College Realignment Report for April 15, 2026

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 March 31, 2026, and provide updates on previously discussed topics. As a reminder, all official moves starting with the 2025-26 academic year can be found here and those starting in 2026-27 are 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 the corresponding section.

NCAA Division 1 News

NCAA Proposing 5 Seasons of Eligibility

The NCAA Division 1 Cabinet will propose new eligibility rules that will impact athletes in every sport. The NCAA would change the eligibility rules to give athletes 5 years of eligibility from the start of their 19th birthday or their high school graduation. The rules would eliminate waivers and redshirts, except for maternity leave, military service, and religious missions. The current NCAA rules allow athletes four seasons in five years, although persistent legal challenges from athletes have allowed the rules to be bypassed. The Cabinet will continue to evaluate the proposal as it looks to address some concerns regarding when the proposal would begin and how to implement it for current athletes.

Santa Barbara Joining WCC

The University of California, Santa Barbara will leave the Big West Conference and join the West Coast Conference beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. UCSB will move 13 of its 20 varsity sports to the West Coast Conference, while looking to have affiliate membership for men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s track & field, and women’s water polo. The WCC will have 12 full members in 2027-28, as Denver joins in 2026-27, followed by UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara the next year.

The Big West will have plenty of realignment to deal with over the next two years. Hawaii and UC Davis will depart in 2026-27 to join the Mountain West Conference, followed by UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara in 2027-28. Joining the Big West in 2026-27 will be Cal Baptist (WAC), Sacramento State (Big Sky), and Utah Valley (WAC). As of this posting, the Big West will have 10 full members by the start of the 2027-28 academic year… assuming no additional changes in the never-ending cycle that is realignment.

West Florida to Join D1, ASUN

The University of West Florida (Pensacola, Florida) will leave the Gulf South Conference to join D1 and the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. All sports, except football, will compete in the ASUN. Football will compete as an affiliate member of the United Athletic Conference. The Gulf South will be left with 11 members for the 2026-27 academic year, but will climb back up to 12 members in 2027-28 when Spring Hill joins from the SIAC. The ASUN will have 8 members beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, while the UAC will have 8 football teams for the 2026 season.

D1 Portal Penalties Adopted

The NCAA Division 1 Cabinet adopted penalties that will penalize schools for signing or playing any athletes before they enter the transfer portal. The automatic penalties are a 20% fine of that sport’s budget and a suspension of half the season for the head coach. The penalties went into effect for all transfers on or after Wednesday, February 25, and apply to all Division 1 sports. The D1 Cabinet also proposed pre-enrollment changes to address eligibility concerns, which could be adopted as soon as mid-April and go into effect with the 2026-27 academic year. The proposals include:

• Requiring prospects to withdraw from opt-in professional league drafts, such as the NBA. The proposal would aim to prevent players from returning to college while eligible for a professional draft. This would not impact the baseball and men’s hockey drafts.
• Allowing prospects to sign with agents before enrolling at a school.
• Allowing prospects to accept prize money in a sport without impacting eligibility (most notable impacts would be for golf and tennis).

Pacific Adding Developmental Soccer Teams

One noteworthy athletic announcement in the last two weeks came from the University of the Pacific (Stockton, California). The school announced the addition of development teams for its men’s and women’s soccer programs. USC Upstate announced a developmental women’s soccer team for the 2025-26 academic year as well. This is something discussed previously when the House settlement was finalized. At the time, there were questions about how schools might get around the rules laid out by House by going into a gray zone. Those questions still exist with the NCAA planning to introduce 5 seasons in 5 years legislation, which will undoubtedly be challenged in court. These development teams might be a way to stockpile talent by and use a “redshirt” year without counting against a team cap.

SoCon Extends CBS Sports Deal

The Southern Conference and CBS Sports Network have agreed to extend their current TV rights deal through the 2031-32 academic year. The deal covers men’s basketball, which will see 10 SoCon regular season men’s games broadcast on CBS Sports Network beginning with the 2026-27 academic year.

