Conferences · 2025 Season
The sport gets more interesting when leagues have identity.
Every league has its own shape — the powers at the top, the week-to-week gauntlet in the middle, and the teams quietly setting the pace. Explore all 72 conferences below.
Conference spotlight
Ranked by round-robin strength (RR50): the neutral-field rating a hypothetical team would need to go .500 through that conference’s schedule.
FBS
#1
SEC
SEC carries real selection-room weight with 5 teams inside the top 25 and Ole Miss driving a legitimate national ceiling.
FBS
#2
Big Ten
Big Ten carries real selection-room weight with 6 teams inside the top 25 and Indiana driving a legitimate national ceiling.
FBS
#3
ACC
ACC has real upper-tier density. The top of the board raises the conference ceiling without the rest of the league completely falling away.
FBS
#4
Big 12
Big 12 has real upper-tier density. The top of the board raises the conference ceiling without the rest of the league completely falling away.
FBS
#5
American Athletic
American Athletic is outperforming its raw power profile. The league body of work is stronger than the market would expect.
FBS
#6
Mountain West
Mountain West reads like a weekly gauntlet. The middle of the league is strong enough that contenders do not get many breathers.
FBS
#7
Sun Belt
Sun Belt is outperforming its raw power profile. The league body of work is stronger than the market would expect.
FBS
#8
Mid-American
Mid-American is outperforming its raw power profile. The league body of work is stronger than the market would expect.
FBS
#9
Conference USA
Conference USA reads like a weekly gauntlet. The middle of the league is strong enough that contenders do not get many breathers.
FCS
#10
MVFC
MVFC is outperforming its raw power profile. The league body of work is stronger than the market would expect.
FCS
#11
Big Sky
Big Sky is outperforming its raw power profile. The league body of work is stronger than the market would expect.
FCS
#12
MEAC
MEAC reads like a weekly gauntlet. The middle of the league is strong enough that contenders do not get many breathers.
All conferences
Sorted by RR50 strength within each division. Very small affiliations are lightly regressed toward their subdivision baseline so one-team groups do not break the board.
- RR50
- Round-robin rating — points a typical team would win or lose by against a neutral average opponent, simulated across a full league schedule. Higher is stronger.
- Upper str
- Upper strength — the rating of the conference’s top tier, so you can see how good its best teams really are.
- Median
- The middle team’s rating — how strong the league stays once you get past the contenders.
- Resume pulse
- A 0–100 score for quality wins and schedule strength accumulated across the conference.
| Conference | Teams | RR50 | Upper str | Median | Resume pulse | Top team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FBS · Football Bowl Subdivision | ||||||
| SEC | 16 |
1.56
|
3.97 | 1.76 | 85.6 | Ole Miss |
| FBS Independents | 2 |
1.54
|
5.04 | 1.31 | 93.0 | Notre Dame |
| Big Ten | 18 |
1.29
|
5.27 | 0.76 | 80.3 | Indiana |
| ACC | 17 |
0.86
|
3.74 | 1.39 | 77.7 | Miami |
| Big 12 | 16 |
0.62
|
3.70 | 0.48 | 79.1 | Texas Tech |
| Pac-12 | 2 |
0.35
|
3.59 | 0.13 | 59.7 | Washington State |
| American Athletic | 14 |
0.04
|
3.43 | 1.01 | 72.3 | North Texas |
| Mountain West | 12 |
-0.27
|
2.18 | 0.08 | 69.6 | San Diego State |
| Sun Belt | 14 |
-0.29
|
2.77 | -0.96 | 68.5 | James Madison |
| Mid-American | 13 |
-0.80
|
2.27 | -1.21 | 58.8 | Toledo |
| Conference USA | 12 |
-1.14
|
0.94 | -1.12 | 65.8 | Western Kentucky |
| FCS · Football Championship Subdivision | ||||||
| MVFC | 10 |
-3.37
|
-0.58 | -2.73 | 67.3 | North Dakota State |
| Big Sky | 12 |
-3.90
|
-1.08 | -4.27 | 58.2 | Montana State |
| MEAC | 6 |
-4.17
|
-1.89 | -3.92 | 57.6 | South Carolina State |
| UAC | 9 |
-4.24
|
-1.80 | -4.22 | 59.8 | Tarleton State |
| SWAC | 12 |
-4.45
|
-1.44 | -4.62 | 51.0 | Alabama State |
