Sun Belt Expansion, Future Realignment, and Group of 5 Conference Predictions for 2025

With SEC media days underway and preseason practice just weeks away, college football's offseason is slowing winding down. And with less than 40 days until kickoff, the news cycle for 2025 is already heating up. Louisiana Tech is set to join the Sun Belt to replace Texas State, leaving Conference USA with 10 teams for the '26 season. Is this the last of expansion or could another wave of realignment be on the horizon? In addition to expansion chatter, the arrival of media days for each conference means it's time to lock in preseason predictions and rankings.

On this week’s episode of “Athlon U: The College Football Podcast,” Braden Gall and Steven Lassan discuss the latest news on expansion, Louisiana Tech joining the Sun Belt, and preview all of the Group of 5 conferences for 2025.

Group of 5 Predictions for 2025:
American | CUSA | MAC | Mountain West | Sun Belt 

• Louisiana Tech joins the Sun Belt (3:40)
• Is more expansion and conference realignment coming? (8:00)
• Which quarterbacks are the best in the Group of 5? (10:30)
• Oregon State and Washington State breakdown for 2025 (16:25)
• American Athletic Conference preview, top quarterbacks, predictions, and dark horse teams to watch (19:40)
• Mountain West Conference preview, top quarterbacks, predictions, and dark horse teams to watch (30:05)
• Conference USA preview, top quarterbacks, predictions and dark horse teams to watch (39:05)
• MAC preview, predictions, top quarterbacks, and dark horse teams to watch (43:25)
• Sun Belt Conference preview, top quarterbacks, predictions and dark horse teams to watch (47:40)