A major conference realignment occurred prior to the 2005 season , when 18 teams in Division 1-A changed conferences . Temple was expelled from the Big East Conference while Army ended its brief affiliation with Conference USA , resulting in both schools becoming Independents . Boston College left the Big East to become the 12th member of the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) , allowing the league to split into two divisions and hold an annual championship game . Cincinnati , Louisville and South Florida left Conference USA to join the Big East . Texas Christian University also left Conference USA to become the Mountain West Conference 's ninth member
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
2005 NCAA Division I-A football season