NCAA Division 2 News

Gulf South’s Football Future in Peril

The Gulf South Conference‘s football future is in considerable doubt following West Florida‘s departure for Division 1. The conference admitted the reality in its statement about UWF leaving for the ASUN and UAC: “The conference has explored and continues to actively pursue traditional membership solutions and non-traditional partnerships to support GSC Football opportunities. Securing these opportunities has become more challenging in recent years as institutional aspirations and goals continue to evolve as part of a rapidly changing NCAA landscape and increasing financial pressures within higher education.”

The NCAA Division 2 Championships Committee denied the Gulf South’s football AQ waiver request for the 2026 season. The Committee noted that the GSC did not provide any indication that new members would join in the wake of West Florida’s departure. The GSC has only three football members remaining: Delta State, Valdosta State, and West Alabama.

The Gulf South had 9 football members at the end of the 2023 season, but changes were in the offing. West Georgia left for D1 before the 2024 season, Shorter went independent, and Erskine joined the GSC to give the conference 8 members. The Conference Carolinas brought back football before the 2025 season, which was announced in February 2023. That decision led to Shorter opting for independence in 2024 ahead of its move to the CCs, but it also led football affiliates Chowan, Erskine, and North Greenville to leave the Gulf South. The GSC membership took another hit in November 2024 when Mississippi College discontinued its football program.

The conference has resorted to a scheduling agreement with the Conference Carolinas for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. In 2025, the four members played just three conference games, with West Florida winning the AQ bid to the D2 playoffs. Naturally, rumors are swirling about the future for the remaining teams, with the Conference Carolinas and the South Atlantic Conference as the potential destinations, but moving to a new conference isn’t guaranteed. Should the GSC football membership disband, the D2 football Super Region 2 would have only three conferences remaining.

Gulf South Names Interim Commissioner

The Gulf South Conference named Tommy Sadler as the interim commissioner, effective immediately. Sadler will take over for Matt Wilson, who left to become commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference. Sadler will remain in the post until a new, full-time commissioner is named. Sadler spent 37 years at Union University (Jackson, Tennessee), including 15 years as the athletics director. Part of his time as AD was overseeing the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division 2 and the GSC beginning with the 20212-13 academic year.

West Virginia Wesleyan Cancels Women’s Lacrosse Season

West Virginia Wesleyan College (Buckhannon, West Virginia) will not complete its women’s lacrosse season due to low participation numbers. WVWC was 2-9 overall and 0-4 in the Mountain East Conference at the time of the cancellation. Six regular season contests remained in April, but those will no longer be contested.

NCAA Division 3 News

Keuka Joining AMCC

Keuka College (Keuka Park, New York) will leave the Empire 8 Conference and move to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The majority of sports will move from the E8 to AMCC, except for men’s lacrosse and women’s field hockey, which are not currently sponsored by the AMCC. The AMCC will have 8 full members in 2026-27, as Alfred State will leave to join the SUNYAC. Keuka will put the AMCC back at 9 in 2027-28. The Empire 8 will drop to 11 full members in 2027-28, assuming no additional realignment moves.

Elms College, SUNY Cobleskill Suspend Men’s Lacrosse Seasons

Elms College (Chicopee, Massachusetts) suspended the remainder of its men’s lacrosse season due to significant injuries. The school plans to return for the 2027 spring season. The Blazers were 1-3 before the first cancellation at the end of March against New England College. Elms canceled a second game on Wednesday, April 1, versus Lasell. Elms had 6 regular season games remaining between Tuesday, April 7, and Tuesday, April 21.

SUNY Cobleskill (Cobleskill, New York) also ended its men’s lacrosse season early. The school cited injuries and the availability of only 12 players as the reasons. At the time of cancellation on April 8, Cobleskill had an overall record of 1-4 and had canceled two of its previous three games. The Tigers had six games remaining at the time of the announcement. The school stated, “We remain fully committed to the future of men’s lacrosse at SUNY Cobleskill,” but also said, “additional information regarding the future direction of the men’s lacrosse program will be communicated to the Cobleskill community as it becomes available.”

