Another alternate history scenario:
Metro Conference football is a go in 1991! Feeling inadequate, the Pac-10 raids the Big 8 and becomes simply the PAC (Pacific Athletic Conference; ISU and KSU are left out). The Big Ten picks up PSU and ND. The SEC raids the SWC, taking Arkansas, UT, TAMU, and Houston. The enfeebled SWC restocks but is no longer considered a power. The ACC stands pat at 8 schools. Here's 1993:
Big Ten
East: Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
West: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin
Protected crossover: Indiana/Purdue
Metro
North: Boston College, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
South: East Carolina, Florida State, Louisville, Memphis State, Miami-FL, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Tulane
(At first, all the new schools are FB-only affiliates except Miami and ECU. Eventually all the rest but Temple join as full members.)
PAC
East: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
West: California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State
SEC
East: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
West: Arkansas, Houston, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M
SWC
Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Rice, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, Tulsa
The ACC, Big West, MAC, and WAC are the same as in our timeline.
~~~~~~
Notable changes in the years after the big realignment:
- Several eastern schools form the Eastern Athletic Conference (EAC), a I-A non-power conference
- Big West drops football due to lack of football schools
- Big Ten adds Rutgers and Syracuse from Metro and Maryland and Virginia from ACC
- SEC adds Clemson and NC State from ACC
- Metro boots out Temple and restocks by adding Duke, Georgia Tech, North Carolina
- ACC dissolves; Wake Forest joins EAC
~~~~~~
And today's I-A lineup:
Big Ten
East: Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse, Virginia
North: Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Notre Dame
South: Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
West: Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin
Protected crossovers: Illinois/Northwestern, Michigan/Ohio State, Notre Dame/Purdue
Metro
East: Duke, East Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia Tech
North: Boston College, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, West Virginia
South: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami-FL, South Carolina
West: Louisville, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane
PAC
East: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
North: Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State
South: Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
West: California, Stanford, UCLA, USC
Protected crossover: Nebraska/Oklahoma
SEC
East: Clemson, Florida, Georgia, NC State
North: Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
South: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
West: Houston, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M
Protected crossovers: Alabama/Tennessee, Auburn/Georgia
EAC
North: Army, Buffalo, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Navy, Temple
South: Central Florida, Charlotte, James Madison, Marshall, South Florida, Wake Forest
MAC
East: Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami-OH, Ohio, Youngstown State
West: Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan
Protected crossover: Bowling Green/Toledo
SWC
East: Arkansas State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Tulsa, UAB
West: Baylor, North Texas, Rice, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech
WAC
Mountain: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, UTEP, Wyoming
Pacific: BYU, Fresno State, Hawaii, San Diego State, UNLV, Utah