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 May 31, 2024, and provide updates on previously discussed topics. As a reminder, all official moves starting with the 2023-24 academic year can be found here while changes happening in 2024-25 or later can be found here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | Adding Men’s Cross Country | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | SWAC (D1) |
| Big East | Close to New Media Rights Deal | Yes – 2025-26 | N/A | N/A |
| Big South-OVC | Amend Football Agreement | No – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| Cal Maritime | May Integrate With Cal Poly | TBD – 2026-27 | Cal Pac (NAIA) | TBD |
| Concordia Ann Arbor | Dropping Sports | Yes – 2025-26 | WHAC (NAIA) | N/A |
| FloSports | Launching FloCollege | No – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| Fontbonne | 2024-25 Sports Announcements | Yes – 2024-25 | SLIAC (D3) | SLIAC (D3) |
| Hendrix | Joining SCAC | Yes – 2025-26 | SAA (D3) | SCAC (D3) |
| Hiram | Adding 3 Sports | Yes – 2025-26 | N/A | Women’s Lacrosse: PAC (D3) Other 2 sports: TBD (D3) |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | Adding Women’s Hockey | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | NCHA (D3) |
| Momouth | Women’s Bowling to NEC | Yes – 2024-25 | MEAC (D1) | NEC (D1) |
| NCAA | Private Equity Closer to Becoming Reality | TBD | N/A | N/A |
| PAC (D3) | Adding Divisions and Championship Game for Football | Yes – 2025-26 | N/A | N/A |
| SCIAC | FloSports Deal | No – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| Wayland Baptist | Adding Beach Volleyball | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | Independent (NAIA) |
| West Georgia | Dropping Women’s Tennis | Yes – 2024-25 | Gulf South (D2) | N/A |
| William Penn | Dropping Women’s Lacrosse | Yes – 2024-25 | HAAC (NAIA) | N/A |
Private Equity is Close to Entering College Athletics
The NCAA’s ever-changing landscape is close to seeing the entry of private equity into the mix. The Big 12 may give up 20% equity in its conference for as much as $1 billion from the private equity firm CVC. With a possible House settlement on the horizon, leagues are looking to additional revenue sources and private equity is one way to get an influx of money.
As if the overcommercialization wasn’t enough, the Big 12 and Conference USA are both strongly considering selling naming rights to their conference name as a way to generate even more revenue. The Big 12 would drop the “Big” portion of the name and give that section to whichever sponsor drops the most money. Conference USA is considering letting Globe Life sponsor the conference.
Big East Set to Sign New TV Deal
The Big East Conference is close to a new media rights deal beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. NBC Sports and TNT Sports would broadcast both men’s and women’s basketball along with the Big East’s current partner Fox Sports. Financial details are unavailable but the previous deal signed in 2013 was reportedly worth $500 million over 12 years.
Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Agreement Amended
The Big South and Ohio Valley Conference have agreed to amend its current football association agreement to provide a “look-in” after the 2026 season. The original agreement was set to last for years from 2023 through 2026 and the new agreement makes it likely that the football association will continue through 2030. The Big South-OVC will 9 teams in 2024 with 7 of those programs being full members of the Ohio Valley Conference.
NCAA Division 1 Sports Changes
Alabama A&M (Normal, Alabama) is bringing back men’s cross country beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The Bulldogs last competed in men’s cross country in 1994 before disbanding. Alabama A&M is a full member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), which is where the men’s cross country team will compete. Florida A&M is the lone SWAC program without a men’s cross country program.
Monmouth (West Long Branch, New Jersey) will join the Northeast Conference in women’s bowling beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. Monmouth was previously a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in women’s bowling. The Hawks are a full member of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), which does not sponsor the sport.
West Georgia (Carrollton, Georgia) will drop its women’s tennis program effective immediately as the school transitions from NCAA Division 2 to Division 1 beginning in 2024-25. The Wolves competed in the Gulf South Conference for a majority of its sports including women’s tennis. UWG is joining the Atlantic Sun in 2024-25 and previously stated it planned to add men’s indoor and outdoor track & field, women’s beach volleyball, and STUNT. West Georgia said no other sports are being discontinued at this time.
NCAA Division 2 Sports Changes
FloSports is launching a new platform called FloCollege that focuses on college events at the Division 2 and Division 3 levels. FloSports will invest $50 million to obtain rights fees, production, content, and marketing aspects. The new platform will launch in October and also feature some events from Division 1. FloSports has signed media rights deals with 9 different conferences across all three divisions including the most recent one with the SCIAC earlier in June.
