CBS Sports ranks the 2024 college football conferences from best to worst
College Football is going to look quite different in 2024. Namely, conference realignment has shuffled the deck and recomposed the various leagues that populate FBS football.
And with the Pac-12 dissolved, the Big 12 reconfigured and the SEC and Big Ten thoroughly expanded, the way the conferences break down in terms of strength is a little different. Save for the top, where the SEC and Big Ten still reign supreme.
Check out the CBS Sports power ranking of the football leagues below.
1. SEC
It just means more — or the most, in this case. It’s no surprise to see the SEC top this list. Prior to the 2023 season, the SEC had won four-straight national titles and finished the 4-team College Football Playoff era with six of the 10 possible championships being won by SEC schools.
And the additions of Texas and Oklahoma only strengthens the hand for the SEC. The Longhorns, in particular, join the SEC as a bona fide playoff contender.
2. Big Ten
While the Big Ten is a step behind the SEC, it’s certainly more comparable to its southeastern counterparts than other conferences across the country. And that’s besides just having the reigning national champions in the fold.
Beyond Michigan — which has only been the class of the league in football of late, in recent history — the Big Ten boasts the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa and more. The additions of four West Coast schools, namely Oregon for 2024, makes the league nearly as deep and strong as the SEC.
3. Big 12
Here’s where the rankings get controversial, as the Big 12 will be happy to win out as the No. 3 conference. And it’s not so much that any one team in the league is a world beater, but that every team in the league seems capable of rising to a level of success — and winning the league, as currently constructed.
The likes of Arizona State and Colorado are probably further from contending than Utah or Oklahoma State. But the parity in the league should make for fantastic viewing and it will still take something shocking for the league not to produce a Top 4 team with a bye in the 12-team CFP.
4. ACC
Despite commissioner Jim Phillips proclaiming the ACC as the No. 3 conference at football media days (though his comments were mostly to do with intra-conference revenue sharing), the ACC clocks in at No. 4 here. And while it might have a handful of teams at the front of the pack contending, the league isn’t very deep.
So while Florida State, Clemson and Miami headline things, the Syracuses and Virginias of the league aren’t doing so well. Perhaps new entrant SMU can spice things up in 2024.
5. AAC
With the Pac-12 a bygone in college football, the American conference manages to rise to the No. 5 slot. The conference managed to produce a CFP team in the 4-team era (2021 Cincinnati) and will be in a good position to try and secure the G5 spot in the 12-team field.
Right now Memphis is the prohibitive favorite, but the league is plenty deep. The league also features a trio of teams that had nine-win seasons in 2023.
6. Mountain West
If the G5 playoff team doesn’t come from the American, it’ll probably be from the Mountain West. And right now, the prohibitive favorite in that league is Boise State.
But even if the Broncos falter, there’s no shortage of interesting, feisty teams in the league. Both UNLV and Fresno State had strong 2023 seasons and return plenty of pieces to sustain success.
7. Sun Belt
The Sun Belt — or Fun Belt, as it’s often referred to — might not have teams that are vying for CFP slots, but it’s still produced plenty of compelling football in recent years. Last year, for instance, all but two teams in the league got to bowl eligibility.
That included the likes of James Madison and Troy winning 11 games. And if things do fall right in the American and Mountain West, a Sun Belt champion with double-digit wins would at a minimum be in the discussion for the CFP.
8. Conference USA
Any CFP hopes for Conference USA fall squarely to Liberty, as the program has managed plenty of success and upward mobility in recent years. In 2023, the Flames went undefeated — albeit against a weak slate of opponents.
Things will be a little more difficult for the Flames this year, but they’re still expected to be a good team. Plus, it’s a safe bet the likes of Western Kentucky can have yet another solid season.
9. MAC
The MAC tends to bring up the rear, as conferences go, but the league has some good teams and programs. The problem is they’re generally likely to dominate the rest of the league.
The two frontrunners going into 2024 are Toledo and Miami (OH), which played for the MAC title last year. There’s some other upstarts around the league looking to build on bowls from last year, but it’s a safe bet one of the Rockets or Redhawks wins the MAC.
And while they don’t get mention here because they’re not in a conference any more, Oregon State and Washington State will both be playing slates worth watching — including their continuing in-state rivalries against now-Big Ten foes.