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[[File:Jeremy Avery Boise State 2010.png | thumb | right | A game between Hawai’i and Boise State in 2010; both teams are members of the Mountain West Conference ]]
[[File:Jeremy Avery Boise State 2010.png | thumb | right | A game between Hawai’i and Boise State in 2010; both teams are members of the Mountain West Conference ]]
In [[college football]], the '''Group of Five''' ('''G5''') are five [[athletic conference]]s whose members are part of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]]'s (NCAA) [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|Football Bowl Subdivision]] (FBS), in contrast to the [[power conferences]], who are granted a degree of autonomy from certain NCAA rules.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Vannini |first=Chris |title=What it means for Pac-12 to be classified as ‘nonautonomous FBS conference’ |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5437109/2024/04/22/pac-12-nonautonomous-conference/ |access-date=2024-11-11 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In collegiate sports other than football, the conferences are collectively known as [[mid-majors]].
In [[college football]], the '''Group of Five''' are five [[athletic conference]]s whose members are part of [[NCAA Division I]] [[NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision|Football Bowl Subdivision]] (FBS). The five conferences are the [[American Athletic Conference]] (American or AAC),{{efn|The American Athletic Conference does not identify itself with an acronym, preferring "The American". AAC should not be confused with ACC, the abbreviation for the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]].}} [[Conference USA]] (CUSA), [[Mid-American Conference]] (MAC), [[Mountain West Conference]] (MW){{efn|The Mountain West Conference itself uses "MW", as shown in its logo.}} and [[Sun Belt Conference]] (SBC).{{efn|The Sun Belt Conference is commonly referred to as "Sun Belt", rather than by an initialism.}}<ref name=BMcMurphy>{{cite news |last1=McMurphy |first1=Brett |title=Power Five coaches polled on games |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/11320309/majority-power-five-coaches-want-power-five-only-schedules|access-date=December 30, 2019|publisher=ESPN|date=August 7, 2014}}</ref><ref name=BMcMurphy2>{{cite news |last1=McMurphy |first1=Brett |title=Group of 5 officials considering playoff for non-Power 5 teams |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/18369921/growing-number-group-5-officials-considering-playoff-non-power-5-teams |accessdate=December 30, 2019|publisher=ESPN|date=December 29, 2016}}</ref><ref name=JSolomon>{{cite news |last1=Solomon |first1=Joe |title=SEC commissioner explains why Group of Five should 'be careful' about playoff idea |url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sec-commissioner-explains-why-group-of-five-should-be-careful-about-playoff-idea/ |accessdate=December 30, 2019 |work=CBS Sports |date=January 2, 2017}}</ref><ref name=SabinWalder>{{cite news |last1=Walder |first1=Seth |last2=Sabin |first2=Paul |title=Which teams would reach a Group of 5 College Football Playoff? |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/page/weeklyscenario100419/which-teams-reach-group-5-college-football-playoff|accessdate=December 30, 2019|publisher=ESPN|date=October 4, 2019}}</ref><ref name=SMandel>{{cite news |url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2012/11/12/college-football-playoff-six-bowls |title=Big East, rest of 'Group of Five' score victory with six-bowl decision |first1=Stewart |last1=Mandel |date=November 12, 2012 |work=SI.com |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}</ref>


The five conferences are the [[American Athletic Conference]] (American), [[Conference USA]] (CUSA), [[Mid-American Conference]] (MAC), [[Mountain West Conference]] (MW) and [[Sun Belt Conference]]. The [[Pac-12 Conference]] – which was formerly a power conference – is generally considered to be a ''de facto'' member of the group since [[2021–2026 NCAA conference realignment|a realignment in the early 2020s]] saw it lose its autonomy status after all but two of its original members left for other power conferences.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Vannini |first1=Chris |date=September 13, 2024 |title=Why the Pac-12 poached the Mountain West and where both leagues go from here |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5764885/2024/09/13/pac-12-realignment-mountain-west-members/ |publisher=The Athletic}}</ref> In addition, three schools compete in FBS as [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|without affiliation in football]].
These conferences and their schools are generally considered less prestigious and generally have less political and financial influence over the sport and generate less overall revenue compared to Power 5 schools, with a 2016 ESPN analysis stating that the Athletic departments of the group of 5 schools generated $2 billion in total revenue, which was a third of the Power 5's $6 billion in revenue at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-02 |title=OTL: Power 5 schools made $6 billion last year |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/17447429/power-5-conference-schools-made-6-billion-last-year-gap-haves-nots-grows |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> The group of five are also perceived to have lower quality of play compared to the [[Power Five conferences]] and its member schools, although numerous Group of Five teams have upset Power Five teams in regular-season and bowl games. In 2021, the [[2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati Bearcats]] appeared in the four-team [[College Football Playoff]] as a member of the American Athletic Conference.


