College Athletic Conferences
There are over 200 college athletic conferences in the US that are under different governing bodies and divisions.
Interestingly, many of the biggest college athletic conferences predate the NCAA, an organization that regulates student athletics among 1,000-plus schools in the US.
The following massive college athletic conferences are the ones we will talk about in this post:
- Atlantic Coast Conference
- American Athletic Conference
- Big 12
- Big Ten
- Conference USA
- Ivy League
- Mid-American Conference
- Mountain West Conference
- Pac-12
- Southeastern Conference
- Sun Belt Conference
Some of the biggest college athletic conferences out there:
- Healthy competition and sportsmanship
- Opportunities for student-athletes to show their skills
- Grab the attention of scouts of professional sports teams
- Television contracts
- Revenue sharing
- Increased reputation and visibility
- Boosted applications
- Enhanced alumni member engagement
So, without further ado, let’s take a quick look at some of the most well-known college athletic conferences in the US, from the oldest of the bunch to the most recently founded.
Big Ten
- Founding year: 1896
- Headquarters: Rosemont, Illinois
- Member institutions: 14
- Sports fielded: 28
The Big Ten is the oldest NCAA Division I college athletic conference.
Formerly known as the Western Conference, the Big Ten consisted of 10 members for many decades, although these days it consists of a total of 14 members.
With the exception of Northwestern University, which is one of the founding members, all schools in the Big Ten are public universities, all of which are major research institutions.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Northwestern University | 1896 | 7% | Evanston, Illinois |
Purdue University | 1896 | 53% | West Lafayette, Indiana |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 1896 | 60% | Urbana-Champaign, Illinois |
University of Michigan | 1896 | 18% | Ann Arbor, Michigan |
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | 1896 | 75% | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
University of Wisconsin – Madison | 1896 | 49% | Madison, Wisconsin |
Indiana University Bloomington | 1899 | 83% | Bloomington, Indiana |
University of Iowa | 1899 | 86% | Iowa City, Iowa |
Ohio State University | 1912 | 53% | Columbus, Ohio |
Michigan State University | 1950 | 88% | East Lansing, Michigan |
Pennsylvania State University | 1990 | 58% | University Park, Pennsylvania |
University of Nebraska – Lincoln | 2011 | 79% | Lincoln, Nebraska |
Rutgers University – New Brunswick | 2014 | 66% | New Brunswick, New Jersey |
University of Maryland, College Park | 2014 | 44% | College Park, Maryland |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Hockey
- Indoor track and field
- Lacrosse
- Outdoor track and field
- Soccer
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Wrestling
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Field hockey
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Indoor track and field
- Lacrosse
- Outdoor track and field
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Pac-12
- Founding year: 1915
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California
- Member institutions: 12
- Sports fielded: 30
Operating in the Western region of the US, the Pac-12, short for Pacific-12, conference participates in sports at the NCAA Division I level.
True to its name, the association consists of 12 member schools.
Most of the members of the Pac-12 are flagship universities.
Among all college athletic conferences in the country, the Pac-12 has won more national NCAA national team championships than any other conference, with Stanford University, University of Southern California and UCLA winning most of them.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
University of California, Berkeley | 1915 | 11% | Berkeley, California |
University of Oregon | 1915 | 86% | Eugene, Oregon |
Oregon State University | 1915 | 90% | Corvallis, Oregon |
University of Washington | 1915 | 48% | Seattle, Washington |
Washington State University | 1917 | 83% | Pullman, Washington |
Stanford University | 1918 | 4% | Stanford, California |
University of Southern California | 1922 | 12% | Los Angeles, California |
University of California, Los Angeles | 1928 | 9% | Los Angeles, California |
University of Arizona | 1978 | 87% | Tucson, Arizona |
Arizona State University | 1978 | 90% | Tempe, Arizona |
University of Colorado, Boulder | 2011 | 79% | Boulder, Colorado |
University of Utah | 2011 | 89% | Salt Lake City, Utah |
Men’s Sports
- Football
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Softball
- Cross country
- Field hockey
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Ice hockey
- Lacrosse
- Rowing
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Volleyball
- Water polo
- Wrestling
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Beach volleyball
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Lacrosse
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Water polo
Southeastern Conference
- Founding year: 1932
- Headquarters: Birmingham, Alabama
- Member institutions: 14
- Sports fielded: 21
Member universities of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) are mostly found in the South Central and Southeastern regions of the US.
