Conference Realignment Tracker: Ranking the best moves for the upcoming 2022-2023 college basketball season

The conference’s future reorganization took center stage in college sports this week, when the news broke Thursday broke who – which USC And the University of California They will be on their way to the Big Ten in 2024. The move marks the latest in a string of changes he sparked last year with the announcement that Texas And the Oklahoma It will transition from the Big 12 to the SEC in the coming years.

While the looming additions to the Big Ten and SEC are seismic changes and will have a particularly stunning impact on college football, they will change the basketball dynamics for those leagues as well. But before we look forward to the theoretical basketball matches between USC and Rutgers Including five-hour cross-country flights, there are plenty of other convention moves that will have an impact on college basketball even earlier.

With more than 350 top-tier basketball programs all vying for the same national title from 32 conferences — versus just 10 leagues at the FBS level for college football — it can be hard to keep track of the changes. As we turn the page from the 2021-22 season to the 2022-23 campaign, you may notice some teams in the new leagues, most of which became official on Friday with the start of July for the 2022-23 sports calendar.

To keep things simple, here’s a rundown of the most impactful conference changes in the college basketball division for the 2022-23 season.

1. Ohio Vale is losing brands

The Ohio Valley Conference has been one of the most attractive mid-college leagues for years, producing exciting conference tournaments and NCAA championship dears on a regular basis. But a large portion of Major League basketball is leaving for the 2022-23 season Austin Pei (Atlantic Sun), Belmont (Missouri Valley) and Murray State (Missouri Valley) All of them poised to join the new leagues after this trio combined to win 16 of the 17 regular season titles. For the teams left behind, Morehead State They could be in a position to thrive as the Eagles have won 23 games in a row while they have featured in three NCAA games since 2009.

2. Division Two teams make a leap

Among the schools entering to replace the departing OVC programs are two of the Division II programs in the South Indiana and Lindenwood. As they transition into Division I, SIU and Lindenwood will go through an authorized NCAA transition period that will exclude them from NCAA Championship eligibility until 2027. The next third member of the OVC is little rockwho joins from Sun Belt.

While the full split jump may seem daunting, BellarmineHis successful move from Division Two to the Atlantic Sun is proof that results can come early. The Knights won the ASUN Championship last season in their second year as Division One members, but he was the regular season champion Jacksonville State who represented the league in the NCAA Championship due to Bellarmine’s transition period. ASUN is getting another drive up in Division Two next season as Queen’s University will join the league. Other former Division 2 members who will move to Division 1 this season are Stonehill (Northeast Conference) and Texas A&M Trade (Southland).

3. There has been a change in MVC

During the departure of the banner program in Loyola Chicago For the Atlantic 10 is a heavy blow to the Missouri Valley, it bounced well. With Belmont and Murray State on their way from OVC, the league is earning a pair of solid basketball programs with great coaching pedigrees and a track record of competitive play in early NCAA tournament games. Also joining MVC is Illinois Chicago From Horizon League. While the Flames have not participated in the Big Dance since 2004 and have never won an NCAA Tournament, their addition brings Missouri Valley up to 12 members.

4. Sunbelt changes

Amid all the football realignment in 2021 that began with the exits of Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 to the SEC, the rippling effects have already resulted in the Sun Belt getting one of its earliest improvements. The league will have fugitives from the United States Conference MarshallAnd the Miss South And the Old Dominion For the 2022-23 season and also adds James Madison from CAA. League Little Rock lost to OVC and Texas Arlington to WAC but it came out well from a basketball perspective.

5. WAC expands

WAC has always been somewhat of an idiot and a revolving door, and will continue to cement that identity into the 2022-23 season. Southern Utah Texas-Arlington will join Big Sky and Sun Belt, respectively, for the upcoming season before LamarNew Mexico and Sam Houston Leave the conference next year. Does the WAC always know who’s in the WAC?

2022-23 Conference Changes

Conference changes in the future