Accreditation—once technocratic—has moved to the center of policy fights. Ten institutions have signaled intent to seek recognition from a new regional accreditor for public colleges, a move that challenges the legacy accrediting ecosystem and aligns with recent federal deregulation efforts. The development follows an April executive order reshaping accreditor rules and Education Department actions that made switching accreditors easier. Observers warn the politicization threatens consistency in quality assurance and federal aid oversight. Colleges and systems weighing a switch to new accreditors must navigate federal recognition risk, potential scrutiny over mission fit, and the optics of aligning with regionally focused, politically contested agencies.