We all know some of the most talked-about conferences in college football, like the SEC, the Big Ten and the Big 12, but what about the smaller conferences like the ACC, the Sun Belt and American Athletic Conference?

Journalist Tucker Harlin spoke with former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers in an article for “Sports Illustrated” titled, “Jordan Rodgers Names the Best Conference in College Football Ahead of 2026 Season.” Harlin asked Rodgers his thoughts on what conference is the best.

“This conversation gets convoluted because the Big Ten has had the most success recently with national championships, no doubt,” Rodgers said. “The best league, to me, you must look at who’s the deepest, who has the most talent, who has the most teams that can compete for a national championship, and that’s still the SEC.”

While this might be the case, and it is a strong argument because both conferences have at least two or three teams that lead every year, I’m sure there are others who might say or think differently. 

According to a “Yahoo Sports” article titled, “Indiana’s Curt Cignetti: The Big Ten is the best conference because ‘we don’t cry a river, whine and complain’ after falling short,” senior writer Nick Bromberg interviewed Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti.

“The Big Ten is the best league in football and has a lot of really good football teams,” Cignetti said. “It’s hard to win on the road. Very physical football teams. Very well-coached. It definitely prepares you for the playoffs-there’s no doubt about it. The numbers speak for themselves.” 

So far, both Rodgers and Cignetti have talked about the usual suspects in The Big Ten and the SEC, but what about the other conferences? Where do they stand? 

In the same Sports Illustrated article above, Rodgers also stated, “So history tells us that the SEC is still the deepest; they still have the most talent. I think there’s five rosters in the SEC that can compete for a national championship, and I don’t think you can say the past three in the Big Ten.”

Cignetti also mentioned, “We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. We believe that everything’s earned, not given. And when we fall short, we say we fell short. We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. Alright? And that’s why we are the best.”

So, while the Big Ten and the SEC are the most talked about, I think the ACC is the best conference in football. I think that every team is fairly even and competitive, and there is no real frontrunner. The games are very entertaining because of the competitive balance. I think the Sun Belt Conference is also competitive, but the ACC is the best conference in college football, and I think they will shock the world in 2026.