Here are some concept what the conferences would look like today from the realignment from 1997 to now and maybe in the future.

ACC
1.Georgia Tech
2.Florida State
3.Clemson
4.Wake Forest
5.UNC
6.Duke
7.NC State
8.Washington & Lee
9.Virginia Tech
10.Virginia
11.Boston College
12.Syracuse
13.Miami
14.Pittsburgh
15.Louisville

Big 10
1.Minnesota
2.Iowa
3.Nebraska
4.Wisconsin
5.Illinois
6.U. of Chicago
7.Northwestern
8.Washington, Mo.
9.Indiana
10.Purdue
11.Michigan
12.Lake Forest
13.Ohio State
14.Rutgers
15.Maryland
16.Johns Hopkins

I was tempted to put Case Western Reserve, NYU and MIT in with the Big 10. All three do have very large endowments in the billions and all three are AAU.

Big 12
1.Oklahoma
2.Oklahoma State
3.Kansas
4.Kansas State
5.Iowa State
6.Grinnell
7.West Virginia
8.BYU
9.Drake
10.Texas
11.Texas Tech
12.TCU
13.Baylor
14.New Mexico

PAC 14
1.California
2.Stanford
3.UCLA
4.USC
5.Oregon
6.Oregon State
7.Washington
8.Washington State
9.Idaho
10.Montana
11.Arizona
12.Arizona State
13.Utah
14.Colorado

SWC
1.Houston
2.Rice
3.Southwestern
4.Phillips
5.New Mexico State
6.West Texas A&M
7.Tulsa
8.SMU
9.UTSA
10.La. Tech
11.Arkansas State
12.Missouri State
13.Wichita State
14.North Texas

SEC
1.South Carolina
2.Arkansas
3.LSU
4.Tennessee
5.Vanderbilt
6.Kentucky
7.Ole Miss.
8.Mississippi State
9.Alabama
10.Auburn
11.Florida
12.Georgia
13.Sewanee
14.Tulane
15.Texas A&M
16.Missouri

Big East
1.Georgetown
2.Providence
3.St. John's
4.Seton Hall
5.Villanova
6.DePaul
7.Marquette
8.Butler
9.Creighton
10.Xavier

AAC
1.UConn.
2.Temple
3.USF
4.Navy
5.East Carolina
6.Memphis
7.UCF
8.Cincinnati
9.UMass.
10.Army
11.Old Dominion
12.VCU

Big West
1.Sacramento State
2.Northern Arizona
3.Cal. Poly
4.Cal. Davis
5.Northridge State
6.Cal. State-L.A.
7.Pacific
8.UCSB
9.Long Beach State
10.UC-Riverside
11.California Baptist
12.San Jose State

WAC
1.San Diego State
2.Fresno State
3.UNR
4.UNLV
5.Hawaii
6.Boise State
7.Utah State
8.Wyoming
9.Colorado State
10.Air Force
11.Fullerton State
12.UTEP

Sun Belt
1.Georgia State
2.South Alabama
3.Little Rock
4.Lamar
5.UTRGV
6.La.-Monroe
7.Troy
8.Texas state
9.UTA
10.Appalachian State
11.Georgia Southern
12.Coastal Carolina

MAC
1.Wayne State
2.Case Western Reserve
3.Ohio
4.Miami
5.Western Michigan
6.Toledo
7.Kent State
8.Bowling Green
9.Central Michigan
10.Eastern Michigan
11.Ball State
12.Northern Illinois
13.Akron
14.Buffalo

C-USA
1.UAB
2.FAU
3.FIU
4.Middle Tennessee State
5.Marshall
6.Charlotte
7.Southern Mississippi
8.Western Kentucky
9.James Madison
10.Delaware

CAA
1.William & Mary
2.Catholic U.
3.Towson
4.Richmond
5.Drexel
6.Hofstra
7.Maine
8.New Hampshire
9.URI
10.Albany
11.Stony Brook
12.College of Charleston
13.Elon

Big Sky
1.Gonzaga
2.Idaho State
3.Montana State
4.Weber State
5.Portland State
6.Northern Colorado
7.Southern Utah
8.Eastern Washington
9.Western Oregon
10.Central Washington
11.Azusa Pacific
12.Humboldt State

MVC
1.Washburn
2.Bradley
3.Southern Illinois
4.Indiana State
5.Illinois State
6.Northern Iowa
7.Drury
8.Evansville
9.Lindenwood
10.

