Men’s College Basketball Conference Realignment In 2026-27, Explained

The Pac-12 is back, and now features one of the most historic men’s basketball programs. Hawaii won the Big West, and then left the conference. Utah State did the same, finishing its Mountain West tenure on a high note. Ahead of the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season, 26 teams changed conferences. Nine mid-major leagues welcomed in new teams, and saw others leave, while the Power Four remained the same. But two seasons ago, UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington joined the Big Ten; Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado went to the Big 12; and Stanford and Cal became members of the ACC. Then in 2025, five more mid-major teams changed conferences. Now, ahead of the 2026-27 season, let’s do it again. It’s crucial to keep up with these alterations because the winner of each conference earns an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. So, here’s a look at who came, who went and who remained in each NCAA men’s basketball conference. Additions: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State (from Mountain West), Gonzaga (West Coast Conference), Texas State (Sun Belt) Holdovers: Washington State, Oregon State Losses: None Additions: Hawaii and UC Davis (Big West), Texas El Paso (Conference USA) Holdovers: Air Force, Grand Canyon, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, Wyoming Losses: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State Additions: Southern Utah and Utah Tech (WAC) Holdovers: Eastern Washington, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Weber State Losses: Sacramento State Additions: Tennessee Tech (Ohio Valley) Holdovers: Chattanooga, Citadel, Eastern Tennessee State, Furman, Mercer, Samford, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, Western Carolina, Wofford, Virginia Military Institute Losses: None Additions: Sacramento State (Big Sky), Cal Baptist, Utah Valley (WAC) Holdovers: Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego Losses: Hawaii, UC Davis Additions: Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, West Georgia (from the ASUN), Little Rock (Ohio Valley) Holdovers: Abilene Christian, Tarleton State, UT Arlington Losses: Cal Baptist, Utah Valley, Southern Utah, Utah Tech Additions: Denver (Summit League) Holdovers: Loyola Marymount, Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary’s San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Seattle Losses: Gonzaga Additions: Louisiana Tech (Conference USA) Holdovers: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Troy Losses: Texas State Additions: Northern Illinois Holdovers: Cleveland State, Detroit Mercy, Green Bay, IU Indy, Milwaukee, Northern Kentucky, Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris, Wright State, Youngstown State Losses: None