In the wake of drastic, compelling, and sometimes confusing college football conference realignment, some Group of Five teams appear to be in a good position to move on to Power Four leagues.
As the power conferences continue to expand, G5 teams might be a part of those efforts. For example, Mountain West teams Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, Utah State, and San Diego State are going to the Pac-12 beginning in 2026. Whether that new-look league will be considered a “power” conference is up for debate.
Regardless, here’s a ranking of the Group of Five programs which are most worthy to transition to a power conference. All of these teams on this list recently made a recommitment to their current league. But that doesn’t mean they’re still not deserving of consideration for a power conference spot.
Group of Five Teams Most Likely To Join Conference Realignment, Ranked
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | UNLV |
| 2 | Memphis |
| 3 | South Florida |
| 4 | Tulane |
| 5 | UTSA |
5. UTSA
Geography alone makes the Roadrunners a logical addition for any conference. UTSA is obviously located in San Antonio, Texas, and having a team in that media market for any league would be a smart move.
UTSA has been pretty good at football the past five years, making a bowl game every season since 2020. The Roadrunners won the Conference USA title their last season in that league in 2022 and were one of the better squads in the AAC a season ago.
That recent move between conferences could complicate things. The Roadrunners would certainly have to be sure making another move in the immediate future would be worth the risk.
4. Tulane
There’s no doubt Tulane has had the talent to compete in a power conference over the past decade. The Green Wave have endured just one losing season since 2017. They made the AP Top 25 the previous two years.
And look no further than Tulane’s win over USC in the Cotton Bowl during the 2022 season to see what the program can do against top-notch competition. Even as recently as this season, in Jon Sumrall’s first year as the Green Wave’s head coach, they’ve played two teams in the AP Top 25 and kept those contests to within two possessions.
And since the university is located in New Orleans, it’s positioned well in a good media market compared to many other Group of Five teams.
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3. South Florida
South Florida is a school which many wouldn’t immediately think of as a Power Four-worthy team. But there would be some benefits for a league like the ACC or Big 12 (now that UCF left the AAC for the Big 12) to add the Bulls.
USF hasn’t been extremely successful recently, though it did give Alabama some issues the past couple years and went 7-6 overall in 2023 after winning the Boca Raton Bowl over Syracuse. But because of those struggles in recent seasons, the energy around the program hasn’t been great.
But a power conference move would help with that. In Tampa, USF is part of a substantial market. The team also plays in Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so it has the capacity for a move up.
2. Memphis
Memphis has won a fair number of games the past few years, and the Tigers put together another good season in 2023 by going 10-3 overall after beating Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl. They could be a contender for a College Football Playoff spot in 2024 as well. Maybe this all could help springboard them into Power Five consideration.
Memphis has much more going for it as well, including being a good basketball school. The football program was seventh among G5 teams in terms of total revenue in 2022 and is in a good spot geographically as well. Of the teams in the AAC, I think Memphis is the most likely to make a move.
1. UNLV
Yes, UNLV hasn’t exactly thrived on the football field in the past few years. However, the team went 9-5 overall in 2023 after losing to Boise State in the Mountain West Championship and to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. The Rebels have also defeated two Big 12 teams in Houston and Kansas in 2024. Plus, wins are not all conferences consider when thinking of teams to add.
Pro sports leagues have moved or expanded to Las Vegas because it’s a good market. The Rebels were also sixth among Group of Five teams in total revenue in 2022 and play at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, so they are in a good position to make a power-conference transition.
The question is if UNLV will receive an invite from a power league after the Rebels weren’t among the first four Mountain West programs to announce they’ll be the newest members of the Pac-12.