Southland
1.Trinity, TX
2.Abilene Christian
3.Central Arkansas
4.Houston Baptist
5.Incarnate Word
6.McNeese State
7.Nicholls State
8.NW State La.
9.Sam Houston State
10.Southeastern LA.
11.SFA
12.Texas A&M-C.C.

Southern
1.VMI
2.The citadel
3.Furman
4.Chattanooga
5.Western Carolina
6.East Tennessee State
7.Wofford
8.Samford
9.Mercer

A-10
1.Duquesne
2.George Washington
3.St. Bonaventure
4.URI could be here instead of CAA
5.St. Joseph's, PA.
6.Dayton
7.Fordham
8.La Salle
9.Saint Louis
10.Lock Haven
11.VCU
12.Davidson

American East
1.Vermont could be an affiliate of the CAA.
2.Umass.-Lowell
3.Maine
4.New Hampshire
5.Albany
6.Stony Brook

american East could add some D2 schools like Merrimack, Bentley, New Haven, and so forth to bring up to be safe for football sponsorship.

A-Sun
1.North Alabama
2.Jacksonville
3.Stetson
4.Centenary
5.Hardin-Simmons
6. Kennesaw State


Big South
1.Campbell
2.Charleston-Southern
3.UNC-Asheville
4.High Point
5.Birmingham-Southern
6.Gardner-Webb
7. Presbyterian

MEAC
These 4.
Coppin State
Maryland-Eastern Shore
Morris Brown
Winston-Salem

NEC
1.Baltimore
2. Fairleigh-Dickinson
3.Long Island
4.Robert Morris
5.St. Francis, NY
6.St. Francis, PA.
7.Wagner
8.Mount Saint Mary's
9.C. Conn. State
10.Sacred Heart
11.Bryant

OVC
1.Eastern Kentucky
2.Murray State
3. Morehead State
4.Tennessee Tech
5.Austin Peay
6.Tennessee State
7.SE Missouri State
8.Tennessee-Martin
9.Eastern Illinois
10.Jacksonville State

Patriot
1.Bucknell
2.Colgate
3.Holy Cross
4.Lafayette
5.Lehigh
6.American
7.Boston U.
8.Loyola, MD.
9.MIT

Horizon
1.Oklahoma City
2.Detroit Mercy
3.UIC
4.Milwaukee
5.Youngstown State
6.Oakland

MAAC
1.Fairfield
2.Iona
3.Manhattan
4.St. Peter's
5.Canisius
6.Niagara
7.Siena
8.Marist
9.Rider
10.Monmouth

Summit
1.Western Illinois
2.South Dakota State
3.North Dakota State
4.Omaha
5.Denver
6.North Dakota
7.South Dakota

SWAC
1.Paul Quinn
2.Huston-Tillitson
3.Texas College
4.Wiley
5.Langston
6.Alabama State
7.Alabama A&M
8.Mississippi Valley State
9.Alcorn State
10.Jackson State
11.UAPB
12.Grambling
13.Southern
14.Prairie View A&M
15.Texas Southern

WCC
1.Portland
2.San Francisco
3.Santa Clara
4.Saint Mary's
5.Loyola marymount
6.Pepperdine
7.San Diego
8.Pacific could be here
9.Gonzaga could be here
10.Colorado College could be here

Great West None-Football
1.Utah Valley
2.UMKC
3.Chicago State
4.Cal. State-Bakersfield
5.Dallas Baptist
6.Seattle U.
7.Grand Canyon
8.Cal.-San Diego could be an affiliate in football to the Big West or Big Sky.