Beginning in the 2024 season, at least one Group of Five conference champion is guaranteed entry to the College Football Playoff, as the top five ranked conference champions automatically advance to the playoff.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellison |first=Maya |date=February 20, 2024 |title=How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work: Teams, schedule, bids |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2024-02-20/how-12-team-college-football-playoff-will-work-teams-schedule-bids |access-date=May 30, 2024 |website=NCAA.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
The Group of Five and their schools are generally considered less prestigious, have less political and financial influence, and generate less overall revenue; a 2016 [[ESPN]] analysis found the conferences generated a third of the revenue that the power conferences did.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-09-02 |title=OTL: Power 5 schools made $6 billion last year |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/17447429/power-5-conference-schools-made-6-billion-last-year-gap-haves-nots-grows |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref> As a result, the conferences are perceived to have a lower quality of play, although their teams are known to cause upsets.


Between 2014 and 2023, at least one G5 team was guaranteed access to one of the [[New Year's Six]] [[bowl games]].<ref name="SMandel">{{cite news |last1=Mandel |first1=Stewart |date=November 12, 2012 |title=Big East, rest of 'Group of Five' score victory with six-bowl decision |url=https://www.si.com/college-football/2012/11/12/college-football-playoff-six-bowls |accessdate=December 30, 2019 |work=SI.com}}</ref> In 2021, the American's [[2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati Bearcats]] were the first team to play in the [[College Football Playoff]] (CFP), and were the only team to do so under its four-team format. Beginning in 2024 season, at least one G5 conference champion is effectively guaranteed entry to the College Football Playoff under an expanded 12-team format.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ellison |first=Maya |date=February 20, 2024 |title=How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work: Teams, schedule, bids |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2024-02-20/how-12-team-college-football-playoff-will-work-teams-schedule-bids |access-date=May 30, 2024 |website=NCAA.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Division I football conferences==
The Group of Five conferences are five of the ten conferences in NCAA Division I FBS. Four of the other five FBS conferences are informally known as the [[Power Four conferences|Power Four]],<ref name=BMcMurphy /><ref name=BMcMurphy2 /><ref name=JSolomon /><ref name=SMandel/> and the [[Pac-12 Conference]], stripped of all but two of its members [[2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment|in 2024]] and will expand to 6 teams in 2025, is considered a de facto Group of Five equivalent.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mandel |first1=Stewart |title=Which college football teams are most helped — and hurt — by conference realignment? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5611204/2024/07/03/college-football-realignment-teams-benefit-impact/ |publisher=The Athletic |date=July 3, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Vannini |first1=Chris |title=Why the Pac-12 poached the Mountain West and where both leagues go from here |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5764885/2024/09/13/pac-12-realignment-mountain-west-members/ |publisher=The Athletic |date=September 13, 2024}}</ref> In addition, a number of schools compete in FBS as [[NCAA Division I FBS independent schools|independents]] in football.