NACC to Hold Flag Football Championship

The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) will host its first women’s flag football championship in the current 2026 spring season. Marian University (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) will host the tournament on Saturday, April 25. Four teams will compete for the championship: Aurora, Benedictine (IL), Marian, and Rockford.

NAIA News

4 New Schools Joining NAIA

The NAIA announced 4 new members for the 2026-27 academic year, as well as confirming two previously announced additions. The additions of Andrew College (Cuthbert, Georgia) and Wesleyan College (Macon, Georgia) were confirmed, with both schools joining the Southern States Athletic Conference.

The 4 newly revealed members for the 2026-27 academic year are Champion Christian College (Hot Springs, Arkansas), Georgia Southern University – East Georgia Campus (Swainsboro, Georgia), Nevada State University (Henderson, Nevada), and United States Sports University (Daphne, Alabama). In February, Georgia Southern East announced a new athletics program and the intent to join the NAIA.

At the end of March, it was reported that Nevada State was planning a move to the NAIA, with the GSAC as the most likely destination. NSU currently offers men’s outdoor track and field and women’s flag football, but the offerings will expand. Beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, Nevada State will offer 5 new sports: men’s and women’s cross country, men’s indoor track and field, and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field. The Scorpions will also add at least one more sport beginning with the 2027-28 academic year.

Champion Christian (NCCAA), Georgia Southern East (NJCAA), and USSU (USCAA) will compete in the Continental Athletic Conference for the 2026-27 academic year. Nevada State (previously unaffiliated) will join the Great Southwest Athletic Conference immediately in 2026-27. Champion Christian will move to the American Midwest Conference in 2027-28, while Georgia Southern East and USSU will both move to the Southern States Athletic Conference in 2027-28. SSAC commissioner Mike Hall hinted at the additions of Georgia Southern East and USSU in March.

Calumet Football Joining MSFA

Calumet College of St. Joseph (Whiting, Indiana) will transition its sprint football program to a full-fledged varsity program and join the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The Crimson Wave will compete in the Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL) for the 2026 fall season. Calumet is the second NAIA school to move up to a full-sized team in the last 12 months. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Indiana) announced the same move in July 2025 and will join the MSFA beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The MSFA will have 12 teams for the 2026-27 academic year, as Siena Heights will close. CCSJ will make it 13 members in 2027-28.

RRAC Commissioner Retiring

Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) commissioner Tony Stigliano announced his retirement. He will remain the commissioner until his replacement takes over. Stigliano has been the RRAC’s leader since the conference was founded in 1998. In nearly three decades, 14 schools joined the RRAC and another 16 departed. Of those 16 departures, 6 left the NAIA, 3 schools closed, and the remaining 7 compete in the HBCU Athletic Conference or Sooner Athletic Conference. The RRAC is also set to lose Xavier University of Louisiana (SSAC in 2026-27) and Texas A&M University-Texarkana (NCAA D2 Lone Star in 2027-28).

Stigliano has a storied history in college athletics beyond the RRAC. He was a college basketball referee at the D1 level, which allowed him to also serve as the coordinator of officials for several conferences. Stigliano was also the commissioner of two now-defunct conferences: the NCAA D2 Heartland Conference and the NAIA Central States Football League. The Heartland lasted from 1999 through 2019, but saw its final members leave to join the Lone Star Conference and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). The CSFL lasted from 2000 through 2017, sans the 2012 season. The Sooner Athletic Conference eventually absorbed the CSFL members when it began sponsoring football in 2018.

Non-NCAA and NAIA News

Outside the NCAA and NAIA, another school closure was announced, leading to athletic programs being discontinued. Hampshire College (Amherst, Massachusetts) will close at the end of the fall 2026 academic semester. The school noted it no longer has the financial resources to remain open. Hampshire is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and lists men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s track & field, men’s soccer, and women’s basketball as varsity sports. Nearly two dozen schools across the NAIA, NCAA, NJCAA, CCCAA, and now USCAA have seen their athletics impacted since the start of the 2025-26 academic year due to closings, mergers, or voluntary decisions. The trend is expected to accelerate and another Massachusetts school, Anna Maria College, is facing financial pressures.

Photo Credit to West Florida Athletics