On the Southwest Conference, Philips doesn't even exist as a school anymore. It folded in 1998. Maybe had it stayed in the SWC it'd still be around but that's neither here nor there.

(04-28-2017 10:19 AM)_C2_ Wrote:  On the Southwest Conference, Philips doesn't even exist as a school anymore. It folded in 1998. Maybe had it stayed in the SWC it'd still be around but that's neither here nor there.

I know, but what if they have not left, dropped football and closed down? Would they still be around today in D1?

You need to look at it from one perspective or another. All this woulda, coulda, shoulda doesn't amount to much.

Everybody forgets about Buffalo in this. I can see a scenario where Buffalo does not drop football in the early 70's, remains a scholarship school in the 70's and 80's, and eventually winds up in the Big 10 instead of Maryland. Here goes: 1971-78 Buffalo is independent for all sports. 1979. Buffalo (Decent sized market, state flagship) gets a Big East invite, but still is independent in Football. 1991-Buffalo joins Big East Football. 1998- Buffalo becomes a AAU school. 2013- Buffalo (Flagship school, AAU) joins Big 10.

(07-27-2018 10:26 AM)whittx Wrote:  Everybody forgets about Buffalo in this. I can see a scenario where Buffalo does not drop football in the early 70's, remains a scholarship school in the 70's and 80's, and eventually winds up in the Big 10 instead of Maryland. Here goes: 1971-78 Buffalo is independent for all sports. 1979. Buffalo (Decent sized market, state flagship) gets a Big East invite, but still is independent in Football. 1991-Buffalo joins Big East Football. 1998- Buffalo becomes a AAU school. 2013- Buffalo (Flagship school, AAU) joins Big 10.

Baltimore/DC market >>>>> Buffalo market

(07-27-2018 10:33 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 10:26 AM)whittx Wrote:  Everybody forgets about Buffalo in this. I can see a scenario where Buffalo does not drop football in the early 70's, remains a scholarship school in the 70's and 80's, and eventually winds up in the Big 10 instead of Maryland. Here goes: 1971-78 Buffalo is independent for all sports. 1979. Buffalo (Decent sized market, state flagship) gets a Big East invite, but still is independent in Football. 1991-Buffalo joins Big East Football. 1998- Buffalo becomes a AAU school. 2013- Buffalo (Flagship school, AAU) joins Big 10.

Baltimore/DC market >>>>> Buffalo market

True, but Buffalo fits better in the footprint than Rutgers or UMD does.

Can't really speak to the others but College of Charleston would probably be right where they are now - CAA.

Actually now that I think about it most other schools would probably be in the same boat, except for perhaps a handful (like Duke, Vandy, Northwestern) that may have been grandfathered into P5 conferences.

(07-27-2018 01:00 PM)Gamecock Wrote:  Can't really speak to the others but College of Charleston would probably be right where they are now - CAA.

Actually now that I think about it most other schools would probably be in the same boat, except for perhaps a handful (like Duke, Vandy, Northwestern) that may have been grandfathered into P5 conferences.

But if C of C had merged with The Citadel and MUSC, they would be a Conference USA school instead.

(04-22-2017 06:59 AM)dayooper Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 09:51 PM)gosports1 Wrote:  the BIG 10 obviously

He is missing one that actually would be in the Big10: University of Chicago.

And a former member of the SEC who would never have been uninvited: Sewanee. Hopefully, 60,000 fans would all be able to fit into the Smoke House for a buffet meal after the game.

(04-21-2017 09:38 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  This is about schools who used to have football or who downgraded football?

Which conference they should go into today if they did not dropped or downgraded?


