In the wake of drastic, compelling, and sometimes confusing college football conference realignment, some Group of Six teams appear to be in a good position to move on to Power Four leagues.
As the power conferences continue to expand, G6 teams might be a part of those efforts.
Regardless, here’s a ranking of the Group of Six programs which are most worthy to transition to a power conference. All of these teams on this list recently made a recommitment to their current league. But that doesn’t mean they’re still not deserving of consideration for a power conference spot.
Because of the recency of their moves, teams that will be in the Pac-12 in 2026 – Boise State, Utah State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Texas State, Washington State, and Oregon State – aren’t included.
G6 Teams Most Likely To Join Conference Realignment, Ranked
| Rank | Team |
| 1 | UNLV |
| 2 | Memphis |
| 3 | South Florida |
| 4 | Tulane |
| 5 | UTSA |
5. UTSA
Geography alone makes the Roadrunners a logical addition for any conference. UTSA is obviously located in San Antonio, Texas, and having a team in that media market for any league would be a smart move.
UTSA has been pretty good at football the past five years, making a bowl game every season since 2020. The Roadrunners went 7-6 after winning the First Responder Bowl in 2025. They won the Conference USA title their last season in that league in 2022, and they have been one of the better squads in the American Conference.
4. Tulane
There’s no doubt Tulane has had the talent to compete in a power conference over the past decade. The Green Wave have endured just one losing season since 2017, and they have appeared in the last four American Conference Championships. They won the league title in 2025 and earned a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Look no further than Tulane’s win over USC in the Cotton Bowl during the 2022 season to see what the program can do against top-notch competition.
And since the university is located in New Orleans, it’s positioned well in a good media market compared to many other Group of Six teams.
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3. South Florida
South Florida is a school which many wouldn’t have immediately thought of as a Power Four-worthy team just a couple years ago. But there would be some benefits for leagues like the ACC or Big 12 to add the Bulls.
USF wasn’t extremely successful over the past decade. But energy has picked up for the program after USF went 9-4 in 2025 with a win at Florida. The Bulls were ranked as highly as 18th in the Associated Press Top 25. Plus, in Tampa, USF is part of a substantial market.
2. Memphis
Memphis has won a fair number of games the past few years. The Tigers put together a good season in 2023 by going 10-3 overall after beating Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl. In 2024, they were 11-2 overall and ended the season with a victory over West Virginia in the Frisco Bowl. Memphis went 8-5 in 2025 after starting out 6-0, including a win over Arkansas.
Maybe this all could help springboard them into Power Four consideration. Memphis did reportedly try to join the Big 12, offering the league approximately $200 million to do so, but it didn’t work out.
Memphis has much more going for it as well, including being a good basketball school. Of the teams in the American, I think Memphis is the most likely to make a move.
1. UNLV
Yes, UNLV hasn’t exactly thrived on the football field historically. However, the team went 9-5 overall in 2023 after losing to Boise State in the Mountain West Championship and to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. The Rebels defeated two Big 12 teams, reached the Mountain West Championship again, and beat Cal in the LA Bowl en route to going 11-3 overall in 2024. And UNLV went 10-4 this past season with another Mountain West Championship appearance.
Plus, wins are not all conferences consider when thinking of teams to add. Pro sports leagues have moved or expanded to Las Vegas because it’s a good market.
