On Dec. 15, 2009, the Big Ten released a statement saying the conference intended to explore expansion over the next "12 to 18 months." Six months later, Nebraska became the Big Ten's 12th member, and a nationwide game of musical chairs had begun.
As noted by Fox Sports's Stewart Mandel, 43 schools - slightly more than one third of all FBS membership - eventually moved leagues, though the school at the center of it all - Texas - stayed put. And, oddly enough, though the Big Ten's announcement started the game of musical chairs, its addition of Nebraska was not the first move. The Pac-12 added Colorado and Boise State jumped ship from the WAC to the Mountain West a day before the Huskers moved east.
Every FBS conference has seen its roster change. Two of them, the Big East and WAC, dropped football altogether, while an entirely new conference, the American, came into existence. In the meantime, a new postseason structure was born, allowing the ballooning SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC and the depleted Big 12 to consolidate power.
And now, five and a half years after that fateful announcement, the music has finally stopped. Navy officially became the American's 12th member as of 12:01 a.m. ET this morning.
Additionally for 2015, Charlotte has now joined Conference USA as a football member, joining UTSA, Texas State, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, South Alabama and Old Dominion among schools that used the moving and shaking as an opportunity to jump into FBS.
With Navy now in the AAC and the Big 12 locked into a grant of rights through the next decade, only one potential move lays on the horizon: Massachusetts enters its final season as a football-only MAC member in 2015 and heads into independence after that. Will the Minutemen become the Sun Belt's representative, or will the Big Ten shock the world and use UMass as its bridge to New England? If we learned one thing over the last half decade, it's to expect the unexpected.
Below is a rundown of changes from 2010 to 2015:
Big Ten
Lost: None
Added: Maryland, Nebraska, Rutgers
SEC
Lost: None
Added: Missouri, Texas A&M
Pac-12
Lost: None
Added: Colorado, Utah
ACC
Lost: Maryland
Added: Louisville, Notre Dame (non-football), Pittsburgh, Syracuse
Big 12
Lost: Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas A&M
Added: TCU, West Virginia
American (Big East)
Lost: Louisville, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, West Virginia
Added: Central Florida, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Navy, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa
Mountain West
Lost: BYU, TCU, Utah
Added: Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, San Jose State, Utah State
Conference USA
Lost: Central Florida, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa
Added: Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, UTSA, Western Kentucky
MAC
Lost: Temple, Massachusetts (2016)
Added: None
Sun Belt
Lost: Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Western Kentucky
Added: Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Idaho, New Mexico State, Texas State
WAC
Lost: Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Texas State, UTSA
Added: None