Delaware to Join Conference USA as First School to Pay $5M FBS Application Fee

The move, expected to be formalized soon, is part of a larger trend of conference realignment in college football.

Delaware is set to become the first school to pay the $5 million application fee to move from the FCS to FBS, joining Conference USA in the 2025-26 season.
The move is expected to be formalized in the coming days, making Delaware the conference's 11th member in football.
Delaware has a rich football history, having won the FCS national title in 2003 and producing Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Rich Gannon.
Delaware's move to FBS is part of a larger trend of conference realignment, with Conference USA having lost nine schools to the American and Sun Belt conferences over the last two years.
Delaware's transition to the FBS will begin in 2024, and it will not be eligible for the FCS playoffs that season.