OP
Pablo
Hall of Famer
- Thread Starter
- #141
College basketball realignment tracker: Which schools are changing conferences in Division I?
More than half of college basketball's 32 Division I conferences have pending membership changes. We're tracking them all.
"On April 16, HBCU Gameday reported that Howard would join its former MEAC colleagues Hampton at North Carolina A&T in the CAA by 2023-24. Those moves would bring the league to 14 schools, but the conference could still be seeking further expansion."
"The MAAC was untouched by this round of realignment until January, when Monmouth announced its departure for the CAA, effective in 2022-23. Extra Points reports that current NEC member Mount Saint Mary's is a potential target to replace the Hawks."
"HBCU Gameday reported that Howard will depart for the CAA after next season, bringing a conference that had 12 members as recently as 2019 to just seven schools. Included among potential (and necessary) targets for MEAC expansion would be conference-shopping Chicago State, though football-playing members for a conference about to be reduced to five gridiron members will have to be the major priority for MEAC stakeholders."
"The Valley is now at 12 schools, though its additions would not necessarily prevent further expansion. Kansas City, a member of the Summit League, has reportedly been a school on the MVC radar."
"Extra Points reports that current NEC member Mount Saint Mary's is a potential target for the MAAC, and the Mountaineers' departure could prompt the NEC to seek further expansion."
"The OVC will lose three programs in 2022-23, with Austin Peay (ASUN), Belmont (Missouri Valley) and Murray State (Missouri Valley) leaving a conference that lost Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State to a previous round of realignment.
The league has thus far countered by adding Little Rock, which comes over from the Sun Belt in 2022-23, Southern Indiana, which is moving up from Division II in 2022 and Lindendwood University, also ascending from D-II in 2022. Those moves bring the league to 10 schools, with potential targets for further expansion reportedly including Western Illinois (Summit League) and Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC) along with current Division II members Hillsdale, Grand Valley State and Lincoln Memorial."
"On April 7, the Lake Charles American Press reported that Lamar was headed back to the Southland after just one season in the WAC in which the Cardinals did not win a conference game in men's basketball. Lamar, which was previously a member of the Southland from 1963-1987 and 1999-2021, is scheduled to return for the 2023-24 season."
"Conferences with no pending membership changes (as of April 18, 2022): ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big West, Ivy, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, Patriot, SoCon, SWAC, Summit"
