Honestly, if you think you know the map of Division I basketball schools, you’re probably already behind. The ground is moving. Between massive conference realignments and new roster rules kicking in for the 2025-26 season, the "big dance" is looking more like a game of musical chairs played on a moving train.
Right now, there are roughly 352 schools competing at the Division I level. That number isn't static. It's not a closed club. Just this year, we've seen schools like UC Merced and Jamestown pushing through the provisional process to join the ranks. It's a grind. To even sit at the table, a school has to sponsor at least 14 varsity sports and meet high-bar financial aid requirements. It’s expensive. Like, millions-of-dollars-a-year expensive.
The Massive 2026 Realignment Shift
You've probably noticed that your favorite rivalries look weird lately. That’s because the old "geographic" conferences are basically dead.
The Pac-12 is the biggest story of 2026. After nearly collapsing, it's rebuilding with a roster that looks nothing like the old West Coast powerhouse. We’re talking about Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State officially joining the fray. Even Gonzaga, the perennial mid-major king, has finally made the jump to the Pac-12 for this season.
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- Big Ten: Now spans from New Jersey to Oregon.
- ACC: Includes schools like Stanford and Cal, which... isn't exactly near the Atlantic.
- United Athletic Conference (UAC): A rebranded home for schools like Abilene Christian and Tarleton State.
It’s confusing for fans. It's even harder for the players who are now taking six-hour flights for a Tuesday night conference game.
Scholarships and the New Roster Cap
Here’s the thing nobody talks about: the scholarship limit just changed. For decades, men’s Division I basketball schools were capped at 13 scholarships.
As of the 2025-26 academic year, that’s gone.
The NCAA moved to a roster limit model instead. Now, schools can technically offer a scholarship to every single person on their 15-man roster. This is a direct result of the House v. NCAA settlement. It’s a total game-changer for the "walk-on." Those kids who used to pay their own way just to practice? They might actually get their school paid for now, provided the athletic department has the cash.
Why Mid-Majors are "Dangerously" Good
Don't let the big logos fool you. Schools like Utah State, Florida Atlantic, and Saint Louis are proving that the gap is shrinking. Why? The Transfer Portal.
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The portal is basically free agency. In January 2026, the NCAA Cabinet even tweaked the windows, making it a 15-day sprint after the championship game. This means a star player at a "small" school can vanish into the Big Ten overnight. But it also means a backup at Duke can move to a school like Grand Canyon University and become an All-American.
Current Top Performers (Jan 2026)
| School | Current Trend | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Ranked #1 | Elite frontcourt depth |
| Vanderbilt | Surprise Top 5 | High-efficiency perimeter defense |
| Michigan | Rising | Massive transfer portal wins |
| Iowa State | Top 3 | Defensive pressure |
The Survival of the "Small" DI School
You might wonder why a school with 2,000 students even tries to compete with a giant like Texas or Kentucky. It’s all about the "Flutie Effect." When a small Division I basketball school makes a run in the tournament, applications to the university skyrocket.
But it’s getting harder to survive.
The gap between the "Power Four" (Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, ACC) and everyone else is widening because of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) money. If a school can't provide a competitive NIL collective, they’re basically a farm team for the giants. It’s a harsh reality that has schools like Saint Francis opting to drop down to Division III recently.
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How to Actually Follow the 2026 Season
If you're trying to keep track of who is where, don't rely on old jerseys. Check the NET Rankings (NCAA Evaluation Tool). It’s the primary metric the selection committee uses to seed the 68 teams for the tournament.
As of mid-January 2026, the NET favors teams with "quadrant 1" wins—basically, beating good teams on the road. This is why a school like Nebraska is currently sitting higher than traditional blue-bloods like Kansas. They played a brutal December schedule and won.
Your Next Steps
If you're looking to scout a school or just want to be the smartest person at the sports bar, here is what you should do:
- Check the 2026 NET Rankings daily: This is where the real "power" lies, not the AP Poll.
- Monitor the United Athletic Conference (UAC): These schools are the "new guard" of Division I and often provide the best betting value or upset potential.
- Verify Conference Membership: Before you buy tickets for a "rivalry," make sure they are still in the same conference. You’d be surprised how many "annual" games have been cancelled.
Keep an eye on the First Four games in Dayton. With the roster expansion, the depth of these 60-68 seeds is better than it has ever been in the history of college hoops.