Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Football conferences: Then, Now, and Later

While writing up the Conference Realignment Scorecard, and seeing how many teams will be switching in 2013, it gave me the idea to do a quick look at various affiliations over the last thirty years.

Just how different is the college football map now from 1983?  And how has it changed on a decade by decade basis?
I picked these years because 2013 is such a big year for realignment, and going backwards in 10 year increments, until we hit the formation of Division I-A (now FBS) in 1978.  So 1983 provides a good starting baseline.

1983
ACC:  Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
SEC:  Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Pac-10:  California, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State
Big Ten:  Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State
Big Eight:  Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Colorado
Southwest:  Arkansas, Baylor, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, Houston
Big 12:  see Big Eight and Southwest Conferences
Big East:  football added in 1991
Conference USA:  not yet formed
Mountain West:  not yet formed
Sun Belt:  no football yet
WAC:  BYU, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado State, UTEP, San Diego State, Hawaii, Air Force
MAC:  Ohio, Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan, Kent State, Toledo, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Northern Illinois
Indepedents:  Army, Boston College, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida State, Louisana-Lafayette, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Navy, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Temple, Tulane, Virginia Tech, West Virginia

1993
ACC: Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Florida State
SEC: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, South Carolina
Pac-10: California, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State
Big Ten: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State
Big Eight: Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Colorado
Southwest:  Baylor, Rice, Texas, Texas A&M, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, Houston
Big 12:  forms in 1996 by former members of Big Eight and Southwest Conference
Big East:  Boston College, Syracuse, Pitt, Miami, Rutgers, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Temple 
Conference USA:  forms in 1995
Mountain West:  forms in 1999
Sun Belt:  football added in 2001
WAC: BYU, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado State, UTEP, San Diego State, Hawaii, Air Force, Fresno State
MAC: Ohio, Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan, Kent State, Toledo, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Akron
Indepedents: Army, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Louisville, Memphis, Navy, Notre Dame, Southern Miss, Tulane, Tulsa

2003
ACC: Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Florida State
SEC: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, South Carolina
Pac-10: California, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State
Big Ten: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State
Big 12:  Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri
Big East: Boston College, Syracuse, Pitt, Miami, Rutgers, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Temple
Conference USA:  Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida, UAB, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane, Houston, East Carolina, Army, TCU
Mountain West:  Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah, Wyoming
Sun Belt:  Arkansas State, Louisana-Lafayette, FIU, New Mexico State, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Louisana-Monroe, Idaho, Utah State
WAC:  UTEP, Hawaii, Fresno State, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, San Jose State, Nevada, Boise State, Louisiana Tech
MAC: Ohio, Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan, Kent State, Toledo, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Akron, Northern Illinois, Marshall, Buffalo, UCF
Indepedents:  Connecticut, Navy, Notre Dame, Troy

2013
ACC: Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Miami, Boston College, Pitt, Syracuse
SEC: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Miss State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Missouri
Big Ten: Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State, Nebraska
Pac-12: California, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado
Big 12: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia, TCU
Big East:  Rutgers, Temple, UConn, Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida, Houston, SMU, UCF, Memphis, Boise State, San Diego State
Conference USA/Mountain West:  UAB, Southern Miss, East Carolina, Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, UNLV, Wyoming, Fresno State, Nevada, Hawaii
Sun Belt:  Western Kentucky, Arkansas State, Louisana-Lafayette, FIU, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Louisana-Monroe, Troy, FAU, Western Kentucky, South Alabama
WAC:  Idaho, San Jose State, Utah State, New Mexico State, Lousiana Tech, Texas State, UTSA
MAC: Ohio, Miami (Ohio), Western Michigan, Kent State, Toledo, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Akron, Northern Illinois, Buffalo, UMass
Indepedents:  Army, BYU, Navy, Notre Dame

Apologies if I left out some schools or messed a few details up.  While researching this, I realized I should have done five year increments.  There was a lot of conference changing between 1996 and 2012.

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