Power 4 Conference Programs Dominate College Football’s Preseason Top 25

Aug 13, 2026 05:00 PM - 2 hours ago 1

If the past fewer years person taught assemblage shot fans anything, it’s that the spread betwixt teams from awesome conferences and lower-tier leagues remains wider than ever. There is not only a awesome quality successful gross sharing and Name, Image and Likeness spending. Schools from the awesome conferences besides motion astir of the champion players from lower-tier leagues via the transportation portal, starring to a important disparity betwixt the haves and have-nots.

The preseason poll from the American Football Coaches Association shows the discrepancy. Of the 25 classed teams, 24 are from the alleged Power 4 leagues of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12 and Southeastern Conference. The only objection is No. 5 Notre Dame, a longtime independent that has the finances and contented to lucifer immoderate programme successful the nation.

Among the schools besides receiving votes successful the poll, the Power 4 has the adjacent 10 highest vote-getters, arsenic well. Boise State, a personnel of the rejuvenated Pac-12 Conference, is the highest-ranked non-Power 4 programme pinch 24 votes, which is the 36th-highest total. The only different non-Power 4 teams to person much than 5 votes from the coaches are UNLV of the Mountain West Conference (17 votes), Memphis of the American Conference (9) and James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference (6).

New Mexico of the Mountain West (4), Navy of the American (3), Western Michigan of the Mid-American Conference (3), San Diego State of the Pac-12 (2), Hawaii of the Mountain West (1) and Jacksonville State of Conference USA (1) received votes, too.

Since the College Football Playoff expanded from 4 to 12 teams successful 2024, the organizers person reserved an automatic berth for a programme from a non-Power 4 program. In 2024 and 2025, the CFP’s rules stated that the 5 highest-ranked convention champions received guaranteed bids, meaning astatine slightest 1 spot was for a smaller league. Boise State qualified 2 years ago, while Tulane and James Madison qualified past twelvemonth because they were classed higher than Duke, which won the ACC.

This year, the CFP’s rules person somewhat changed. The highest classed squad from the alleged Group of 6 conferences will person the automatic berth moreover if it did not triumph its convention title, whereas the past 2 years that squad had to triumph its league. The Group of 6 consists of the American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Sun Belt and the Pac-12. The Pac-12 only had 2 schools (Oregon State and Washington State) the past 2 seasons, but it has added 8 shot programs this season.

Although the CFP has reserved a berth for a non-Power 4 school, the results haven’t been pretty. In 2024, Boise State mislaid 31-14 to Penn State successful its opener. And past year, Tulane and James Madison were each blown retired successful the first round, pinch the Green Wave losing 41-10 to Ole Miss and the Dukes losing 51-34 to Oregon.

This season, Tulane and James Madison are rebuilding aft losing their coaches and respective players to awesome programs, a consequence of their success. Florida hired Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, while UCLA hired James Madison coach Bob Chesney.

Sumrall only brought on kicker Patrick Durkin and punter Alec Clark from Tulane to Florida. Meanwhile, Chesney brought 10 players from James Madison to UCLA, including starting moving backmost Wayne Knight (team-high 1,373 yards rushing and 40 receptions past season), receiver Landon Ellis (36 catches for 624 yards and 5 touchdowns), linebacker Drew Spinogatti (55 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss) and protect linemen Sahir West (seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss) and Aiden Gobaira (four sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss).

Tulane besides lost players via the transportation portal to Power 4 convention schools specified arsenic Arkansas, Arizona State, Colorado, Houston, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Louisville, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Pitt and Tennessee. And James Madison had players transportation to Auburn, Central Florida, Colorado, Iowa, Oklahoma State and Penn State.

Dozens of different players from Group of 6 schools transferred to Power 4 programs, including 5 of the apical 50 transfers successful the nation, per 247Sports: backmost Drew Mestemaker and moving backmost Caleb Hawkins transferred from North Texas to Oklahoma State; Memphis moving backmost Justice Haynes headed to Georgia Tech; Boise State information Ty Benefield transferred to LSU; and East Carolina information Ja’Marley Riddle headed to Georgia.

The Protect College Sports Act, which was introduced successful May, contains a proviso that would limit players to transportation erstwhile without losing eligibility and past unit them beryllium retired a twelvemonth if they transportation again. The Senate did not ballot connected the PCSA earlier it went connected recess past week, though politicians are reportedly willing successful getting progressive successful assemblage athletics.

While a one-time transportation norm could thief limit subordinate movement, the champion Group of 6 players would still caput to the Power 4. And players whose coaches are hired distant to Power 4 programs would apt beryllium capable to transportation without penalty. Meanwhile, Group of 6 schools will proceed to not person the financial resources arsenic their better-funded schools.

Still, the CFP for now is reserving a spot for a Group of 6 program, giving those schools a chance to play connected the sport’s highest stage. If the CFP expands beyond 12 teams, the Group of 6 whitethorn person a amended changeable astatine an at-large berth, too. The Power 4 and Notre Dame predominate assemblage football, but the different programs are still attempting to break the mold and compete pinch the awesome schools.