The terms Group of Five and Power Four (Power Five before the collapse of the Pac-12) are not formally defined by the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA), and the precise origins of the terms are unknown. However, each of the ten conferences is named in the NCAA's Division I manual.<ref name=NCAAD1_2019-20_bylaws421>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D120.pdf |title=4.2.1(a) Division I Board of Directors. |work=2019–20 NCAA Division I Manual |page=21 |date=July 2019 |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name=NCAAD1_2018-19_bylaws421>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D119.pdf |title=4.2.1(a) Division I Board of Directors. |work=2018–19 NCAA Division I Manual |page=21 |date=July 2018 |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name=NCAAD1_2017-18_bylaws421>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D118.pdf |title=4.2.1(a) Division I Board of Directors. |work=2017–18 NCAA Division I Manual |page=21 |date=July 2017 |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}</ref> A notable difference between the Group of Five and Power Five is the level of institutional autonomy granted to member institutions of the Power Five conferences.<ref name=NCAAD1_2019-20_bylaws5321>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D120.pdf |title=5.3.2.1 Process for Areas of Autonomy. |work=2019–20 NCAA Division I Manual |page=33 |date=July 2019 |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name=NCAAD1_2018-19_bylaws5321>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D119.pdf |title=5.3.2.1 Process for Areas of Autonomy. |work=2018–19 NCAA Division I Manual |page=33 |date=July 2018 |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}</ref><ref name=NCAAD1_2017-18_bylaws5321>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/D118.pdf |title=5.3.2.1 Process for Areas of Autonomy. |work=2017–18 NCAA Division I Manual |page=33 |date=July 2017 |accessdate=December 30, 2019}}</ref>

The Group of Five is often considered disadvantaged as compared to the Power Five, as its constituent members do not have similar access to [[New Year's Six]] or [[College Football Playoff]] [[List of college bowl games|bowls]]. Since the [[Bowl Championship Series|BCS era]], this has been an ongoing area of contention among NCAA Division I schools.<ref name=JSolomon /> In November 2012, an agreement was reached to guarantee a spot in one of the New Year's Six bowl games to a team from one of the Group of Five conferences, beginning with the 2014 football season.<ref name=SMandel />

On December 5, 2021, [[2021 Cincinnati Bearcats football team|Cincinnati]] became the first Group of Five team to gain entry into the College Football Playoff,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-05|title=Bama, Michigan, UGA, Cincy to vie for CFP crown|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32794256/alabama-michigan-georgia-cincinnati-reach-college-football-playoff|access-date=2021-12-05|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}</ref> and the only team to do so in the original four-team format.

Beginning in the 2024 season at least one group of five conference champion will appear in the College Football Playoff as the 5 highest ranked conference champions receive an automatic birth to the playoff.

In sports other than football (mainly basketball), conferences outside of the Power Five are known as [[mid-major]] conferences.


==Current conferences and teams==
==Current conferences and teams==
The ten current FBS conferences are listed below. For the Group of Five, the football members of each conference are also listed.{{ efn | As of the 2024–25 school year, one Group of Five conference has a full member that does not have a football team, namely [[Wichita State Shockers |Wichita State]] in The American.}} Independent NCAA Division I FBS teams are listed in a third table.
The ten current FBS conferences are listed below. For the Group of Five, the football members of each conference are also listed.{{efn |As of the 2024–25 school year, one Group of Five conference has a full member that does not have a football team: [[Wichita State Shockers |Wichita State]] in The American. The Mountain West will add [[Grand Canyon Antelopes|Grand Canyon]] as a non-football member no later than 2026–27, and the Pac-12 will add [[Gonzaga Bulldogs|Gonzaga]] as a non-football member in 2026–27. At the same time, the MW will add football-sponsoring [[UC Davis Aggies|UC Davis]] as a full member, but without its football team, which currently plans to stay in [[NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision|Division I FCS]].}}