American University dropped 1941
Little Rock 1955
Boston U.
Bradley
Fullerton State
Long Beach State
Northridge State
Cal.-Riverside
Cal.-Santa Barbara
Canisius
Centenary LA
College of Charleston 1923
Creighton
Denver
DePaul
Detroit
Drexel
Evansville
Fairfield
George Washington
Gonzaga
High Point
Hofstra
Illinois-Chicago
Iona
La Salle
Long Island
Loyola Marymount
Loyola-Chicago
Loyola-Maryland
Manhattan
Marquette
Maryland-Eastern Shore
Mount Saint Mary's
City College of New York
NYU
Niagara
UNC-Asheville
Pacific
Pepperdine
Portland
Providence
Rider
Saint Bonaventure
St. Francis NY
St. Johns NY
Saint Joseph's
Saint Louis
St. Mary's, California
Saint Peter's
U. of San Francisco
Santa Clara
Seton Hall
Siena
Texas A&M-Corpus Christie
UTA
UTRGV
Vermont
Wichita State
Milwaukee
Xavier, Ohio
Alaska-Fairbanks
University of Baltimore former D1
Bradley
Brooklyn
California Baptist
CalTech
California State- Los Angeles
Cal-San Diego
Cameron
Colorado College
University of District Columbia
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Haskell Indian Nations University
Lake Superior State University
Morris Brown College about to close. School have less than 100 student enrolled.
University of Nebraska Omaha
University of North Georgia
Oakland University
Oklahoma City University
Phillips University now closed was a former SWC member
Saint Leo University
San Francisco State University
Sonoma State University
University of Tampa
Texas Wesleyan University would reinstate their football team this fall, formally played as a major college.
Case Western Reserve University now in D3
Western Washington University
Washburn was in MVC
West Texas A&M was in MVC
Sewanee
Trinity Texas
Southwestern Texas
Washington MO
Grinnell
Washington and Lee
Johns Hopkins
Carnegie Mellon
Bentley
Assumption
Colorado Mines
Regis
Metro State
Western State
American International College
Merrimack College
Northern Michigan University was a member of a D1 for all sports with Youngstown State and some MAC members from Michigan.
Michigan Technological University
Wayne State University
Eastern New Mexico University
Adelphi University
Le Moyne College
Mercy College
Winston–Salem State University
Cedarville University
Mercyhurst University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Erskine College
Angelo State University
Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Commerce
University of Charleston
Shepherd University
Birmingham–Southern College
California Lutheran University
Chapman University
Claremont–Mudd–Scripps three small colleges combined their football to form one team. ClareMont, Harvey Mudd and Scripps
University of La Verne
Occidental College
Pomona College and Pitzer College to form Pomona Pitzer
University of Redlands
Whittier College
The California D3 schools in that conference used to played against UCLA.
Trinity College Conn.
United States Coast Guard Academy
Wesleyan University
Catholic University of America
Gallaudet University
University of Chicago
Eureka College
Illinois College
Illinois Wesleyan University
Knox College
Lake Forest College Was asked to be co-founders of the Big 10.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Coe College
Cornell College Iowa
Centre College
Thomas More College
Louisiana College
Mississippi College
Bates College
Bowdoin College
Colby College
Husson University
Maine Maritime Academy
Salisbury University
Amherst College
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Springfield College
Wheaton College
Williams College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester State University
Adrian College
Alma College
Hope College
Kalamazoo College
Olivet College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Hamline University
University of St. Thomas
Plymouth State University
Rowan University
Buffalo State College
Hartwick College[
Hobart
Ithaca College
Cortland State
New York Maritime
RPI
Merchant Marines
Utica College
Guilford College
Methodist University
Capital University
Heidelberg University
Oberlin College
College of Wooster
George Fox University
Linfield College
Pacific University Oregon
Willamette University
Albright College
Carnegie Mellon University
Dickinson College
Franklin & Marshall College[
Gettysburg College
Grove City College
Muhlenberg College
Swarthmore College
Ursinus College
Washington & Jefferson College
Salve Regina University
Maryville College
Rhodes College
Austin College
Sul Ross State University
Southwestern
Hardin-Simmons
Norwich University
Bridgewater College
Hampden–Sydney College
Randolph–Macon College
Roanoke College
Shenandoah University
Washington and Lee University
Pacific Lutheran University
University of Puget Sound
Whitman College
Carthage College
University of Wisconsin–La Crosse
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin–Whitewater
College of Idaho
Indiana Wesleyan University
Baker University
Friends University
Georgetown College
University of the Cumberlands
Union College
Union, Tenn.
Cumberland University
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Wentworth Military Academy and College
Marion Military Institute
Georgia Military College
Mississippi Delta Community College
New Mexico Military Institute