Most of them are flagship universities of 10 different states.
While SEC members compete in a number of NCAA Division I sports, they also compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for football — they have won a total of 43 national championships in football.
The SEC came into being with only 13 member institutions.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Auburn University | 1932 | 44% | Auburn, Alabama |
Louisiana State University | 1932 | 76% | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
Mississippi State University | 1932 | 75% | Mississippi State, Mississippi |
University of Alabama | 1932 | 80% | Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
University of Florida | 1932 | 23% | Gainesville, Florida |
University of Georgia | 1932 | 43% | Athens, Georgia |
University of Kentucky | 1932 | 95% | Lexington, Kentucky |
University of Mississippi | 1932 | 97% | University, Mississippi |
University of Tennessee | 1932 | 68% | Knoxville, Tennessee |
Vanderbilt University | 1932 | 7% | Nashville, Tennessee |
University of Arkansas | 1991 | 79% | Fayetteville, Arkansas |
University of South Carolina | 1991 | 62% | Columbia, South Carolina |
Texas A&M University | 2012 | 62% | College Station, Texas |
University of Missouri | 2012 | 79% | Columbia, Missouri |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Indoor track and field
- Outdoor track and field
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Equestrian
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Indoor track and field
- Outdoor track and field
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Mid-American Conference
- Founding year: 1946
- Headquarters: Cleveland, Ohio
- Member institutions: 12
- Sports fielded: 21
The majority of the member universities of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) can be found in Ohio and Michigan.
Originally, the college athletic conference had only five members.
Currently, it consists of a dozen public universities.
It participates in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Men’s basketball was the very first competitive sport in the MAC — it was only in 1980 that women’s sports were added to the group’s structure.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Ohio University | 1946 | 87% | Athens, Ohio |
Miami University | 1947 | 88% | Oxford, Ohio |
Western Michigan University | 1947 | 85% | Kalamazoo, Michigan |
University of Toledo | 1950 | 92% | Toledo, Ohio |
Kent State University | 1951 | 88% | Kent, Ohio |
Bowling Green State University | 1952 | 79% | Bowling Green, Ohio |
Central Michigan University | 1971 | 79% | Mount Pleasant, Michigan |
Eastern Michigan University | 1971 | 83% | Ypsilanti, Michigan |
Ball State University | 1973 | 69% | Muncie, Indiana |
University of Akron | 1992 | 73% | Akron, Ohio |
Northern Illinois University | 1997 | 71% | DeKalb, Illinois |
University at Buffalo | 1998 | 68% | Buffalo, New York |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Wrestling
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Field hockey
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Volleyball
Atlantic Coast Conference
- Founding year: 1953
- Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina
- Member institutions: 15
- Sports fielded: 28
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) was established by seven postsecondary institutions, all of which were located in the South Atlantic region of the US — hence, the name.
Right now, it consists of 15 member schools from 10 different states, many of which are in the Southern and Northeastern regions of the country, stretching from New York to Florida and from Massachusetts to Indiana.
A total of seven ACC institutions are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Clemson University | 1953 | 43% | Clemson, South Carolina |
Duke University | 1953 | 6% | Durham, North Carolina |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 1953 | 17% | Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
North Carolina State University | 1953 | 47% | Raleigh, North Carolina |
Wake Forest University | 1953 | 21% | Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
University of Virginia | 1953 | 19% | Charlottesville, Virginia |
Georgia Institute of Technology | 1979 | 18% | Atlanta, Georgia |
Florida State University | 1991 | 25% | Tallahassee, Florida |
University of Miami | 2004 | 19% | Coral Gables, Florida |
Virginia Tech | 2004 | 57% | Blacksburg, Virginia |
Boston College | 2005 | 17% | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts |
University of Notre Dame | 2013 | 13% | Notre Dame, Indiana |
University of Pittsburgh | 2013 | 49% | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Syracuse University | 2013 | 52% | Syracuse, New York |
University of Louisville | 2014 | 82% | Louisville, Kentucky |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Fencing
- Football
- Golf
- Indoor track and field
- Lacrosse
- Outdoor track and field
- Soccer
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Wrestling
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Fencing
- Field hockey
- Golf
- Indoor track and field
- Gymnastics
- Lacrosse
- Outdoor track and field
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Ivy League
- Founding year: 1954
- Headquarters: Princeton, New Jersey
- Member institutions: 8
- Sports fielded: 33
Although “Ivy League” was used as early as the 1930s, it became official only after the conference was established.