{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Group of Five conferences (as of 2024 season)
|+ Group of Five conferences (as of 2024 season)
|-
|-
! colspan=2|[[American Athletic Conference|American]]<!--The conference does not use "AAC" to refer to itself.-->
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[American Athletic Conference|American]]<!--The conference does not use "AAC" to refer to itself.-->
! colspan=2|[[Conference USA|CUSA]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[Conference USA|CUSA]]
! colspan=2|[[Mid-American Conference|MAC]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[Mid-American Conference|MAC]]
! colspan=2|[[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |[[Mountain West Conference|Mountain West]]
! colspan=2|[[Sun Belt Conference|Sun Belt]]
! colspan=2|[[Sun Belt Conference|Sun Belt]]
|-
|-
! colspan=2 | [[American Athletic Conference#Football|Football Members]]
! colspan=2 | [[Conference USA#Football|Football Members]]
! colspan=2 | [[Mid-American Conference#Football|Football Members]]
! colspan=2 | [[Mountain West Conference#Football|Football Members]]
! [[Sun Belt Conference#Football|West Division]] !! [[Sun Belt Conference#Football|East Division]]
! [[Sun Belt Conference#Football|West Division]] !! [[Sun Belt Conference#Football|East Division]]
|-
|-
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|-
|-
| [[Florida Atlantic Owls football|Florida Atlantic]] || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]]
| [[Florida Atlantic Owls football|Florida Atlantic]] || [[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]]
| [[Liberty Flames football|Liberty]] || [[UTEP Miners football|UTEP]]
| [[Liberty Flames football|Liberty]] || [[UTEP Miners football|UTEP]]{{efn|[[UTEP Miners football|UTEP]] will be joining the Mountain West starting in the 2026 season.|name=UTEP}}
| [[Buffalo Bulls football|Buffalo]] || [[Ohio Bobcats football|Ohio]]
| [[Buffalo Bulls football|Buffalo]] || [[Ohio Bobcats football|Ohio]]
| [[Fresno State Bulldogs football|Fresno State]]{{efn|[[Fresno State Bulldogs football|Fresno State]] will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.}} || [[Utah State Aggies football|Utah State]] {{efn|[[Utah State Aggies football|Utah State]] will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.}}
| [[Fresno State Bulldogs football|Fresno State]]{{efn|[[Fresno State Bulldogs football|Fresno State]] will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.}} || [[Utah State Aggies football|Utah State]]{{efn|[[Utah State Aggies football|Utah State]] will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.}}
| [[South Alabama Jaguars football|South Alabama]] || [[Georgia State Panthers football|Georgia State]]
| [[South Alabama Jaguars football|South Alabama]] || [[Georgia State Panthers football|Georgia State]]
|-
|-
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| [[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football|Louisiana Tech]] || [[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|Western Kentucky]]
| [[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football|Louisiana Tech]] || [[Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football|Western Kentucky]]
| [[Central Michigan Chippewas football|Central Michigan]] || [[Toledo Rockets football|Toledo]]
| [[Central Michigan Chippewas football|Central Michigan]] || [[Toledo Rockets football|Toledo]]
| [[Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football|Hawai{{okina}}i]] || [[UNLV Rebels football|UNLV]]
| [[Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football|Hawaiʻi]]{{efn|Hawaiʻi, currently a football-only Mountain West member, will become a full member of the conference starting in 2026 season.}} || [[UNLV Rebels football|UNLV]]
| [[Southern Miss Golden Eagles football|Southern Miss]] || [[James Madison Dukes football|James Madison]]
| [[Southern Miss Golden Eagles football|Southern Miss]] || [[James Madison Dukes football|James Madison]]
|-
|-
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|{{efn|[[UMass Minutemen football|UMass]] will be joining the MAC starting in the 2025 season.|name=UMass}}
|{{efn|[[UMass Minutemen football|UMass]] will be joining the MAC starting in the 2025 season.|name=UMass}}
||
||
| ||
|{{efn|name=UTEP}} ||
| [[Troy Trojans football|Troy]] || [[Old Dominion Monarchs football|Old Dominion]]
| [[Troy Trojans football|Troy]] || [[Old Dominion Monarchs football|Old Dominion]]
|}
|}
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{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! [[Power Four conferences]]
! [[Power conferences|Power Four conferences]]
|-
|-
|[[Atlantic Coast Conference]]{{efn|[[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] is the only independent that is not generally grouped with the Group of Five, instead being grouped with the power conferences. Since 2014, it has had a scheduling alliance with the [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]] and previously had a unique clause among independent schools to allow for automatic qualification in the [[Bowl Championship Series|BCS]] playoff system. They normally compete as an independent in football, but for the 2020 season, they competed as an ACC member.|name=Notre Dame}}
|[[Atlantic Coast Conference]]{{efn|[[Notre Dame Fighting Irish football|Notre Dame]] is the only independent that is not generally grouped with the Group of Five. It is a currently a non-football member of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]], and has an agreement with the conference to play five games a season against its members in exchange for bowl access.|name=Notre Dame}}
|-
|-
|[[Big Ten Conference]]
|[[Big Ten Conference]]
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{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
|-
|-
! [[Pac-12 Conference]]{{efn|The Pac-12 currently has a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference pending the addition of new members to the conference in 2026.|name=Pac-12}}
! [[Pac-12 Conference]]{{efn|The Pac-12 Conference is included with the Group of Five conferences due to its scheduling alliance with the Mountain West as of the 2024 season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mountain West Announces Football Scheduling Agreement With Oregon State and Washington State |url=https://themw.com/news/2023/12/01/mountain-west-announces-football-scheduling-agreement-with-oregon-state-and-washington-state/ |website=themw.com |access-date=August 21, 2024 |date=December 1, 2023}}</ref>|name=Pac-12}}
|-
|-
| [[Oregon State Beavers football|Oregon State]]
| [[Oregon State Beavers football|Oregon State]]
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{{Location map+ | USA | width = 1000
{{Location map+ | USA | width = 1000
| float = center
| float = center
| caption = This map shows Group of Five teams during the [[2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2024 season]]. Colors indicate conference membership: The American (blue), CUSA (red), MAC (green), Mountain West (purple), Sun Belt (orange) and Group of Five independent (grey). Included in this map are the two members of the Pac-12{{efn|name=Pac-12}} (black). Shown in the bottom map is [[Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football|Hawaii]], a football-only member of the Mountain West.
| caption = This map shows Group of Five teams during the [[2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season|2024 season]]. Colors indicate conference membership: The American (blue), CUSA (red), MAC (green), Mountain West (purple), Sun Belt (orange) and Group of Five independent (grey).{{efn|name=Notre Dame}} Included in this map are the two members of the Pac-12{{efn|name=Pac-12}} (black). Shown in the bottom map is [[Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football|Hawaii]], a football-only member of the Mountain West.
| places =
| places =