These were all used to be D1 or considered major programs at one time. Were would they be now today?

The Great Northern!

(07-27-2018 03:56 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(04-22-2017 06:59 AM)dayooper Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 09:51 PM)gosports1 Wrote:  the BIG 10 obviously

He is missing one that actually would be in the Big10: University of Chicago.

And a former member of the SEC who would never have been uninvited: Sewanee. Hopefully, 60,000 fans would all be able to fit into the Smoke House for a buffet meal after the game.

The school would have changed from then to now with them having a bigger stadium, more students and all that.

University of Chicago, NYU and MIT are very large D3 schools with huge endowments that could survive today at the FBS level. Boston U. is another one. Boston U. might be in a Power conference because they are an AAU school. They could be a Big 10 candidate. All four would be Big 10 material if they have not dropped football or downgraded.

(07-27-2018 04:27 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 03:56 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(04-22-2017 06:59 AM)dayooper Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 09:51 PM)gosports1 Wrote:  the BIG 10 obviously

He is missing one that actually would be in the Big10: University of Chicago.

And a former member of the SEC who would never have been uninvited: Sewanee. Hopefully, 60,000 fans would all be able to fit into the Smoke House for a buffet meal after the game.

The school would have changed from then to now with them having a bigger stadium, more students and all that.

University of Chicago, NYU and MIT are very large D3 schools with huge endowments that could survive today at the FBS level. Boston U. is another one. Boston U. might be in a Power conference because they are an AAU school. They could be a Big 10 candidate. All four would be Big 10 material if they have not dropped football or downgraded.

Yes, I was joking a bit about Sewanee... a beautiful medieval feeling campus close to Chattanooga and they would have adapted, much like so many SEC brethren have done in recent decades.

(07-27-2018 03:51 PM)whittx Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 01:00 PM)Gamecock Wrote:  Can't really speak to the others but College of Charleston would probably be right where they are now - CAA.

Actually now that I think about it most other schools would probably be in the same boat, except for perhaps a handful (like Duke, Vandy, Northwestern) that may have been grandfathered into P5 conferences.

But if C of C had merged with The Citadel and MUSC, they would be a Conference USA school instead.

Hahaha

(07-27-2018 04:37 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 04:27 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 03:56 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(04-22-2017 06:59 AM)dayooper Wrote:  

(04-21-2017 09:51 PM)gosports1 Wrote:  the BIG 10 obviously

He is missing one that actually would be in the Big10: University of Chicago.

And a former member of the SEC who would never have been uninvited: Sewanee. Hopefully, 60,000 fans would all be able to fit into the Smoke House for a buffet meal after the game.

The school would have changed from then to now with them having a bigger stadium, more students and all that.

University of Chicago, NYU and MIT are very large D3 schools with huge endowments that could survive today at the FBS level. Boston U. is another one. Boston U. might be in a Power conference because they are an AAU school. They could be a Big 10 candidate. All four would be Big 10 material if they have not dropped football or downgraded.

Yes, I was joking a bit about Sewanee... a beautiful medieval feeling campus close to Chattanooga and they would have adapted, much like so many SEC brethren have done in recent decades.

