5 worst conference realignment moves in modern college football history

Sometimes schools shift leagues intentionally, other times out of necessity. Here are the five worst conference shifts in modern college football history.

Earlier this decade, the last big seismic shifts of realignment rumbled through the conference fault lines across the country. But as conference affiliation became ever more critical in determining long-term success, and realignment has been a part of the college game for the past quarter-century.

Some shifts have been kinder than others. For some teams, realignment has resulted in trophies, high rankings, and major bowl berths. The money can improve many times over with the right switch of affiliation. But for others, the grass really wasn’t that much greener on the other side.

Often it comes down to whether a realignment occurs as a matter of strategy or a matter of triage. When realignment hits, it often forces other teams to follow in the shuffle. Ultimately, though, not everyone can end up in a more advantageous situation than where they started.

Which teams tested the waters of realignment and struggled to stay afloat? Which leagues have brought in new teams only to become weaker by addition? In this week’s Sunday Morning Quarterback, let’s look at which 21st-century conference realignments have been least beneficial for individual programs in terms of success on the field.

(Keep in mind that we are only focusing on performance, and only through the 2018 season. The current year, however, has largely matched these trends. For various reasons, these moves have often been economically beneficial for programs… or else they would not have undertaken realignment in the first place.)