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{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot blue.svg |label=[[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] |position=right |lat_deg=29 | lat_min=56 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=90 |lon_min=7 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot blue.svg |label=[[Tulane Green Wave football|Tulane]] |position=right |lat_deg=29 | lat_min=56 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=90 |lon_min=7 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot blue.svg |label=[[Tulsa Golden Hurricane football|Tulsa]] |position=top |lat_deg=36 | lat_min=9 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=95 |lon_min=57 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot blue.svg |label=[[Tulsa Golden Hurricane football|Tulsa]] |position=top |lat_deg=36 | lat_min=9 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=95 |lon_min=57 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot blue.svg |label=[[UAB Blazers football|UAB]] |position=top |lat_deg=33 |lat_min=31 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=86 |lon_min=51 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot blue.svg |label=[[UAB Blazers football|UAB]] |position=left |lat_deg=33 |lat_min=31 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=86 |lon_min=51 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot blue.svg |label=[[UTSA Roadrunners football|UTSA]] |position=bottom |lat_deg=29 |lat_min=35 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=98 |lon_min=37 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot blue.svg |label=[[UTSA Roadrunners football|UTSA]] |position=bottom |lat_deg=29 |lat_min=35 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=98 |lon_min=37 |lon_dir=W }}
<!-- END: AAC Teams -->
<!-- END: AAC Teams -->
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{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot green.svg |label=[[Kent State Golden Flashes football|Kent State]] |position=right |lat_deg=41 |lat_min=9 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=81 |lon_min=21 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot green.svg |label=[[Kent State Golden Flashes football|Kent State]] |position=right |lat_deg=41 |lat_min=9 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=81 |lon_min=21 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot green.svg |label=[[Buffalo Bulls football|Buffalo]] |position=right |lat_deg=43 |lat_min=0 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=78 |lon_min=47 |lon_dir=W }}
{{Location map~ |USA |mark=Location dot green.svg |label=[[Buffalo Bulls football|Buffalo]] |position=right |lat_deg=43 |lat_min=0 |lat_dir=N |lon_deg=78 |lon_min=47 |lon_dir=W }}
<!--
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot green.svg | label = [[UMass Minutemen football|UMass]] | position=left | lat_deg =42 | lat_min =23 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =72 | lon_min =32 | lon_dir = W }}
-->
<!-- END: MAC Teams -->
<!-- END: MAC Teams -->


