Chaos in college athletics: Who's on the move in non-stop realignment of conferences?

The fallout from the latest moves in conference realignment might seem to represent a significant shift in the stability of college athletics. However, change has been one of the constants in the sport in the more than 100 years since the NCAA was formed.

The Southeastern Conference was founded in 1932 with Georgia Tech, Sewanee and Tulane among the charter members. The Atlantic Coast Conference came along 21 years later in 1953 with eight schools. South Carolina and Maryland were among that group. The Gamecocks only lasted 18 years before toiling in the Metro Conference and as a football independent until reaching the SEC in 1991.

The Big Ten had 10 teams until Penn State accepted an offer to join in 1989 and started play the following decade. The league later added Nebraska and then Rutgers and the Terrapins to reach 14. They're adding two more — Southern California and UCLA — to get to 16 teams in 2024.

How many schools are changing conferences

The roots of the Big 12 date back to being the Big Six. The league grew to the Big Eight in 1957 and then became the Big 12 in 1996 after adding Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech from the Southwest Conference. However, the Big 12 is now only at 10 teams — until they get to 14 next year and then back to 12 by 2025. Yes, it's hard to follow.

So what was the point of the history lesson?

That upcoming dizzying moves, especially in leagues not playing football in the Bowl Subdivision, are just a normal part of the usual business of college athletics. That doesn't make them easier to follow, so below we are breaking down each of the 32 conferences and what changes may or may not be in their future.

The status quo remains for this season, but significant changes are looming with the SEC adding two teams from the Big 12, leading the latter to adjust by adding four new members from the Group of Five, and the Big Ten moves set for two years from now. There's more movement to come with the growing financial power of the SEC and Big Ten a major concern for the rest of the group.

ACC

No changes. The Notre Dame question will remain as long as the school stays part of the league in all sports except football. The Irish appear content, which somewhat handcuffs the conference because it cannot add two teams while also leaving the door open for one of football's prestige programs. It's grant of rights through 2036 provides some measure of stability, but some of the schools still could jump if they wanted to pay significant financial penalties.

Big 12

With the Sooners and Longhorns headed out the door in 2025 — or possibly sooner — the league reversed course on its insistence of 10 permanent members and will end up with 12 once the dust settles. If Oklahoma and Texas don't negotiate an early departure before their grant of rights expire, then the league will have 14 teams for two seasons, starting in 2023. Three of the newcomers come from the American with BYU arriving after completing its 12th year as an independent for football and a member of the West Coast Conference for other sports.

The Pac-12 could be a place for growth if the league wants to go that route.

Big Ten

With its media deals set to expire after this academic year, the conference decided now was the time to go further west. The surprising additions of Southern California and UCLA mean the league occupies the three biggest markets in the country and its landmark media rights deal with Fox, CBS and NBC was announced last week. Now at 16 teams, there's the possibility of adding more teams from the Pac-12, waiting on Notre Dame to possibly add another marquee school or standing pat with the knowledge its financial might will stay in the same neighborhood as the SEC.

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Pac-12

The Pac-12 had previously considered expansion, including when the Big 12 was teetering in 2010. However, the league stood at 12 and seemed to have stability — until it was announced last summer that Oklahoma and Texas would join the SEC. An alliance between the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC was announced to try and work together. That lasted 10 months until the Big Ten moved in and grabbed the Pac-12's two Los Angeles pillars. Now down to 10 schools, everything is possible. They could get raided again by the Big 12 or Big Ten. They could try to add schools from the Mountain West as well, including San Diego State State and Boise State.

SEC

The biggest league only gets stronger. The additions of the Sooners and Longhorns brings SEC membership to 16 teams and necessitates a change in scheduling for football. Two possibilities have emerged: an eight-game schedule with one annual opponent or a nine-game schedule with three annual opponents. Both would allow schools to play each other at least once every two years – a dramatic change from the current structure.

There are modest adjustments for the 2022-23 academic year with the movement impacting only Conference USA and Sun Belt. The larger shifts come next summer when the American Athletic realigns.

American Athletic

After building up its football status enough to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff, the American became ripe for the picking with the Big 12 needing to expand its portfolio. The resulting move from the American was for the league to raid six schools from Conference USA, boosting its presence in Texas and bringing football membership to 14.

Conference USA

No league was hit harder by this round of expansion than Conference USA. Nine of the 14 members that finished the 2022 academic year will be leaving with three out the door this summer to the Sun Belt and six more joining the American next year. The league tried to do the best it could by adding two independents and two Championship Subdivision schools, but this is a big step back before it can start moving forward.

Mid-American

No changes. Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky were reportedly expansion candidates when uncertainty surrounded Conference USA. Both schools stayed and the MAC remains at 12.

Mountain West

No changes. Some teams in the league were considered a prime target for the American Athletic. Nothing materialized and the conference said it has no plans to expand, either. The Pac-12 could be interested in San Diego State, Boise State or other football powers if it chooses to expand.

Sun Belt

No league may have improved itself in football more than the Sun Belt. Already a burgeoning power with the recent success of Louisiana-Lafayette, Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina, it adds the second-best FCS football program in James Madison and three C-USA schools with potential. The league now has enough depth with 14 teams that one of its schools could make a run at the New Year's Six spot available to the Group of Five. Little Rock and Texas-Arlington – the only two league schools that don't play football – head to the Ohio Valley and Western Athletic, respectively.

Independents

BYU is moving up to the Power Five with the Big 12. The Flames finally found a conference home for football with Conference USA and will depart the Atlantic Sun in other sports. The Aggies will join them after their move to the independents was triggered when they parted with the Sun Belt.