| Southland | 10 |
-4.46
|
-1.69 | -4.19 | 54.4 | Stephen F. Austin |
| CAA | 14 |
-4.60
|
-2.05 | -3.79 | 56.7 | Villanova |
| Patriot | 8 |
-4.79
|
-2.52 | -4.67 | 53.6 | Lehigh |
| FCS Independents | 2 |
-4.83
|
-2.90 | -4.70 | 51.0 | Sacred Heart |
| Big South-OVC | 9 |
-4.98
|
-3.05 | -5.11 | 45.5 | Tennessee Tech |
| Pioneer | 11 |
-5.03
|
-2.65 | -4.97 | 50.8 | Presbyterian |
| Southern | 9 |
-5.13
|
-2.78 | -5.32 | 50.4 | Mercer |
| NEC | 9 |
-5.30
|
-3.38 | -5.52 | 38.8 | Central Connecticut |
| Ivy | 8 |
-5.81
|
-3.98 | -6.30 | 57.7 | Yale |
| DII · Division II | ||||||
| SIAC | 13 |
-13.15
|
-11.38 | -13.53 | 39.5 | Albany State GA |
| GLIAC | 8 |
-14.21
|
-11.41 | -14.19 | 47.7 | Ferris State |
| CIAA | 11 |
-14.43
|
-12.38 | -13.95 | 39.6 | Johnson C Smith |
| Great Lakes | 9 |
-14.44
|
-12.10 | -15.08 | 43.0 | Indianapolis |
| Gulf South | 4 |
-14.78
|
-13.04 | -14.87 | 62.3 | West Florida |
| South Atlantic | 10 |
-14.81
|
-12.80 | -14.69 | 48.9 | Newberry |
| Northeast 10 | 8 |
-15.12
|
-13.41 | -15.30 | 36.5 | Assumption |
| Lone Star | 10 |
-15.12
|
-12.69 | -15.48 | 41.0 | Western Oregon |
| Northern Sun | 14 |
-15.41
|
-13.74 | -15.48 | 41.5 | Jamestown College |
| Rocky Mountain | 10 |
-15.50
|
-13.57 | -15.22 | 40.1 | Chadron St |
| Independent DII | 3 |
-15.59
|
-12.95 | -15.03 | 54.2 | Northeastern State |
| Carolinas | 7 |
-15.73
|
-13.57 | -16.08 | 28.3 | North Greenville |
| Great Midwest Athletic | 10 |
-15.86
|
-14.28 | -15.53 | 43.2 | Northwood (MI) |
| Mountain East | 9 |
-16.17
|
-14.64 | -16.33 | 39.4 | Frostburg State |
| Mid America | 10 |
-16.84
|
-15.21 | -17.27 | 36.4 | Pittsburg St |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic | 15 |
-17.26
|
-15.76 | -17.58 | 41.9 | Kutztown University |
| Great American | 12 |
-17.72
|
-16.14 | -17.80 | 40.0 | Harding University |
| DIII · Division III | ||||||
| American Southwest | 4 |
-21.04
|
-17.93 | -21.37 | 39.5 | Hardin-Simmons |
| Wisconsin | 8 |
-21.87
|
-19.15 | -22.24 | 45.6 | Wisconsin-River Falls |
| Commonwealth Coast | 7 |
-21.97
|
-19.30 | -21.41 | 41.7 | Endicott College |
| Old Dominion | 8 |
-22.00
|
-19.56 | -21.62 | 41.6 | Randolph-Macon |
| Northwest | 8 |
-23.05
|
-20.54 | -23.43 | 38.2 | Whitworth |
| USA South | 9 |
-23.18
|
-20.78 | -23.82 | 39.3 | Lagrange College |
| Michigan | 8 |
-23.52
|
-20.82 | -24.85 | 46.0 | Adrian |
| Minnesota | 10 |
-23.87
|
-21.57 | -23.44 | 37.9 | Bethel (MN) |
| NEWMAC | 8 |
-24.23
|
-22.09 | -24.32 | 43.1 | Springfield |
| MSCAC | 10 |
-24.42
|
-22.76 | -24.39 | 41.4 | Plymouth State |
| Southern Athletic | 8 |
-24.42
|
-21.96 | -25.01 | 43.7 | Trinity University TX |
| American Rivers | 9 |
-24.60
|
-22.19 | -25.43 | 39.3 | Nebraska Wesleyan |
| Southern Collegiate Athletic | 5 |
-24.79
|
-22.47 | -24.88 | 36.0 | Texas Lutheran |
| Landmark Conference | 7 |
-24.96
|
-22.55 | -24.74 | 30.7 | Susquehanna |
| Heartland | 7 |
-25.07
|
-22.46 | -25.75 | 30.4 | Hanover College |
| So. Cal. | 6 |
-25.46
|
-23.35 | -26.17 | 40.5 | Chapman |
| Centennial | 7 |
-25.73
|
-23.87 | -26.07 | 43.6 | Johns Hopkins University |
| Upper Midwest | 6 |
-25.78
|
-23.99 | -26.31 | 33.4 | Westminster College (MO) |
| CCIW | 10 |
-25.84
|
-23.19 | -26.73 | 38.9 | North Central College |
| New Jersey | 8 |
-25.87
|
-23.95 | -26.67 | 44.3 | Salisbury |
| Liberty League | 7 |
-25.97
|
-24.35 | -26.08 | 45.3 | Rensselaer |
| North Coast | 8 |
-26.00
|
-23.93 | -26.13 | 34.7 | Depauw |
| Ohio | 10 |
-26.02
|
-24.02 | -26.75 | 44.5 | John Carroll University |
| Mid Atlantic | 10 |
-26.10
|
-24.43 | -26.19 | 40.1 | Delaware Valley |
| Presidents' | 12 |
-26.14
|
-24.13 | -26.89 | 38.8 | Washington & Jefferson |
| Independent DIII | 2 |
-26.20
|
-24.09 | -26.76 | 53.2 | Keystone |
| Empire 8 | 9 |
-26.48
|
-24.89 | -26.57 | 34.4 | Cortland |
| NACC | 9 |
-26.57
|
-25.03 | -26.59 | 40.5 | Aurora |
| Midwest | 10 |
-26.78
|
-25.17 | -27.22 | 39.0 | Monmouth (IL) |
| NESCAC | 10 |
-26.87
|
-25.76 | -27.01 | 41.1 | Trinity (CT) |