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 November 30, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Cutting Roster Spots | No – 2025-26 | N/A | N/A |
| Arizona State | Cutting Roster Spots | No – 2025-26 | N/A | N/A |
| Army-Navy | Staying on CBS | No | N/A | N/A |
| California | Men’s Rowing to MPSF | Yes – 2024-25 | Pac-12 (D1) | MPSF (D1) |
| Gonzaga | Men’s Rowing to MPSF | Yes – 2024-25 | WIRA (D1) | MPSF (D1) |
| Grand Canyon | Men’s Soccer to Stay in WAC | No | N/A | N/A |
| Hawaii | 4 Sports to stay in Big West | No | N/A | N/A |
| John Melvin | Dropping Football | Yes – 2025-26 | ICAA (Non-NCAA/NAIA) | N/A |
| Keystone | School Closing? | TBD | United East (D3) | TBD |
| Lourdes University | Discontinuing 3 Sports | Yes – 2024-25 | WHAC (NAIA) | N/A |
| Michigan | Cutting Roster Spots but Adding Scholarships | No – 2025-26 | N/A | N/A |
| Mount Saint Mary (NY) | Adding Flag Football | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | Club Sport – TBD (D3) |
| NCAA Division 2 | Women’s Lacrosse Bracket Expandes | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| NCAA Division 2 | Women’s Bowling Championship Recommended | Yes – TBD | N/A | N/A |
| Northern Illinois | May Join Mountain West in football only | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Oregon State | Men’s Rowing to MPSF | Yes – 2024-25 | Pac-12 (D1) | MPSF (D1) |
| Peach Belt | Commissioner Retiring | No | N/A | N/A |
| Saint Augustine’s | Removed from SACSCOC | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| San Diego | Men’s Rowing to MPSF | Yes – 2024-25 | WIRA (D1) | MPSF (D1) |
| Santa Clara | Men’s Rowing to MPSF | Yes – 2024-25 | WIRA (D1) | MPSF (D1) |
| Southern Nazarene | STUNT becomes Varsity program | Yes – 2024-25 | N/A | N/A |
| Stanford | Men’s Rowing to MPSF | Yes – 2024-25 | Pac-12 (D1) | MPSF (D1) |
| UC Davis | Joining Mountain West | Yes – 2026-27 | Big West (D1) | Mountain West (D1) |
| UC San Diego | Men’s Rowing to MPSF | Yes – 2024-25 | IRA (D1) | MPSF (D1) |
| Valdosta State | Moving to SIAC? | TBD | N/A | N/A |
| Washington | Men’s Rowing to MPSF | Yes – 2024-25 | Pac-12 (D1) | MPSF (D1) |
| Wyoming | Will add over 15 scholarships | No – 2025-26 | N/A | N/A |
UC Davis Joining Mountain West, NIU Still in Play
The realignment wheel never stops turning and the latest rotation revealed that UC Davis will leave the Big West Conference to join the Mountain West Conference beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The Aggies will keep football in the Big Sky. UC Davis hopes to keep its men’s and women’s water polo and women’s beach volleyball programs in the Big West as affiliate members. Equestrian (ECAC), women’s field hockey (America East), and women’s lacrosse (Big 12) will not see their affiliations change.
The UC Davis addition puts the MW at 10 members with 8 playing football. Then there’s the possibility of Northern Illinois joining the Mountain West as a football-only affiliate, which was originally reported in September and then cooled down in November. Well, now it’s back and a decision is imminent. If NIU joined the MW in football, the school would have to find a different conference for its other sports. The MW would not go beyond 9 football members according to Brett McMurphy. Below is how the Mountain West will look in 2026-27 as it stands right now (no NIU).
- Air Force
- Grand Canyon (non-football)
- Hawaii
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- San Jose State
- UC Davis (non-football)
- UNLV
- UTEP
- Wyoming
Army-Navy to Remain on CBS Through 2038
The Army–Navy game will continue to be broadcast by CBS through the 2038 season with a new 10-year agreement. CBS has carried the game since 1996. The gridiron rivalry dates back to 1890 when Navy won 24-0. The Midshipmen own the overall series lead 63-55-7 with the 125th playing of the game on December 14.
NCAA Division 1 Sports Changes
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) will begin sponsoring men’s rowing in the current 2024-25 academic year. 8 schools will join the MPSF in men’s rowing and compete for the conference title: California, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego, Santa Clara, Stanford, UC San Diego, and Washington.
Arizona and Arizona State won’t cut scholarships once the House settlement goes into effect but will lose a combined 140 roster sports. Michigan projects a loss of 170 roster spots but will add 74 scholarships. Meanwhile, Wyoming is requesting $1.5 million from the state to help offset the House impact. The Cowboys plan to add at least 16 scholarships over the next few years with 3 going to football, 1 to men’s basketball, 3 to women’s volleyball, and 2 to women’s soccer. Another 7 will go to currently unspecified women’s sports, football, and men’s basketball over the next two years.
