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For each conference whose roster is changing, we'll also figure out winners and losers. That only refers to this year, not the entire wave of realignment kicked off either five (by the Big Ten), 10 (by the ACC), or 23 (by the SEC) years ago, depending on how you look at it.
American
The moves
In: East Carolina, Tulane, Tulsa (plus Navy in 2015)
Out: Louisville, Rutgers
The teams
| Cincinnati | Memphis | Tulsa |
| Connecticut | SMU | UCF |
| East Carolina | Temple | USF |
| Houston | Tulane | Navy (2015) |
Winner or loser?
Definite loser. The AAC lost by far its biggest program in Louisville, plus one of its few legitimate second-tier teams in Rutgers. Now, the old Big East is almost an exact replica of the old Conference-USA, with its hopes of national respect as a power conference completely dashed.
Still, it might have the best shot at New Year's success of any of the non-power leagues, especially if Tulsa rebounds from a down year and Tulane continues its improvement. ECU is considered a solid program.
ACC
The moves
In: Louisville
Out: Maryland
The teams
| Atlantic | ||
| Boston College | Louisville | Wake Forest |
| Clemson | NC State | |
| Florida State | Syracuse | |
| Coastal | ||
| Duke | North Carolina | Virginia Tech |
| Georgia Tech | Pittsburgh | |
| Miami | Virginia |
Winner or loser?
Winner. While the long-term effects of bringing Bobby Petrino back are unknown, Louisville's program is certainly at a much better place than Maryland's right now. The Terrapins pulled in a better recruiting class than the Cardinals after the Petrino fallout, but there's a lot of ground to make up there.
Big Ten
Rob Carr, Getty
The moves
In: Maryland, Rutgers
Out: None
The teams
| East | ||
| Indiana | Michigan State | Rutgers |
| Maryland | Ohio State | |
| Michigan | Penn State | |
| West | ||
| Illinois | Nebraska | Wisconsin |
| Iowa | Northwestern | |
| Minnesota | Purdue |
Winner or loser?
Definite winner. The Big Ten is the only conference that added teams for 2014 without also losing any, and while Maryland and Rutgers are not expected to come in and immediately compete for the Big Ten title, they expand the footprint of the conference and the TV network that goes along with it.
Another win: the Big Ten realigned its divisions geographically, scrapping the confusing Leaders-and-Legends format.
Big 12
The moves
In: None
Out: None
The teams
| Baylor | Oklahoma | Texas Tech |
| Iowa State | Oklahoma State | West Virginia |
| Kansas | TCU | |
| Kansas State | Texas |
|
Conference USA
The moves
In: Old Dominion (transitioning), Western Kentucky (plus Charlotte in 2015)
Out: East Carolina, Tulane, Tulsa
The teams
| East | ||
| FIU | Middle Tennessee State | Western Kentucky |
| Florida Atlantic | Old Dominion | |
| Marshall | UAB | |
| West | ||
| Louisiana Tech | Southern Miss (moved from East) | |
| North Texas | UTEP | |
| Rice | UTSA |
Winner or loser?
Loser. Tulsa is down and Tulane is up, but East Carolina has been one of the most consistent non-power programs in the country since Ruffin McNeill took over. Western Kentucky is undergoing its second straight coaching change, while Old Dominion is completing its transition to the FBS level (as will Charlotte), so while the replacements brought in might have promise in the future, none are home-runs.
MAC
The moves
In: None
Out: None
The teams
| East | ||
| Akron | Kent State | Ohio |
| Bowling Green | Massachussetts | |
| Buffalo | Miami (Ohio) | |
| West | ||
| Ball State | Northern Illinois | |
| Central Michigan | Toledo | |
| Eastern Michigan | Western Michigan |
Mountain West
The moves
In: None
Out: None
The teams
| Mountain | ||
| Air Force | Colorado State | Utah State |
| Boise State | New Mexico | Wyoming |
| West | ||
| Fresno State | Nevada | San Jose State |
| Hawaii | San Diego State | UNLV |
Pac-12
The moves
In: None
Out: None
The teams
| North | ||
| California | Oregon State | Washington |
| Oregon | Stanford | Washington State |
| South | ||
| Arizona | Colorado | USC |
| Arizona State | UCLA | Utah |
SEC
The moves
In: None
Out: None
The teams
| East | ||
| Florida | Missouri | Vanderbilt |
| Georgia | South Carolina | |
| Kentucky | Tennessee | |
| West | ||
| Alabama | LSU | Texas A&M |
| Arkansas | Mississippi | |
| Auburn | Mississippi State |
Sun Belt
Kim Klement, USA Today
The moves
In: Appalachian State (transitioning), Georgia Southern (transitioning), Georgia State (officially, after transition year) Idaho, New Mexico State
Out: Western Kentucky
The teams
| Appalachian State | Idaho | South Alabama |
| Arkansas State | Louisiana-Lafayette | Texas State |
| Georgia Southern | Louisiana-Monroe | Troy |
| Georgia State | New Mexico State |
Winner or loser?
Winner. Sure, the loss of Western Kentucky will hurt (especially at the top), but the Sun Belt had a serious numbers issue and was able to add quantity -- which is exactly what it needed. None of the programs added are particularly big gets, but Appalachian State and Georgia Southern have been two of the three most dominant FCS programs ever and have legit fanbases.
The Sun Belt's also the likeliest candidate for future expansion, with the FCS' JMU and Liberty among the programs most frequently connected via reports and rumors.