything is possible.
NCAA Division 1 Sports Changes
Augustana University (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) is joining the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) a year early in 2024-25 for men’s hockey. The Vikings were originally scheduled to join the CCHA in 2025-26. Augustana is a member of the NCAA Division 2 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference but men’s hockey competes at the Division 1 level.
North Carolina is adding a women’s club hockey team beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The Tar Heels will compete in the Division 2 level of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). The men’s team is set to compete in the ACHA’s Division 1 level starting in 2025-26.
According to Commissioner Sonja Stills, the MEAC will consider adding women’s flag football as a sponsored sport. North Carolina Central and Norfolk State are the only MEAC schools that offer women’s flag football at a varsity or club level.
MVFC Commissioner Patty Viverito Retiring
The 2024-25 academic year will be the final one for Patty Viverito as the commissioner of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. She has decided to retire after spending the previous 40 years in the top spot. Viverito was in charge of the MVFC since 1982 when it was a women’s-only conference and remained there throughout numerous name changes and its ascension to the top of the FCS world. The MVFC has accounted for 11 of the last 13 FCS National Champions.
NCAA Division 2 Sports Changes
Holy Family University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is adding women’s flag football for the 2024-25 academic year. The Tigers will compete in the Atlantic East Conference as the AEC begins its inaugural season. Holy Family will compete against Centenary (NJ), Eastern, Immaculata, Marymount, and Neumann in the AEC.
Huntingdon College (Montgomery, Alabama) is joining the Peach Belt Conference in esports for the 2024-25 academic year. The Hawks competed as an independent member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), which oversees the collegiate esports programs in North America. The Peach Belt is the first conference to sponsor esports and Huntingdon is a primary member of the Division 3 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS).
Oklahoma Christian University (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) will move its women’s bowling team to the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. OCU competed as an independent team in 2023-24. The Eagles are a primary member of the Lone Star Conference, which doesn’t sponsor women’s bowling.
Saint Leo University (St. Leo, Florida) is bringing back men’s and women’s cross country for the 2024-25 academic year. Both programs will compete in the Sunshine State Conference, which the Lions are a full member of. The school discontinued the programs in 2023 along with the men’s and women’s swimming and track teams.
Northeast-10 Signs Rights Deal With FloSports
The Northeast-10 Conference is the latest collegiate conference to sign a rights deal with FloSports. FloSports has been buying up rights deals for the past few months as it gears up for the launch of FloCollege in October 2024. The NE10 is the 11th conference to sign a media rights deal with FloSports following the Big East (D1), CAA (D1), California Collegiate Athletic Association (D2), Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (D2), Gulf South Conference (D2), South Atlantic Conference (D2), Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (D2), Landmark Conference (D3), NEWMAC (D3), and SCIAC (D3).
Sunshine State Commissioner Leaving
Sunshine State Commissioner Ed Pasque is leaving his post to become the Atlantic 10’s Deputy Commissioner. Pasque took over the top spot in the SSC in 2014 and oversaw the additions of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (Daytona Beach) and Palm Beach Atlantic University to the conference. Pasque also helped the SSC to begin sponsoring beach volleyball and men’s and women’s outdoor track & field starting in 2024-25.
Saint Augustine’s Has Accreditation Reinstated
Saint Augustine’s University (Raleigh, North Carolina) had its accreditation restored by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SAU originally had it revoked in early 2024. While that resolves one major issue, there are still underlying problems plaguing the university with finances topping the list. For now, SAU buys more time as it looks to make a turnaround. Saint Augustine’s is a primary member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and has opted not to field a football team for the 2024 season due to ongoing financial issues.
NCAA Division 3 Sports Changes
Hardin-Simmons University (Abilene, Texas) will add a varsity cycling team and compete in the non-NCAA South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference (SCCCC). The Cowboys will compete in mountain biking and road cycling. The press release did not state which academic year HSU would begin competition.
Hollins University (Hollins, Virginia) is adding women’s flag football for the 2024-25 academic year. The program will be considered a club team for the 2025 spring season. Hollins is a women’s-only undergraduate institution and a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)
Huntingdon College (Montgomery, Alabama) is joining the Peach Belt Conference in esports for the 2024-25 academic year. The Hawks competed as an independent member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), which oversees the collegiate esports programs in North America. The Peach Belt is the first conference to sponsor esports and Huntingdon is a primary member of the Division 3 Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS).
Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas) is joining the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) for men’s lacrosse beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The school is joining the SAA as a full member starting with the 2025-26 academic year. The Pirates previously competed as an independent in 2023-24 and in the Heartland Collegiate Lacrosse Conference from 2021-22 through 2022-23.
Maryville Joining SAA
Maryville College (Maryville, Tennessee) will join the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) as a full member in two stages. In 2025-26, the school will move its football and women’s golf programs from the USA South Conference to the SAA. In 2026-27, the remainder of its sports programs, sans STUNT, will leave the Collegiate Conference of the South and move to the SAA.
Atlantic East Commissioner Resigning
Jessica Huntley is resigning from her position as Atlantic East Commissioner. Huntley was the conference’s first commissioner when it was founded in 2018 by seven schools. Two of the founding member schools – Wesley College and Cabrini University – were acquired by other universities. Centenary University (NJ) and Pratt Institute joined in 2021 and 2024 to maintain the membership at 7.
NAIA Sports Changes
The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) will have four new affiliate members for men’s volleyball beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Brewton-Parker (Mount Vernon, Georgia), Carolina University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), St. Thomas (Miami Gardens, Florida), and Talladega (Talladega, Alabama) will compete in the AAC in 2024-25. Brewton-Parker is bringing back the program (closed in 2019), Carolina is moving up from the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA), St. Thomax is adding men’s volleyball for 2024-25, and Talladega was an independent in its first year for the 2023-24 academic year.
Spartanburg Methodist to Join Appalachian Athletic Conference
Spartanburg Methodist College (Saxon, South Carolina) will move from the Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) to the Appalachian Athletic Conference beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. The Pioneers are a new member of the NAIA for 2024-25 having previously competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
GPAC Launching Network
The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) will launch a network for streaming events and will be backed by Huld TV. The new website shows the first event will be streamed on August 15. The press release notes that live and past broadcasts will be available as part of the new network.
Photo Courtesy of NCAA Photos