The 2024-25 college golf season brings significant conference realignment, reshaping the landscape of collegiate golf. With universities making strategic moves to strengthen their competitive positions, the ripple effects are being felt nationwide. Here’s an overview of the major conference shifts and their implications as the new academic year kicks off.
The Power 4 Conferences
- SEC (Southeastern Conference)
The SEC continues to solidify its position as a dominant force in college athletics with the addition of the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma. Both schools come with rich athletic traditions and strong golf programs, further boosting an already competitive conference. With this expansion, the SEC now has 16 schools, including perennial golf powerhouses such as Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. - Big Ten
The Big Ten has expanded by adding the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), bringing the conference’s total to 18 schools. With its coast-to-coast presence, the addition of these West Coast programs significantly strengthens the Big Ten’s golf competition, particularly given USC and UCLA’s established records of success. - Big 12
The Big 12 has undergone substantial changes, losing Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC, but countering this with the additions of Brigham Young University (BYU), the University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Cincinnati, and the University of Houston. These schools bring a mix of emerging and established golf programs, helping the Big 12 maintain its presence as a major player in college golf. - ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference)
The ACC has seen some structural change with the additions of Southern Methodist University (SMU), University of California-Berkeley (Cal), and Stanford University; it remains a focal point of potential future expansion. As other conferences shuffle their memberships, schools are exploring opportunities with the ACC to stabilize their footing. For now, traditional powerhouses like Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Florida State continue to anchor the conference’s golf strength.
Group of 5 and Other Notable Changes
- American Athletic Conference (AAC)
The AAC has positioned itself as a hub for emerging golf programs. New additions like UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham), Florida Atlantic University (FAU), and Charlotte signal the conference’s intent to grow its competitive presence in college golf. - Mountain West Conference
Minimal changes have occurred in the Mountain West, which remains a critical conference for western U.S. schools. The addition of New Mexico State strengthens the conference, which continues to feature prominent programs like UNLV and San Diego State. - Conference USA (C-USA)
Conference USA has undergone significant restructuring, with several member schools departing. However, the conference has added Liberty University and Jacksonville State, two programs expected to contribute to its growing golf competition. - Independents
Some schools have opted to remain independent, prioritizing scheduling flexibility over conference affiliation. Notable independent golf programs include Notre Dame and Army, which continue to maintain strong traditions. - Pac-12
The Pac-12 has been hit the hardest by the recent realignments, particularly with the departure of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten. The addition of San Diego State and Boise State aims to fill that void, but these shifts mark a significant change in the Pac-12’s competitive landscape. Despite the realignment, Stanford and Arizona State remain strong national contenders.
The “Pac-2” now includes just Oregon State and Washington State. Both schools’ women’s golf programs will compete in the West Coast Conference (WCC) Championship this spring, while Oregon State’s men’s program will also compete in the WCC Championship. Washington State’s men’s golf schedule remains undecided for the spring season.
Conclusion
The 2024-25 college golf season promises to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. With new rivalries and opportunities emerging from these conference realignments, schools across the country are positioned for dynamic competition. While the overall impact on most teams’ schedules will be minimal—with few changes outside of conference championships—the shifting conference landscape adds fresh intrigue to the season. As the dust settles, it will be fascinating to see how the competitive dynamics evolve and which programs will rise as powerhouses in their new conference homes.
List of programs by Conference as of Fall 2024
ACC
-Boston College
-California
-Clemson
-Duke
-Florida State
-Georgia Tech (men only)
-Louisville
-Miami (women only)
-North Carolina
-North Carolina State
-Notre Dame
-SMU
-Stanford
-Virginia
-Virginia Tech
-Wake Forest
BIG TEN
-Illinois
-Indiana
-Iowa
-Maryland
-Michigan
-Michigan State
-Minnesota
-Nebraska
-Northwestern
-Ohio State
-Oregon
-Penn State
-Purdue
-Rutgers
-Penn State
-USC
-UCLA
-Washington
-Wisconsin
BIG 12
-TCU
-Baylor
-Texas Tech
-Houston
-Oklahoma State
-Kansas
-Kansas State
-Arizona
-Arizona State
-Colorado
-Utah (Men only)
-BYU
-Cincinnati
-UCF
SEC
-Alabama
-Auburn
-Georgia
-Florida
-South Carolina
-Arkansas
-Missouri
-Oklahoma
-Texas
-Texas A&M
-LSU
-Ole Miss
-Mississippi State
-Vanderbilt