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<!-- BEGIN: Independent Teams -->
<!-- BEGIN: Independent Teams -->
<!-- Notre Dame is not displayed, as it is considered a Power Five school due to its full but non-football ACC membership.
<!-- Notre Dame is not displayed, as it is considered a Power Four school due to its full but non-football ACC membership.
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Steel pog.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>Notre Dame</small> | position=bottom | lat_deg =41 | lat_min =42 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =86 | lon_min =14 | lon_dir = W }}
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Steel pog.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>Notre Dame</small> | position=bottom | lat_deg =41 | lat_min =42 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =86 | lon_min =14 | lon_dir = W }}
-->
-->
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<!-- BEGIN: SEC Teams -->
<!-- BEGIN: SEC Teams -->
<!-- SEC teams are not displayed, member of Power 5 Conference, not Group of 5 Conference
<!-- SEC teams are not displayed, member of Power 4 Conference, not Group of 5 Conference
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot purple.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>TAMU</small> | position=right | lat_deg =30 | lat_min =37 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =96 | lon_min =21 | lon_dir = W }}
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot purple.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>TAMU</small> | position=right | lat_deg =30 | lat_min =37 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =96 | lon_min =21 | lon_dir = W }}
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot purple.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>Arkansas</small> | position=bottom | lat_deg =36 | lat_min =4 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =94 | lon_min =11 | lon_dir = W }}
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot purple.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>Arkansas</small> | position=bottom | lat_deg =36 | lat_min =4 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =94 | lon_min =11 | lon_dir = W }}
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<!-- BEGIN: Big Ten Teams -->
<!-- BEGIN: Big Ten Teams -->
<!-- Big Ten teams are not displayed, member of Power 5 Conference, not Group of 5 Conference
<!-- Big Ten teams are not displayed, member of Power 4 Conference, not Group of 5 Conference
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot blue.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>Penn State</small> | position=top | lat_deg =40 | lat_min =48 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =77 | lon_min =52 | lon_dir = W }}
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot blue.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>Penn State</small> | position=top | lat_deg =40 | lat_min =48 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =77 | lon_min =52 | lon_dir = W }}
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot blue.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>Rutgers</small> | position=right | lat_deg =40 | lat_min =30 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =74 | lon_min =27 | lon_dir = W }}
{{Location map~ | USA | mark = Location dot blue.svg |marksize=8 | label = <small>Rutgers</small> | position=right | lat_deg =40 | lat_min =30 | lat_dir = N | lon_deg =74 | lon_min =27 | lon_dir = W }}
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<!-- BEGIN: Big 12 Teams -->
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Latest revision as of 14:44, 17 December 2024

This article is about a group of college football conferences. For the emerging economies group, see Group of Five. For other uses, see G5 (disambiguation).
A game between Hawai’i and Boise State in 2010; both teams are members of the Mountain West Conference

In college football, the Group of Five (G5) are five athletic conferences whose members are part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), in contrast to the power conferences, who are granted a degree of autonomy from certain NCAA rules.[1] In collegiate sports other than football, the conferences are collectively known as mid-majors.

The five conferences are the American Athletic Conference (American), Conference USA (CUSA), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Mountain West Conference (MW) and Sun Belt Conference. The Pac-12 Conference – which was formerly a power conference – is generally considered to be a de facto member of the group since a realignment in the early 2020s saw it lose its autonomy status after all but two of its original members left for other power conferences.[1][2] In addition, three schools compete in FBS as without affiliation in football.

The Group of Five and their schools are generally considered less prestigious, have less political and financial influence, and generate less overall revenue; a 2016 ESPN analysis found the conferences generated a third of the revenue that the power conferences did.[3] As a result, the conferences are perceived to have a lower quality of play, although their teams are known to cause upsets.