Grand Canyon (Phoenix, Arizona) will remain a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) for men’s soccer. GCU is currently a full member of the WAC but is leaving to join the Mountain West in either 2025-26 or 2026-27, pending a Mountain West decision on the timing. The MW doesn’t sponsor men’s soccer, which is why GCU will remain in the WAC.
Hawaii will keep its men’s swimming & diving, men’s volleyball, women’s beach volleyball, and women’s water polo teams in the Big West after it joins the Mountain West starting with the 2026-27 academic year.
NCAA Division 2 Sports Changes
The NCAA Division 2 women’s lacrosse bracket will expand from 16 to 24 teams beginning with the 2024-25 academic year. The hosting parameters will also change from the top seed in each region hosting first and second-round games to the top two seeds in each region hosting. Women’s bowling received a recommendation for a D2 Championship to be implemented. The first championship would see 8 teams compete at one site.
Southern Nazarene University (Bethany, Oklahoma) will become an NCAA varsity program in STUNT in the current 2024-25 academic year. SNU began competing in STUNT in 2023-24.
Valdosta State (Valdosta, Georgia) may be moving to a new conference, according to HBCU Gameday. VSU is currently a member of the Gulf South Conference, which has only 4 football members slated for 2025 with Delta State, Valdosta State, West Alabama, and West Florida. The Blazers could be headed to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) according to the report and would give the conference 14 football teams. This isn’t the first time the Blazers have been linked to a move as in May 2023 VSU was considered a possible target of the ASUN (the ASUN plays football in the United Athletic Conference along with the WAC football playing members).
Saint Augustine’s University Facing Another Setback
Saint Augustine’s University (Raleigh, North Carolina) is facing dire straits once again following its removal as a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). It’s been a quick decline dating back to February 2024 when an $8 million lien was placed against the school. SAU decided not to field a football team for 2024, which led to the CIAA scrapping divisions for this year. In July, SACSCOC restored SAU’s accreditation and the CIAA suspended the university from competition for 2024-25.
SAU plans to appeal the SACSCOC decision, which will allow the school to remain accredited until a final decision is reached in February 2025. Students graduating in December 2024 and May 2025 will receive diplomas from an accredited institution.
Peach Belt Commissioner Retiring
Peach Belt Conference commissioner David Brunk announced his retirement at the end of the 2024-25 academic year on June 30. Replacing Brunk on July 1, 2025, will be Diana Kling, who is currently the Deputy Commissioner of the Peach Belt. Brunk oversaw the additions of Flagler College in 2009, South Carolina Beaufort in 2022, and future member Middle Georgia State in 2025. Eight schools left the Peach Belt in Brunk’s time as commissioner, albeit for various reasons.
Kennesaw State (2005), North Florida (2005), and South Carolina Upstate (2007) all left for Division 1. In 2017 Montevallo left to join the Gulf South while Armstrong State merged with Georgia Southern leading to the end of their athletics program. Francis Marion (2021), North Carolina Pembroke (2021), and Young Harris College (2023) all left for Conference Carolinas. While there has been noticeable turnover, the Peach Belt has expanded its sports offerings under Brunk with esports, men’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field, and women’s golf.
NCAA Division 3 Sports Changes
Keystone College (La Plume and Factoryville, Pennsylvania) will reportedly close, due to a loss of accreditation. Keystone lost its accreditation in November and had previously announced an intent to merge with the Washington Institute for Education and Research (WIER) in Washington DC. The Giants are a full member of the United East Conference with football in the Landmark Conference and men’s wrestling competing as an independent.
Mount Saint Mary College (Newburgh, New York) is adding women’s flag football beginning with the current 2024-25 academic year and will be classified as a club sport. Mount Saint Mary is a primary member of the Skyline Conference.
NAIA Sports Changes
John Melvin University (Crowley, Louisiana) is hoping to join the NAIA but football will not be one of the sports if they are accepted in the future. One of JMU’s coaches posted on social media that football would not return to the university in 2025. John Melvin was a member of the Independent Collegiate Athletic Association (ICAA) in football and was scheduled to join the New South Athletic Conference (NSAC) in 2025. There’s an entire Reddit post dedicated to JMU dropping football if one desires to go down the rabbit hole.
Lourdes University (Sylvania, Ohio) is discontinuing three sports effective immediately: men’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s track & field. None of the sports had a spring 2025 schedule available on the school’s athletic website. All three programs competed in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC).
Photo Courtesy of UC Davis Athletics