Conference strength has never been just a talking point — it’s often the story of the season itself. Heading into 2025, the debate over which leagues deserve respect continues to simmer, especially after last year’s College Football Playoff field sparked heated arguments that even spilled over into media days this summer. Many questioned whether teams were advantaged or disadvantaged purely because of their conference’s reputation.
In the 12-team College Football Playoff era, those perceptions aren’t just talking points, they can determine a team’s postseason fate. A single slip in a tough league or an undefeated run in a weaker conference can be the difference between making the playoff and missing out on an at-large bid.
Power, depth and consistency are all part of the equation. The SEC continues to flex its muscle, but the Big Ten’s expanded footprint and back-to-back national championships by its members are forcing everyone to rethink long-held assumptions. It’s clear those remain the top two conferences, but who sits confidently behind them with kickoff of the 2025 season just days away?
The ACC and Big 12 both have strong cases, though each comes with its own questions about quality of depth. Even the Group of Six conferences are part of the conversation, at least in terms of potential playoff spoilers.
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With league realignment settled and preseason expectations set, it’s time to see how each conference stacks up heading into 2025.
Power Four
1. SEC
The SEC hasn’t won a national title in the past two years and took plenty of criticism for its disappointing postseason showing last season. Still, it opens the 2025 season as the deepest conference in the country, topping the preseason conference power rankings. Like it or not, the strength of the league is undeniable, with preseason No. 1 Texas leading a group that could put the SEC back on college football’s mountaintop. No. 5 Georgia, No. 8 Alabama and No. 9 LSU all enter the year as legitimate national championship contenders, giving the conference four of the country’s biggest heavyweights at the top.
It doesn’t stop there. No. 13 South Carolina, No. 15 Florida, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 19 Texas A&M, No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 24 Tennessee start inside the preseason AP Top 25 and our own CBS Sports 136, adding serious depth behind the league’s top tier. Once again, the majority of the SEC looks capable of at least reaching a bowl game.
2. Big Ten
Back-to-back national championships might suggest the Big Ten deserves the top spot in these preseason conference power rankings. But it’s a new year, and while the league remains a step ahead of the next tier in the Power Four, it simply doesn’t quite match the SEC’s depth — that certainly could change. Still, with national title contenders such as No. 3 Ohio State aiming for a repeat, plus, with No. 2 Penn State and No. 7 Oregon back in the mix, the Big Ten has the firepower to keep the pressure on.
The Big Ten placed six teams in the top 25 of both the preseason AP Poll and CBS Sports 136, including Illinois, Indiana and Michigan in the upper tier. Others are lurking, as Iowa, Nebraska and USC could challenge the SEC’s depth if they exceed expectations in 2025.
3. Big 12
Perhaps it’s the fact that the Big 12 is essentially so wide open that it gives an illusion of being deep. But it doesn’t have a legitimate national title contender. What it does have is balance, excitement and unpredictability that make every weekend a must-watch. No. 11 Arizona State enters 2025 as the highest-ranked team in the polls, with No. 17 Kansas State, No. 22 Iowa State and big-spender No. 23 Texas Tech all within striking distance. Programs like Baylor, BYU, Kansas, TCU and Utah are also capable of reaching the College Football Playoff if they capture a Big 12 crown. While it may not match the SEC or Big Ten in depth, the Big 12’s parity ensures that every week brings meaningful games and plenty of intrigue.
4. ACC
No. 4 Clemson is back in the conversation as a national championship contender with all of its returning talent. No. 10 Miami wants to make a statement in that race too with the upgrades it made in the transfer portal, particularly in the defensive secondary. But what the ACC has in top-end talent, it lacks in depth from top to bottom. No. 16 SMU, (the third ACC team ranked in the preseason AP Top 25), Louisville and Georgia Tech have the talent to be in the mix for a spot in the conference title game, but the drop-off is fairly steep after that point. Duke looks to keep its momentum going with its $8 million transfer quarterback Darian Mensah, while Florida State hopes to bounce back after just two wins last season. The ACC also boasts something no other conference can claim: six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick at North Carolina.
Group of Six
1. American
The rebranded American Conference hopes to make a run at the College Football Playoff in 2025, despite the late-season fade of both Army and Navy last year. The American remains the top Group of Six league, anchored by consistent programs like Memphis, Tulane and UTSA. Even without last season’s starting quarterback Darian Mensah, Tulane topped the conference’s preseason poll and ranks as the highest American Conference team in our CBS Sports 136. The Green Wave are also among the most popular Group of Six picks to reach the playoff this year, with a fourth straight American Conference Championship Game appearance on the line after losing the last two. Still, only five starters return, meaning the path won’t be easy.
2. Sun Belt
The Sun Belt — aka the “Fun Belt” — has earned a reputation for pulling off upsets against Power Four programs, and 2025 could be no different. Even though James Madison added to that list of signature wins with an upset at North Carolina, the conference had a relatively quiet 2024, with only eight teams reaching a bowl game, though Louisiana and Marshall still managed to hit the 10-win mark. James Madison, which received votes in the preseason AP Poll, is favored to win the Sun Belt under second-year coach Bob Chesney. Should the Dukes upset Louisville in Week 2 — or at least keep it close — and then run the table in the Sun Belt, a College Football Playoff berth could be within reach if the rest of the conference boosts their strength of schedule.
3. Mountain West
How is the conference that sent a representative to the College Football Playoff No. 7 in the power rankings? Sure, No. 25 Boise State very well could make it back-to-back appearances even without star running back Ashton Jeanty, but beyond the Broncos, the Mountain West still lacks the depth to match The American. UNLV, runner-up in the conference the past two seasons, is perhaps the program most equipped to knock off Boise State. The Rebels reloaded under new coach Dan Mullen with the Mountain West’s top transfer class, including former five-star talents like Justin Flowe and Denver Harris.
4. Conference USA
Liberty seemed to be carrying a lot of weight in CUSA, but then programs like Jacksonville State, Sam Houston and Western Kentucky picked up some of the slack last season. Still, it’s the Flames’ conference title to lose as the preseason favorite entering 2025. With first-year FBS members Delaware and Missouri State joining, the league adds new competition, though both teams will be ineligible for the postseason as they transition and shouldn’t be too much of a threat to disrupt the conference race at the top.
5. MAC
Who doesn’t love some MAC-tion? The midweek games are a thrill for the sickos — even if the quality of teams isn’t elite. Although Toledo did receive votes in the preseason AP Top 25, the MAC still faces a steep uphill climb to reach the College Football Playoff in 2025. Buffalo, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio — the reigning conference champions — in pursuit of the Rockets. The MAC earned some respect after Northern Illinois upset Notre Dame early last season before the Fighting Irish went on to play in the national championship game. The Huskies’ win showed the MAC fights to compete, as conference members aim to stay in the same stratosphere as the big boys.
6. Pac-12
It’s hard to rank a two-team conference ahead of others that are fully intact. Only Oregon State and Washington State make up the Pac-12 in 2025, but outside of playing each other twice in November, they’ll essentially operate as independents. After being left out of initial conference realignment, the Beavers and Cougars get an opportunity to prove themselves, facing a combined eight games against Power Four opponents in the regular season. Last year, they went 3-3 in those matchups, facing mostly Mountain West competition in the other games.
The Pac-12 won’t be a two-team conference for long, as Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State are set to join for the league’s official 2026 relaunch.
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