RE: Essential Division I Football Rivalries
A while back (I forgot I did this until today), I compiled a list of the number of matchups between every FBS school and created conferences based on the largest numbers of matchups. I had a couple rules:
1. No independents.
2. A large number of matchups (ex. Cincinnati vs. Miami OH) doesn't matter unless the schools share long-standing rivals.
Some of the conferences were forced due to a lack of having many long-standing rivalries. Most of the conferences that developed through this fun project are essentially older versions of current conferences. I can show the stats later, but they're extensive. I put no bias into the work. Some of its seems odd and nonsensical (even to me) but I did my best to make it work. Also, this is pre-Liberty and pre-Idaho to Big Sky.
ACC: Clemson, Duke, Florida St, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina St, South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
BIG-8: Colorado, Iowa St, Kansas, Kansas St, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St
B1G: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan St, Minnesota, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio St, Purdue, Wisconsin
CUSA: Arkansas St, Central Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, UL Lafayette, UL Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee St, North Texas, Troy, UAB, Western Kentucky
Eastern-12: Army, Boston College, Connecticut, Miami FL, Navy, Penn St, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Florida, Syracuse, Temple, West Virginia
Metro: Cincinnati, East Carolina, Louisville, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulsa
MAC: Akron, Ball St, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent St, Marshall, Massachusetts, Miami OH, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Mountain West: Air Force, BYU, Colorado St, Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego St, UNLV, Utah, UTEP, Wyoming
PAC-10: Arizona, Arizona St, California, Oregon, Oregon St, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington St
PCC: Boise St, Fresno St, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico St, San Jose St, Utah St
SEC: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi St, Tennessee, Tulane, Vanderbilt
SWC: Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Rice, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
Sun Belt: Appalachian St, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia St, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Texas St, UTSA
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