I’m sure they eventually would have adapted at least similar to where Vanderbilt is. Would be interesting to see a seminary school at the major college level

As far as the ACC goes Davidson, William & Mary, and Georgetown are the three programs that come to mind that could have kept up with Duke, MD, and Clemson from the standpoint of actually putting a team on the field. They would not have produced many winning seasons, but they would at least be able to field a team.

W&M would have sucked the life out of ODU and ECU. Davidson would have sucked the life out of App State and Charlotte and negatively impacted Wake Forest. Georgetown - who knows.


Washington and Lee could not have sustained itself, nor Richmond, nor Furman, nor the Citadel, nor George Washington.


The internal politics of the Southern Conference was such that Virginia would not abide a conference with another Virginia school. William and Mary had already become a pariah in the Commonwealth due to a massive cheating scandal in the late 40's early 50's. W&L and VMI were both redundant with VT, UVa wanted no part of either of the three. Clemson and SC would not have wanted Furman and the Citadel to stay. Davidson could have emulated Wake Forest and used proximity to Charlotte for that purpose. However by the time of the split in 1953, I don't think any of those would have gotten the votes to move from the SoCon to the ACC.


Also, if Johns Hopkins played football, they would be doing it in the ACC, never the Big 10.

I'm just no sure you can really determine that much with this exercise because at a certain point the mix of schools in a conference would have changed some of their internal dynamics. The Big 10 and the SEC would not be affected by a school mix, but the ACC would have and then likely ends up losing UVa, UNC, MD, Clemson, and NC State to the SEC before it ever expands to with FSU.

The second most likely scenario would have been Penn State, NC State, UNC, UVa, MD, and Clemson hooking up in the 70's, perhaps with Pitt and Syracuse.

You also have to account for segregation and Jim Crow in regards to what could have happened prior to about 1968.

(07-27-2018 06:31 PM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 04:37 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 04:27 PM)DavidSt Wrote:  

(07-27-2018 03:56 PM)bigblueblindness Wrote:  

(04-22-2017 06:59 AM)dayooper Wrote:  He is missing one that actually would be in the Big10: University of Chicago.

And a former member of the SEC who would never have been uninvited: Sewanee. Hopefully, 60,000 fans would all be able to fit into the Smoke House for a buffet meal after the game.

The school would have changed from then to now with them having a bigger stadium, more students and all that.

University of Chicago, NYU and MIT are very large D3 schools with huge endowments that could survive today at the FBS level. Boston U. is another one. Boston U. might be in a Power conference because they are an AAU school. They could be a Big 10 candidate. All four would be Big 10 material if they have not dropped football or downgraded.

Yes, I was joking a bit about Sewanee... a beautiful medieval feeling campus close to Chattanooga and they would have adapted, much like so many SEC brethren have done in recent decades.

I’m sure they eventually would have adapted at least similar to where Vanderbilt is. Would be interesting to see a seminary school at the major college level

That was Wake Forest for a number of years.

I'm mostly impressed by the sheer size of the list.

(07-27-2018 10:58 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I'm mostly impressed by the sheer size of the list.

This is like a history of college at major sports level in the past.

There was a whole conference at the major level for Oklahoma schools. The front runners of that conference was Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Oklahoma was only in it for 1 year. 1914. Oklahoma State was in it for several years losing football titles to Central Oklahoma, SW Oklahoma State and Tulsa. Central Oklahoma could be the next closest in moving up to D1 from the whole group. It is pretty interesting history of sports to see who played who, and when politics and academics did not play any part in schools ending up where they are at today.

I don't think Denver would be in the Summit today had it kept football. It would be a bottom feeder in the MWC, and it would not be elite in hockey or any other sport, since football is a money-suck for most of the teams that play it. DU would be like Rice, without the Texas talent. We would have 10,000-20,000 fans rattling around in 75,000 seat Mile High Stadium, many of whom would be cheering for the opponent. Meh.

I would rather not have football and use those resources to be elite in hockey, soccer and lacrosse, where Denver is a NCAA final four threat.