NCAA Division 3 Sports Changes
The Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) will start using divisions and institute a championship game in football beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. The PAC will be split into two divisions with Allegheny, Geneva, Grove City, Hiram, Thiel, and Westminster playing in the North Division while Bethany, Carnegie Mellon, Case Western Reserve, Saint Vincent, Washington & Jefferson, and Waynesburg will participate in the South Division. The PAC will also use the divisions for men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball.
Fontbonne University (Clayton, Missouri) is closing after the 2024-25 academic year is complete but some of its athletic teams will still compete in the upcoming year. Men’s soccer, men’s golf, women’s golf, and women’s volleyball will compete in 2024-25; however, both its cross country teams and women’s soccer will not compete in 2024-25. For winter and spring sports, Fontbonne will not sponsor men’s volleyball, cheer, and STUNT in the 2024-25 academic year.
Hiram College (Hiram, Ohio) is adding three sports – men’s hockey, women’s bowling, and women’s lacrosse – beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. Hiram is set to join the Presidents’ Athletic Conference beginning with the 2025-26 academic year, which is where the women’s lacrosse team will compete. It is not known which conference men’s hockey and women’s bowling will join as the PAC does not sponsor either sport.
The Milwaukee School of Engineering (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) will begin competing in women’s hockey in the 2024-25 academic year. The Raiders will compete in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA). MSOE is a primary member of the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC).
Hendrix Joining SCAC
Hendrix College (Conway, Arkansas) is leaving the Southern Athletic Association (SAA). The Warriors will join the Southern Collegiate Athletic Association (SCAC) beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. The SCAC will see an influx of members over the next two years and have 12 members by the 2025-26 academic year. Meanwhile, the SAA will have 8 members by the same time including two teams – Southwestern University and Trinity University – joining from the SCAC.
SCIAC Agrees to Rights Deal With FloSports
The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SCIAC) has agreed to a rights deal with FloSports that will begin with the 2024-25 academic year. The agreement is for five years with FloSports maintaining 72-hour on-demand privileges before the broadcasts will become free-to-watch via SCIACtv. The deal with FloSports is the 9th media rights deal between FloSports and NCAA Conferences. 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), Landmark Conference (D3), and NEWMAC (D3) also have deals with FloSports.
NAIA Sports Changes
Concordia University Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, Michigan) will drop all athletic programs following the 2024-25 academic year citing financial infeasiblity. The Cardinals are a primary member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) with football playing in the Mid-State Football Association (MSFA). The WHAC is increasing to 13 members in 2024-25 as Defiance College joins but will drop back to 12 in 2025-26 with Concordia Ann Arbor dropping athletics.
Wayland Baptist University (Plainview, Texas) is adding women’s beach volleyball beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. WBU did not state which conference it would compete in but the press release noted the Pioneers would play against teams from the Sooner Atheltic Conference, Red River Athletic Conference, and the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. WBU is a primary member of the Sooner Athletic Conference.
William Penn University (Oskaloosa, Iowa) has discontinued women’s lacrosse effective immediately. William Penn competed in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC), which is also the school’s primary conference. The Heart will have 9 members in 2024-25 after raiding the KCAC for women’s lacrosse programs in May (pending any additional changes).
Cal Maritime May Integrate With Cal Poly
California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime; Vallejo, California) may integrate with California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) following a recommendation by the California State University system. Cal Maritime has experienced a drastic 31% decline in enrollment in less than a decade and had about 750 students for the 2023-24 academic year. The Maritime location would continue to focus on its nautical program but expand academic access to its students. The recommendation needs to be approved at the November 2024 meeting and the full integration would be complete by the 2026-27 academic year.
Cal Maritime is a member of the NAIA’s California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) while Cal Poly is a Division 1 member and a primary member of the Big West Conference. It is not known what would happen to the athletic teams at Cal Maritime should the integration go forward. The Cal Pac has already lost the University of Antelope Valley and the University of Saint Katherine to closures during the 2023-24 academic year and will lose three more members at the start of the 2024-25 academic year. Benedictine-Mesa, Embry-Riddle-Prescott, and Park-Gilbert are leaving to join the NCAA Division 2 level while UC Merced will move the D2 beginning with the 2025-26 academic year.
Photo courtesy of the Big 12 Conference