Every day there are rumors and supposition regarding conference realignment and expansion. “Super” conferences. The end of the Big East. The end of the Big XII. The expansion of same. Overtures made. Invitations sought. Repeat.
While the primary focus of these machinations is football (and the money that sport’s automatic bids and bowl structure bring), men’s basketball is seemingly overlooked, save for those awkward (and more common) “member-for-football-only” followed by “all-other-sports-will-be-in-Conference-B” announcements.
That being said, it is helpful to sort through the speculation and determine what changes are already in place. Below are the conference membership changes for this 2011-2012 season:
Realignment for 2011-2012 Season:
| School | Old Conference | New Conference | Notes |
 Boise State |
 WAC |
 Mountain West |
Boise State is the subject of Big East rumors for football only. You know, because they’re 2,700 miles from the Big East HQ in Providence, Rhode Island. |
 BYU |
Mountain West |
 West Coast |
BYU’s football team is playing 2011 (and beyond, at this point) as a football independent, hoping for a Big XII invitation. |
 Campbell |
 Atlantic Sun |
 Big South |
Campbell was a Big South founding institution in 1983, but left for the Trans-America Athletic Conference (now Atlantic Sun) in 1994. |
 Centenary |
 Summit League |
 Division-III |
The smallest school in D-I (enrollment: 760), Robert Parish’s alma mater moved down to D-III, where they are a member of the American Southwest Conference. |
 Colorado |
 Big XII |
 Pac-12 |
In the move that really started the current land-grab mentality in conference alignment, the Buffs bolted the Big XII to join the (then) Pac-10, which almost became the Pac-16. |
 Nebraska |
Big XII |
 Big Ten |
The Big Ten waited 18 years after the addition of Penn State to round off to an even twelve teams, assisting in the creation of a Big Ten football championship game. |
 New Orleans |
 Division-I Independent |
 Division-II Independent |
Still reeling from Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath, New Orleans (a Sun Belt member since 1975) left the conference, and downgraded to Division-II. UNO will compete in the Gulf Coast Conference in 2012-13. |
 Utah |
Mountain West |
Pac-12 |
Utah was invited to join the new Pac-12 to add the Salt Lake City market to the conference, and to make a pair with Colorado’s addition. |
