Big 12, AAC, Conference USA Welcome New Schools

If you’re scoring at home, it’s time to update your conference realignment lineup card. 

Beginning on Saturday, 14 schools, 12 of which have softball programs, will officially be joining new conferences in the latest round of changes.

The additions are:

Big 12: BYU, Houston, Cincinnati*, UCF

American Athletic Conference: Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice*, UAB, UTSA

Conference USA: Liberty, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, Jacksonville State 

(*No softball programs)

This is far from the end of the conference realignment. The biggest movers and shakers are still to come, with Oklahoma and Texas joining the SEC on July 1, 2024 and UCLA and USC joining the Big Ten on Aug. 2, 2024.

The Pac-12 is also expected to face some changes once its long-awaited media rights deal is finalized. 

Money has taken precedence over tradition and geography in college sports. Stay tuned for what may happen next.