Honestly, if you took a nap in 2023 and just woke up to look at a college basketball scoreboard, you’d probably think you were having a fever dream. Seeing Stanford and California playing conference games against Boston College in the ACC? It’s weird. It’s objectively strange to have "Atlantic Coast" teams touching the Pacific Ocean. But this is the reality for division 1 basketball teams in 2026.
The map has been shredded. The old logic where you could guess a team's rivals based on a gas station map is dead and buried. Between the massive conference realignments and the fact that players are now basically professional employees thanks to revenue sharing, the D1 landscape is less of a "college league" and more of a high-stakes business operation.
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The Massive Shift in How Division 1 Basketball Teams Operate
We have to talk about the money. Not just the "under the table" stuff people whispered about for decades, but the actual, legal millions of dollars flowing into player pockets. As of the 2025-26 season, schools are now allowed to share up to 22% of their athletic revenue directly with athletes. We’re talking about a cap of roughly $20.5 million per school.
This changed everything.
Take a look at the Big 12. They’ve positioned themselves as the absolute "gauntlet" of basketball. Adding Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado didn't just expand their footprint; it created a situation where every single Tuesday night is a potential top-25 matchup. When Arizona travels to play Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, you aren’t just watching a game; you’re watching two of the best-funded rosters in the country.
But it’s not just about the blue bloods.
The Mid-Major "Squeeze"
The gap is widening. While the SEC and Big Ten are swimming in television contract cash, the mid-majors—think the Mountain West or the Atlantic 10—are in a bit of a survival mode.
The Mountain West is a perfect example of the chaos. We just saw San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, and Utah State prepare to jump ship to a rebuilt Pac-12 (along with Gonzaga, finally leaving their WCC nest). For years, the Mountain West was the best "mid-major" league in the country, often getting four or five teams into the Big Dance. Now, the identity of those programs is shifting as they chase the higher revenue and "High Major" status of the Pac-12.
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It’s kinda sad for the traditionalists. Those regional bus trips are being replaced by five-hour flights.
What Actually Makes a Team "Division 1" Anyway?
Most fans think D1 is just a label for "the big schools." Technically, there are about 360+ division 1 basketball teams right now, but the talent distribution is wildly uneven. You have the Duke Blue Devils at one end of the spectrum and schools like Mississippi Valley State or Coppin State at the other.
The NCAA actually updated some of the rules recently. To stay in Division 1, schools have to meet certain requirements regarding the number of sports they offer and how they fund scholarships. But here’s the kicker: some schools are actually deciding it’s not worth it anymore.
Did you see what happened with Saint Francis (PA)? They actually made the NCAA Tournament’s First Four last year and then essentially said, "We're out," moving toward a Division III model. It’s a sobering reminder that the "D1" dream is becoming prohibitively expensive for small private colleges.
The New Power Hierarchy (2026 Edition)
If you're looking at who's actually dominating the court right now, the names haven't changed much, but their paths have.
- The Big Ten Powerhouse: Nebraska is actually a story people aren't talking about enough. They’ve managed to leverage NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) better than almost anyone in the Midwest, keeping a core roster together that most thought would jump to the portal.
- The ACC’s New Look: Miami and Virginia are still fighting for the top, but they’re doing it while flying to Berkeley and Palo Alto. It’s a logistical nightmare that has some coaches, like Florida State’s staff, vocally questioning if the travel is sustainable for "student" athletes.
- The SEC Dominance: With Texas and Oklahoma fully integrated, the SEC is basically a pro league. Alabama and Auburn aren't just football schools anymore; they are top-tier basketball destinations with some of the highest-paid rosters in the nation.
Why "Mid-Majors" Still Matter
Even with the "Power Four" (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC) hoarding the spotlight, the soul of the game lives in the upsets.
Remember Florida winning the title in 2025? They weren't a "Cinderella," but they had to knock off a Houston team that looked invincible. And we’re still seeing teams like High Point and UC San Diego make their tournament debuts and prove that if you have a couple of 23-year-old seniors who can shoot the lights out, you can beat anyone.
The "COVID years" are finally over in terms of eligibility, so we're seeing fewer 25-year-old "super seniors," which has actually leveled the playing field a bit. You can't just rely on having the oldest team anymore; you actually have to recruit.
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The Transfer Portal Is the New High School Recruiting
Ask any coach. They spend more time "re-recruiting" their own locker room than they do scouting high school gyms. Basically, if a player at a "small" division 1 basketball team like Miami (Ohio) drops 20 points a game, he’s probably going to be playing for a blue blood the following season.
Take Miami (OH) this year. They started the season 19-0. It’s an incredible story. But everyone in the building knows that their best players are going to have massive offers to leave the moment the season ends. It’s a brutal cycle for mid-major coaches. You develop a kid, he gets good, and then a bigger school "buys" him.
It’s not "fair," but it’s the market.
Surprising Stats and Facts
- Travel Stress: Some West Coast teams in the ACC are projected to travel over 20,000 miles just for conference play this year.
- Revenue Gaps: The difference in TV revenue between a Big Ten school and a MAC school is now estimated to be over $50 million annually.
- The "Sister Jean" Legacy: Loyola Chicago chaplain Sister Jean passed away at 106 recently, marking the end of an era for one of the most famous "Cinderella" stories in D1 history.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Rankings
Everyone looks at the AP Poll. It’s fine for a headline. But if you want to know who is actually good, you have to look at the NET Rankings.
The NCAA uses the NET to seed the tournament. It cares about where you played and who you played. Beating a bad team by 50 points doesn't help you as much as losing a close game to a top-10 team on the road. This is why you’ll often see a team with more losses ranked higher than an undefeated team from a weak conference.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you’re trying to follow division 1 basketball teams without losing your mind this year, here’s how to do it:
1. Ignore the Conference Names
Don't get hung up on why a school in Dallas is in the "Atlantic" Coast Conference. Just look at the matchups. The realignment has actually made for better television, even if it ruined the geography.
2. Watch the "Quad 1" Wins
When Selection Sunday rolls around, the committee doesn't care about your record as much as your "Quad 1" wins. These are home games against top-30 teams or road games against top-75 teams. If a team doesn't have at least three or four of these, they are in trouble.
3. Follow the Money
If you want to know which "random" school is about to become a powerhouse, look at their NIL collective. Schools like Arkansas and Ole Miss have proven that if the boosters are willing to pay, the wins will follow.
4. Don't Sleep on the New Pac-12
Keep a very close eye on the transition of Gonzaga and San Diego State. They are essentially the "bridge" between the mid-majors and the elite. How they handle the jump in competition and travel will tell us a lot about the future of the sport.
The game is faster, the players are richer, and the map is a mess. But at the end of the day, it's still five guys on a floor trying to put a ball in a hoop. The chaos just makes the buzzer-beaters feel a little more desperate.
Next Steps for Fans:
- Track the NET: Start checking the daily NCAA NET rankings in February; it’s the only way to predict the bracket accurately.
- Audit Your Local Team: Check if your favorite school has opted into the new revenue-sharing model; if they haven't, expect them to struggle in the transfer portal.
- Watch the Mid-Major Tourneys: The "one-bid leagues" (like the SWAC or Southland) provide the most high-stakes basketball in March because it’s truly "win or go home."