5 college football teams doomed to have roughest conference realignments in 2024

5. Colorado Buffaloes (from Pac-12 to Big 12)

Deion Sanders' first season in Boulder started with a bang and went out with a whimper. The NFL Hall of Famer won his first three games as Colorado's head coach and the team rode a wave of publicity into the top 25. Then a loss to Oregon kicked off a 1-8 stretch to close out the Buffaloes' last season of Pac-12 play before returning to the home they left behind a decade earlier.

Coming back to the Big 12 feels like a natural move for Colorado, but it will come with growing pains. While they return to what was once a more geographically suited conference for their location, the Big 12 has now grown into a behemoth that stretches across most of the country. Travel issues will only be exacerbated further with this shift.

While the Buffaloes only have one long road trip to face UCF in conference play, they could struggle to win even one game before they even get to the Big 12 slate. A bowl appearance feels even further away in the second season of the Sanders era in Boulder, given the Buffaloes enter their second stint as a Big 12 member on a six-game losing streak.