In addition, while it’s the name of the athletic conference of eight institutions, all of which are in the Northeast region of the US, it’s also associated with academic excellence and high selectivity level.
Other than being some of the most prestigious, members of the Ivy League conference are also some of those with the largest endowments not only in the US but also across the planet.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Brown University | 1954 | 6% | Providence, Rhode Island |
Columbia University | 1954 | 4% | New York, New York |
Cornell University | 1954 | 7% | Ithaca, New York |
Dartmouth College | 1954 | 6% | Hanover, New Hampshire |
Harvard University | 1954 | 3% | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
Princeton University | 1954 | 4% | Princeton, New Jersey |
University of Pennsylvania | 1954 | 7% | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Yale University | 1954 | 5% | New Haven, Connecticut |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Rowing
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Cross country
- Squash
- Fencing
- Swimming and diving
- Football
- Tennis
- Golf
- Indoor track and field
- Ice hockey
- Outdoor track and field
- Lacrosse
- Wrestling
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Soccer
- Cross country
- Softball
- Fencing
- Squash
- Field hockey
- Swimming and diving
- Golf
- Tennis
- Ice hockey
- Indoor track and field
- Lacrosse
- Outdoor track and field
- Rowing
- Volleyball
- Sailing
Sun Belt Conference
- Founding year: 1976
- Headquarters: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Member institutions: 14
- Sports fielded: 20
When it came into being, the Sun Belt Conference was only made up of six institutions of higher education.
These days, it has more than double the number of original members, all of which are located in the Southern region of the US.
Although it started as a non-football conference, it started participating in football in 2001.
Collectively, Sun Belt supports 6,700 plus student-athletes.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Georgia State University | 1976 | 61% | Atlanta, Georgia |
University of South Alabama | 1976 | 71% | Mobile, Alabama |
Old Dominion University | 1982 | 95% | Norfolk, Virginia |
Arkansas State University | 1991 | 39% | Jonesboro, Arkansas |
University of Louisiana at Lafayette | 1991 | 75% | Lafayette, Louisiana |
Troy University | 2005 | 95% | Troy, Alabama |
University of Louisiana at Monroe | 2006 | 69% | Monroe, Louisiana |
Texas State University | 2013 | 88% | San Marcos, Texas |
Appalachian State University | 2014 | 83% | Boone, North Carolina |
Georgia Southern University | 2014 | 89% | Statesboro, Georgia |
Coastal Carolina University | 2016 | 79% | Conway, South Carolina |
James Madison University | 2022 | 78% | Harrisonburg, Virginia |
Marshall University | 2022 | 97% | Huntington, West Virginia |
University of Southern Mississippi | 2022 | 99% | Hattiesburg, Mississippi |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Indoor track and field
- Outdoor track and field
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Beach volleyball
- Cross country
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Indoor track and field
- Outdoor track and field
- Volleyball
Big 12
- Founding year: 1994
- Headquarters: Irving, Texas
- Member institutions: 14
- Sports fielded: 23
All eight members of the Big Eight Conference, which is a college athletic conference that ceased to exist in 1996, together with 50% of the Southwest Conference, which also ended in the same year, formed the Big 12.
Currently, it has a total of 14 members — three private institutions and 11 public institutions.
Throughout its history, the Big 12 has changed its structure and memberships, too, with institutions leaving and being added to the roster.
Despite that, the conference has decided to keep its well-known name intact.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Baylor University | 1996 | 46% | Waco, Texas |
Iowa State University | 1996 | 90% | Ames, Iowa |
Kansas State University | 1996 | 88% | Manhattan, Kansas |
Oklahoma State University | 1996 | 71% | Stillwater, Oklahoma |
Texas Tech University | 1996 | 67% | Lubbock, Texas |
University of Kansas | 1996 | 88% | Lawrence, Kansas |
University of Oklahoma | 1996 | 73% | Norman, Oklahoma |
University of Texas at Austin | 1996 | 31% | Austin, Texas |
Texas Christian University | 2012 | 56% | Fort Worth, Texas |
West Virginia University | 2012 | 90% | Morgantown, West Virginia |
Brigham Young University | 2023 | 97% | Provo, Utah |
University of Central Florida | 2023 | 41% | Orlando, Florida |
University of Cincinnati | 2023 | 86% | Cincinnati, Ohio |
University of Houston | 2023 | 66% | Houston, Texas |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Rowing
- Wrestling
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Equestrian
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Indoor track and field
- Outdoor track and field
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Conference USA
- Founding year: 1995
- Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
- Member institutions: 9
- Sports fielded: 19
Conference USA (C-USA) came into being when two college athletic conferences, both of which ceased to exist in 1995, decided to merge: the Metro Conference and the Great Midwest Conference.