Between 2014 and 2023, at least one G5 team was guaranteed access to one of the New Year's Six bowl games.[4] In 2021, the American's Cincinnati Bearcats were the first team to play in the College Football Playoff (CFP), and were the only team to do so under its four-team format. Beginning in 2024 season, at least one G5 conference champion is effectively guaranteed entry to the College Football Playoff under an expanded 12-team format.[5]

Current conferences and teams

[edit]

The ten current FBS conferences are listed below. For the Group of Five, the football members of each conference are also listed.[a]

Group of Five conferences (as of 2024 season)
American CUSA MAC Mountain West Sun Belt
West Division East Division
Army Rice FIU Middle Tennessee Akron Kent State Air Force New Mexico Arkansas State Appalachian State
Charlotte South Florida Jacksonville State New Mexico State Ball State Miami (OH) Boise State[b] San Diego State[c] Louisiana Coastal Carolina
East Carolina Temple Kennesaw State Sam Houston Bowling Green Northern Illinois Colorado State[d] San Jose State Louisiana–Monroe Georgia Southern
Florida Atlantic Tulane Liberty UTEP[e] Buffalo Ohio Fresno State[f] Utah State[g] South Alabama Georgia State
Memphis Tulsa Louisiana Tech Western Kentucky Central Michigan Toledo Hawaiʻi[h] UNLV Southern Miss James Madison
Navy UAB [i] [j] Eastern Michigan Western Michigan Nevada Wyoming Texas State Marshall
North Texas UTSA [k] [e] Troy Old Dominion

Map of Group of Five teams

[edit]
2024 Map of Group of Five Teams
class=notpageimage|
This map shows Group of Five teams during the 2024 season. Colors indicate conference membership: The American (blue), CUSA (red), MAC (green), Mountain West (purple), Sun Belt (orange) and Group of Five independent (grey).[l] Included in this map are the two members of the Pac-12[m] (black). Shown in the bottom map is Hawaii, a football-only member of the Mountain West.

 

Group of Five conferences (Hawaii)

Notes

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  1. ^ As of the 2024–25 school year, one Group of Five conference has a full member that does not have a football team: Wichita State in The American. The Mountain West will add Grand Canyon as a non-football member no later than 2026–27, and the Pac-12 will add Gonzaga as a non-football member in 2026–27. At the same time, the MW will add football-sponsoring UC Davis as a full member, but without its football team, which currently plans to stay in Division I FCS.
  2. ^ Boise State will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.
  3. ^ San Diego State will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.
  4. ^ Colorado State will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.
  5. ^ a b UTEP will be joining the Mountain West starting in the 2026 season.
  6. ^ Fresno State will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.
  7. ^ Utah State will be joining the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 season.
  8. ^ Hawaiʻi, currently a football-only Mountain West member, will become a full member of the conference starting in 2026 season.
  9. ^ Delaware will be joining Conference USA starting in the 2025 season.
  10. ^ Missouri State will be joining Conference USA starting in the 2025 season.
  11. ^ a b UMass will be joining the MAC starting in the 2025 season.
  12. ^ a b c Notre Dame is the only independent that is not generally grouped with the Group of Five. It is a currently a non-football member of the ACC, and has an agreement with the conference to play five games a season against its members in exchange for bowl access.
  13. ^ a b The Pac-12 currently has a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference pending the addition of new members to the conference in 2026.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Vannini, Chris. "What it means for Pac-12 to be classified as 'nonautonomous FBS conference'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
  2. ^ Vannini, Chris (September 13, 2024). "Why the Pac-12 poached the Mountain West and where both leagues go from here". The Athletic.
  3. ^ "OTL: Power 5 schools made $6 billion last year". ESPN.com. 2016-09-02. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  4. ^ Mandel, Stewart (November 12, 2012). "Big East, rest of 'Group of Five' score victory with six-bowl decision". SI.com. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  5. ^ Ellison, Maya (February 20, 2024). "How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work: Teams, schedule, bids". NCAA.com. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
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