Big East
The Big East lost Syracuse and West Virginia while gaining seven new schools. The new schools are Buffalo (MAC), Temple (MAC), ECU (C-USA), Marshal (C-USA), Miami OH (MAC), Ohio (MAC, and UCF (C-USA). The Big East is broken into two divisions on a North/South divide and doesn't use a Protected Rival schedule.
Mountain West
The Mountain West retained only one team from its 2010 configuration. The new Mountain West added from the C-USA Houston, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, and UTEP. From the WAC Idaho, Louisiana Tech, and New Mexico State are now in the Mountain West. Sunbelt teams UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, and North Texas joined the Mountain West. The Mountain West is broken into two divisions on an East/West divide and uses a Protected Rival schedule.
Sunbelt
The Sunbelt has six new members. Those new members are Kentucky (SEC), Louisville (Big East), and from C-USA Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane, and UAB. The Sunbelt divides on a North/South line and doesn't use a Protected Rival configuration.
C-USA
The C-USA has become the conference for the Armed Services of the USA. Four schools play in the C-USA. The Citadel made the step up to FBS football replacing Eastern Michigan and joining the other service academies to round out the C-USA.
MAC
The remaining MAC teams are all teams that played in the MAC during the 2010 season. This makes it the only conference in the game comprised only with members that played in the same conference a year ago. Eight schools play in the MAC.
WAC
The WAC re-aligned with members of the old Mountain West conference to combine mostly west coast schools. The new WAC sees the inclusion of four previous Mountain West teams including Colorado State, San Diego State, UNLV, and Wyoming with Colorado (Pac 12) rounding out the WAC.
Independents
Unable to find a home in any conference, former Big XII teams Kansas and Kansas State declared themselves Independents, severing existing conference ties.
Bookmarks