Its current members are schools located in the Western and Southern regions of the country.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
University of Texas at El Paso | 2005 | 100% | El Paso, Texas |
Florida International University | 2013 | 64% | Miami, Florida |
Louisiana Tech University | 2013 | 64% | Ruston, Louisiana |
Middle Tennessee State University | 2013 | 68% | Murfreesboro, Tennessee |
Western Kentucky University | 2014 | 97% | Bowling Green, Kentucky |
Jacksonville State University | 2023 | 58% | Jacksonville, Alabama |
Liberty University | 2023 | 99% | Lynchburg, Virginia |
New Mexico State University | 2023 | 78% | Las Cruces, New Mexico |
Sam Houston State University | 2023 | 85% | Huntsville, Texas |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Volleyball
- Beach volleyball
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Golf
- Soccer
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Track and field
Mountain West Conference
- Founding year: 1998
- Headquarters: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Member institutions: 13
- Sports fielded: 19
Schools that are a member of the Mountain West Conference (MW) are in the Western region of the US.
According to MW’s website, it’s the first conference to establish a sports television network that’s dedicated exclusively to an intercollegiate athletic conference.
It adds that it’s one of the first conferences to employ a state-of-the-art basketball instant replay system.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Colorado State University | 1999 | 91% | Fort Collins, Colorado |
San Diego State University | 1999 | 39% | San Diego, California |
San Jose State University | 1999 | 75% | San Jose, California |
University of Nevada, Las Vegas | 1999 | 85% | Las Vegas, Nevada |
University of New Mexico | 1999 | 81% | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
University of Wyoming | 1999 | 96% | Laramie, Wyoming |
US Air Force Academy | 1999 | 16% | USAF Academy, Colorado |
Boise State University | 2011 | 82% | Boise, Idaho |
California State University, Fresno | 2012 | 95% | Fresno, California |
University of Hawaii at Manoa | 2012 | 73% | Honolulu, Hawaii |
University of Nevada, Reno | 2012 | 86% | Reno, Nevada |
Utah State University | 2013 | 94% | Logan, Utah |
Colorado College | 2014 | 16% | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
Men’s Sports
- Academic
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Esports
- Football
- General
- Golf
- Indoor track and field
- Outdoor track and field
- Softball
- Tennis
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Swimming and diving
American Athletic Conference
- Founding year: 2013
- Headquarters: Irving, Texas
- Member institutions: 14
- Sports fielded: 21
The American Athletic Conference (AAC) consists of a wide variety of member schools, both private and public postsecondary institutions as well as having various enrollment sizes.
However, all of them are located in the Northeastern, Midwestern and Southern regions of the country.
The conference came into being when the Big East Conference, which was a 16-university athletic association, ceased to exist in 2013.
Today, its members compete in the NCAA Division I and FBS, too.
Institution Name | Year Joined | Acceptance Rate | Location |
Southern Methodist University | 2013 | 52% | University Park, Texas |
Temple University | 2013 | 80% | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
University of Memphis | 2013 | 95% | Memphis, Tennessee |
University of South Florida | 2013 | 44% | Tampa, Florida |
East Carolina University | 2014 | 92% | Greenville, North Carolina |
Tulane University | 2014 | 11% | New Orleans, Louisiana |
University of Tulsa | 2014 | 69% | Tulsa, Oklahoma |
Wichita State University | 2017 | 68% | Wichita, Kansas |
Florida Atlantic University | 2023 | 81% | Boca Raton, Florida |
Rice University | 2023 | 9% | Houston, Texas |
University of Alabama at Birmingham | 2023 | 87% | Birmingham, Alabama |
University of North Carolina at Charlotte | 2023 | 80% | Charlotte, North Carolina |
University of North Texas | 2023 | 90% | Dallas, Texas |
University of Texas at San Antonio | 2023 | 87% | San Antonio, Texas |
Men’s Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Football
- Golf
- Indoor track and field
- Outdoor track and field
- Soccer
- Tennis
Women’s Sports
- Basketball
- Cross country
- Golf
- Indoor track and field
- Lacrosse
- Outdoor track and field
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and diving
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the College Reality Check.