As the 2024-25 college basketball season starts, some teams will be in new conferences and are in good places for their new challenges.
With 22 teams swapping conferences, along with two teams moving up from Division II, one can wonder how they will perform in their new digs.
In this article, we will look at the five teams that have had the most success against the current members in their new home. The records do not include teams that are joining the conference with them. For example, Oregon State and Washington State have faced each other 174 times since 1949-50.
To get the records, we used Sports Reference which only counts games when both teams were in Division I. With that knowledge, we were unable to get records for two D2 teams transitioning to D1: Mercyhurst (joining the Northeast Conference) and West Georgia (joining the Atlantic Sun).
Now, three teams were on the outside of this list: Oklahoma (56.6 winning percentage against SEC), Utah (54.5 winning percentage against Big 12), and Arizona (53.1 winning percentage against Big 12)
Here are the five teams that have had the most success:
Chicago State
OK, who thought that this list would start with the last remaining independent team to join a conference and a team that many teams schedule as an ‘easy win’? Although the Cougars have only had 10 total meetings with the current members of the NEC, those meetings have led to a 6-4 record (60 winning percentage). The team they have faced the most is Central Connecticut State. In seven meetings, the Cougars hold a 4-3 edge. Chicago State has only had three winning seasons since joining D1 in 1984 and is looking for its first non-losing season in conference play since going 8-8 in their first season in the Western Athletic Conference in 2013-14.
Washington State
With the majority of the Pac-12 teams being lured away to other power conferences, the Cougars needed a temporary home as they potentially looked to wait out the Mountain West’s television deal before potentially trying a merger. The Cougars will call the West Coast Conference home for the next two seasons, having a 69-43 record (61.6 winning percentage). The most frequent match-up is with in-state rival Gonzaga, while they surprisingly hold a 44-32 edge. The Cougars are looking to make back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for just the second time in school history and first since 2006-08.
Stephen F. Austin
Unlike the rest of the teams in this article, this is a team that is returning to a conference they previously called home. After spending the last three seasons in the WAC, the Lumberjacks are rejoining the Southland Conference where they had a winning conference record in their last 16 years of membership. This run of dominance led SFA to a 218-123 record (63.9 winning percentage). Although the Lumberjacks faced Northwestern State 75 times, their series with Houston Christian has been the most successful due to winning all 10 meetings. They will be joined in the Southland by Texas-Rio Grande Valley, a team that they have defeated eight times in 10 overall meetings.
UCLA
One of the first dominoes to fall in this latest wave of realignment, the Bruins will not be in a conference based on the West Coast since their final independent season in 1926-27. UCLA has a 77-37 record (67.5 winning percentage). The only team that the Bruins have faced more than 10 times is Michigan, winning 13 games in 19 matchups against the Wolverines. Outside of Iowa (3-5) and Penn State (0-1), UCLA has winning records against all other teams in the Big Ten. The Bruins are looking to prevent failing to make the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons for only the third time since winning their last title in 1995.
Oregon State
The team that has the best record against their new conference opponents is not who you would think. Like Washington State, Oregon State is only going to the WCC for two seasons while working to keep the Pac-12 alive. They have a 71-25 record (74 winning percentage) against their new conference opponents. In-state opponent Portland is their most frequent opponent, leading the series 37-14. Another surprising State is that the Beavers are a combined 14-0 against Gonzaga and St. Mary’s, the two top dogs of the WCC.
The only team they have struggled against is San Francisco, a team on the rise that owns a 4-3 edge against Oregon State. The Beavers are hoping this change of scenery will give them a better opportunity at the NCAA Tournament, only making two tournaments since the 1990-91 season.
While it isn’t an exact science looking at old matchups to predict how a team will fare in their new home, it is a fun little exercise. Moving to a new conference may help a program return to previous high standards, giving their fan base a renewed excitement.