There are a lot of moving pieces below the football-dominated leagues as men's and women's basketball drives change. Only a handful of the Division I conferences outside the Power Five and Group of Five have remained intact and several new schools are joining from Division II.

America East

Hartford's departure coincides with the school's decision to transition from Division I athletics to Division III. Stony Brook heads to the Colonial. Bryant joins from the Northeast after winning the league's men's basketball tournament. Its football team will play in the Big South.

Atlantic Sun

Austin Peay moves in from the Ohio Valley. Jacksonville State entered the league this past fall but grabbed the opportunity with Liberty to play in Conference USA for all sports. Queens, a small school in North Carolina, is jumping into Division I waters after previously being in Division II.

Atlantic 10

The Ramblers aren't near the Atlantic, but their growing basketball profile was attractive and they can bolster the league's Midwest presence with Dayton and Saint Louis. The conference is now 15 members.

Big East

No changes. But some could be coming as commissioner Val Ackerman publicly confirmed the league could add a 12th team.

Big Sky

The league will drop to 10 members with Southern Utah headed to the Western Athletic Conference.

Big South

After a four-year stay in the league, Hampton moves to the Colonial. A&T, a fellow former Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member, just joined the Big South last summer, but also has moved to Colonial in all sports except football. That sport will shift to the Colonial next year. The exits leave the Big South with 10 teams.

Big West

No changes. The league grew to 11 teams in 2020 and it hasn't made any moves to get bigger.

Colonial

Reacting to the loss of one of the division's best football programs, the Colonial got aggressive to remake its membership. Stony Brook – already a football member since 2013 – will now compete in all sports. Hampton and Monmouth join for all sports this summer. N.C. A&T will play in everything except football and make that latter move in the summer of 2023. Entering the fall, there will be 13 full members in the league – five of which do not play football. There are six football-only members (Albany, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Richmond, Villanova).

Horizon

The league is now down to 11 schools after the Flames head to the Missouri Valley this summer. Losing its footprint in Chicago is a setback for league and expansion options are limited.

Ivy League

No changes. There's probably no more stable league in college athletics than the Ivy. It is at eight and will stay at eight.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Monmouth's move to the Colonial caused the MAAC to dip into the Northeast Conference and grab Mount St. Mary's from Maryland to keep its membership at 11 teams.

Mid-Eastern Athletic

No changes. The MEAC has seen four members leave recently and now speculation surrounds Howard as a possible candidate for the Colonial, which would drop the league to only seven. League commissioner Sonja Stills, however, said a move is not imminent and the league could expand.

Missouri Valley

After losing its highest-profile basketball school, the MVC wasn't going to sit still and grabbed perennial powers Belmont and Murray State from the Ohio Valley and filled the Chicago void with UIC. The league has now swelled to 12 and could target further expansion.

Northeast

The addition of Division II school Stonehill comes amid the loss of two of the Northeast's prominent members. Stonehill begins its transition this fall and will become a full member in 2026-27.

Ohio Valley

In a big hit to the conference, the OVC loses two of its best basketball programs – Belmont and Murray State – that have won four of the last five men's basketball tournaments. Also leaving is Austin Peay, which brings the league's total departures in the past 12 months to five. Little Rock moves in from the Sun Belt, while Lindenwood and Southern Indiana start their four-year transition from Division II this summer.

Patriot

No changes. Stability seems assured for the time being as others around the league have seen significant changes.

Southern

No changes. The league announced it is doubling its exit fee to $2 million as the rest of its neighbors have been hit with expansion challenges.

Southland

Lamar returns home to the Southland - where it was a founding member and still played football - after its one-year stay for other sports in the Western Athletic Conference. Division II school Texas A&M-Commerce starts its transition up and joins this summer to bring membership to 10.

Southwestern Athletic

No changes. Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman were added in 2021, expanding the league to 12 schools. That number appears to be where it will stay in near future.

Summit

No changes. Seen as a possible target with North Dakota State and other strong programs, the Summit remains at 10. Missouri-Kansas City flirted with the Missouri Valley but ultimately did not get an invitation.

West Coast Conference

The WCC provided a lifeline for the Cougars when they went independent in football, but that relationship will dissolve after more than a decade. The move is a significant hit for men's basketball and could lead to some instability with Gonzaga seen as a candidate for other basketball-dominant leagues. Grand Canyon is an obvious fit if the conference is looking for a replacement after next season.

Western Athletic Conference

Membership drops from 13 to 11 when the dust finally settles for the WAC. Incarnate Word was scheduled to join this summer with Southern Utah and Texas-Arlington before backing out at the last minute. New Mexico State and Sam Houston State are headed to Conference USA next summer. Lamar was scheduled to leave next year for the Southland then but pushed up its timeline and departed this summer. Chicago State will be an independent this season and its athletic future is uncertain.

Football Championship Subdivision moves

Some schools playing in FCS are football-only members of leagues because their conference does not sponsor football.

There is some movement among that group.

• Murray State will leave the Ohio Valley for the Missouri Valley football conference in 2023.

• Big South football is losing North Alabama and Kennesaw State to the Atlantic Sun this summer in addition to three other losses to the Colonial over the next two years. However, the league will be at six teams for 2022 with the addition of Bryant, which is leaving the Northeast for the America East, a non-football league. This spring, Big South and the Ohio Valley announced a partnership starting for the 2023 season that will combine the two football leagues.

• Texas Rio Grande Valley is starting up a football program that will begin play in 2025. The Vaqueros will be part of the the Western Athletic Conference.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College sports conference realignment: Which teams are on the move?