Not only is college football itself constantly evolving, the organization of the sport is solidly in an era of change.

Twenty years ago, for example, the idea of UCLA and USC playing in the Big Ten would've been laughable. Even suggesting that Oklahoma and Texas leave the Big 12 would've been a ridiculous thought.

For better or worse, though, realignment is reshaping the future of the game. And there are ripple effects within each conference—and its divisions—along with the College Football Playoff and more.

You might have a perfect understanding of the looming changes. You might also find it difficult to keep up.

But either way, we have your back.

The following sections are a basic outline—and/or refresher—on which programs are headed to a different conference in 2023 or 2024, some of the key aftermath and a few topics to monitor now and in the future.

What's New in 2023?

While the headline moves are still one season away, the 2023 campaign has plenty of changes.

And the Big 12 sparked it all.

Shortly after Oklahoma and Texas revealed their intent to join the SEC, the Big 12 invited BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. The league will play one season with 14 programs before OU and Texas leave.

In response to losing the latter three, the AAC reshaped its membership with Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA.

Those six programs left Conference USA—which already lost Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss to the Sun Belt in 2022. Liberty and New Mexico State, both previously independents, are heading to Conference USA in 2023 with a trio of notable others.

Jacksonville State and Sam Houston will begin the transition from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this season. Kennesaw State will follow suit and join in 2024.

High-Profile Changes on the Horizon

Beginning in 2024, four power conferences will look quite different.

The current 14-team Big Ten is slated to add UCLA and USC, morphing the conference into a legitimate coast-to-coast brand. Both schools are located in the Los Angeles area, and they'll soon be sharing a league with Maryland and New Jersey-based Rutgers.

Although the Pac-12 probably won't stay at 10 members—more on that shortly—that is the looming situation.

Meanwhile, blue-blood programs Oklahoma and Texas will be departing the Big 12 for the SEC. The conferences will have 12 and 16 members, respectively, after those switches.

The changes may end up perfectly fine. Still, we suggest you offer some patience for friends who view the sport through a historical lens; in that regard, the 2024 season will feel bizarre.

Major Fallout

Amid the frenzy of realignment, most conferences plan to change or have already tweaked a couple of formats.

The first one, in short: Goodbye, divisions.

For the last few decades, schools within a league have been separated based on geography. But as membership grows, that format does not allow for a swift regular-season rotation. For example, Texas A&M joined the SEC in 2012 yet hasn't hosted Georgia or traveled to Kentucky.

Plus, schedules have typically had one annual non-division opponent, such as Florida State vs. Miami. Eliminating divisions will lead to a version of protected rivalries, though it could be only one or two per season. The new version of the ACC's schedule includes three.

The second part, in short: The best teams play for a title.

Recently, most conferences had their two division champs play for the league crown. Several, though—from the AAC to Pac-12 last season to the ACC in 2023—have shifted to the top-two finishers for the championship game, a format the Big 12 has followed since 2017.

College Football Playoff Impact

Conference realignment and College Football Playoff expansion don't exactly go hand-in-hand, but the former necessitated the timeline of the latter topic to speed up considerably.

As a result, the four-team CFP will become a 12-team tournament in 2024. The field will include the six highest-ranked conference champions, and the four highest of that group will receive a first-round bye.

After that, the next six highest-ranked teams—at-large choices, as you might know them in March Madness—will complete the field. This particular point of expansion is relevant to realignment because Power Five conferences have a wide range of potential CFP paths.

For instance, both the Big Ten and SEC will have 16 members and, by extension, a great chance to send three-plus programs to the College Football Playoff.

Don't forget about the Group of Five, either.

Including the sixth highest-ranked conference champ guarantees access to at least one G5 winner. While not necessarily likely, the language of "six highest-ranked champions" could mean a Power Five winner is not included. That scenario wouldn't have occurred since the introduction of the College Football Playoff in 2014, but it is possible.

Key Storylines to Know

Your Move, Notre Dame

As you might know, this is an ever-present headline. Notre Dame has always fielded an independent football program, save for a temporary ACC season in 2020. If the school ever joins a conference, the most logical destinations are the ACC—where its other sports play—or the Big Ten because of its proximity to the Midwest-focused league. Either conference would gladly take Notre Dame, but will the Fighting Irish actually make a move?

What Happens to the Pac-12?

In addition to swiping UCLA and USC, the Big Ten flirted with Oregon and Washington. Cal and Stanford could also be targets. Any of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are on the Big 12's radar. Where does that leave Oregon State and Washington State? How soon will the Pac-12 formally add San Diego State? Is anyone else on the horizon? Many questions, precious few answers.

Storm Brewing in the ACC?

At this moment, no changes are happening in the ACC. Notre Dame lingers as a possibility, sure, but not imminently. The growing topic is that seven schools—Clemson, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia and Virginia Tech—are exploring the possibility of breaking the league's grant-of-rights deal. If that happens, chaos may ensue. If not, perhaps the SEC extends an invitation—say, to Clemson, FSU or Miami—and the school decides a $120 million withdrawal fee is worth the $30-plus million increase in annual revenue.