COLLEGES THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED DIV I-A SINCE 1900 EAST and ATLANTIC Ivy League (Div-IAA since 1978) Brown (1900-1977) Columbia (1900-1905,1924-1977) Cornell (1900-1977) Dartmouth (1900-1977) Harvard (1900-1977) Pennsylvania (1900-1977) Princeton (1900-1977) Yale (1900-1977) Big East Conference Boston College (1919- ) Connecticut (Div-II 1947-1977, Div-IAA 1978-1999, Div-IA 2000- ) Miami (1935- ) Pittsburgh (1900- ) Rutgers (1919- ) Syracuse (1900- ) Temple (1929-54, 1971- ) Virginia Tech (1900- ) West Virginia (1900- ) Patriot League (Div-IAA since 1984) Bucknell (1900-1949) (Div-II since 1950) Colgate (1905-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) Fordham (1920-1954) (Div-IAA since 1990) Holy Cross (1900-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) Lafayette (1900-1949) (Div II 1950-77, Div-IAA since 1984) Lehigh (1900-1949) (Div II 1950-77, Div-IAA since 1984) Atlantic Ten Conference Boston Univ (Div-IA 1922-26,1935-38,1947-64) (Div-IAA since 1978) Maine (Div-II 1947-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) Massachusetts (Div-II 1947-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) New Hampshire (Div-II 1947-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) Rhode Island (Div-II 1947-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) Richmond (Div-IA 1930-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) Vermont (Div-II 1947-1973) (Div-IAA since 1978) Villanova (Div-IA 1930-80) (none 1981-84, Div-IAA since 1985) William & Mary (Div-IA 1930-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Duquesne (1933-1950) Georgetown (1900-1950) Manhattan (1934-1942) Mid Eastern Athletic Conference (Div I-AA since 1978) Delaware State (1971-1977) Howard (1971-1977) Morgan State (1971-1977) North Carolina A&T (1971-1977) North Carolina Central (1971-1977) South Carolina State (1971-1977) Eastern Independents Amherst (1877-1906) Bates (1901, 1904-1905) Bowdoin (1896, 1898-1901, 1904-1905) Carlisle Indians (1900-1917) Carniegie Tech (1922-40) Colby (1904) Hamilton (1904) M. I. T. (1882, 1886-1900) Navy (1900- ) NYU (1926-1952) Springfield (1891-1892, 1903-1904) Trinity (CT) (1887-1901, 1903) Tufts (1877, 1886-1905) Union (1894-1895) Washington & Jefferson (1900-1934) Wesleyan (1882-1905, 1913-1916) Williams (1886-1906) Atlantic Coast Conference Clemson (1900- ) Duke (1927- ) Florida State (1952- ) Georgia Tech (1900- ) Maryland (1917- ) North Carolina (1900- ) North Carolina State (1900- ) Virginia (1900- ) Wake Forest (1910- ) Southern Conference Appalachian State (Div I 1971-1977, Div I-AA since 1978) Citadel (1910-1977, Div-IAA since 1978) Davidson (1900-1977) (Div-IAA since 1978) East Tennessee State (Div II to 1977, Div-IAA since 1978) Furman (1910-1977, Div-IAA since 1978)) Georgia Southern (Div-1AA since 1992) George Washington (1932-1966) Tennessee at Chattanooga (Div II to 1975, Div I 1976-77, Div-IAA since 1978) Virginia Military Institute (1900-1977, Div-IAA since 1978) Washington & Lee (1900-1953) Western Carolina (Div II to 1975, Div I 1976-77, Div-IAA since 1978) Wofford (1914-1926, 1933, 1936) Penn State Athletic Conference Dickinson (1900-1910) Franklin & Marshall (1904) Swarthmore (1902, 1904-1907, 1912) SOUTH and SOUTHWEST Southeastern Conference Eastern Division Florida (1911- ) Georgia (1900- ) Kentucky (1900- ) South Carolina (1900-05, 1908- ) Tennessee (1900- ) Vanderbilt (1900- ) Western Division Alabama (1900- ) Arkansas (1905- ) Auburn (1900- ) Louisiana State (1900- ) Mississippi (1900- ) Mississippi State (1900- ) Sewanee (1900-1941) Conference USA Alabama at Birmingham (1996- ) Army (1900- ) Cincinnati (1946- ) East Carolina (1964- ) Houston (1950- ) Louisville (1950- ) Memphis (1957- ) South Florida (2001- ) Southern Mississippi (1963- ) Texas Christian (1902- ) Tulane (1900- ) Sun Belt Conference Arkansas State (1991- ) Idaho (1900-63, 1996- ) Louisiana at Monroe (1975-1981, 1994- ) Louisiana at Lafayette (1982- ) Middle Tennessee State (1999- ) New Mexico State (1931- ) North Texas State (1952-1986, 95-) Prediction: will add Florida Atlantic and Troy State in 2002 and Florida International and Western Kentucky in 2005. Southwestern Conference Phillips (1920) Southwestern U. (1908-28) Southwest Athletic Conference Div II to 1970, Div I 1971-77, Div-IAA since 1978 Alcorn State (1962-1977) Arkansas at Pine Bluff (1936-1970) Bishop (1920-1956) Grambling (1958-1977) Jackson State (1958-1977) Langston (1931-1957) Mississippi Valley State (1968-1977) Paul Quinn (1920-1929) Prairie View (1920-1977) Sam Houston College (1920-1959) Southern (1934-1977) Texas College (1920-1961) Texas Southern (1954-1977) Wiley (1920-1968) Southland Conference Div I 1975-77, Div-IA 1978-81, Div-IAA since 1982 Lamar (1975-1981) McNeese State (1975-1981) Texas at Arlington (1975-1981) Southern Independents Centenary (1927-1941) Central Florida (1996- ) Loyola (New Orleans) (1928-1936) Mercer (1924-1928,1933-1936) Tampa (1972-1974) Southeast Teams Birmingham Southern (1920-1922, 1924) Centre (1919-1925, 1935) Cumberland (1902, 1903, 1905) Erskine (1919, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1936) Gallaudet (1915) Hampden-Sydney (1922, 1925, 1938, 1939, 1940) Maryville (1906, 1907) Mercer (1909-1913, 1920-1925, 1933-1936) Millsaps (1924) Mississippi College (1911-1924) Nashville (1904) Newbery (1914-1925) Oglethorpe (1919-1925) Presbyterian (1915-1945) Samford (1907, 1909-1912, 1919-1924) MIDWEST and MISSOURI VALLEY Big Ten Conference Illinois (1900- ) Indiana (1900- ) Iowa (1900- ) Michigan (1900- ) Michigan State (1910- ) Minnesota (1900- ) Northwestern (1900-05, 1908- ) Ohio State (1900- ) Penn State (1900- ) Purdue (1900- ) Wisconsin (1900- ) Mid-American Conference Eastern Division Akron (1987- ) Bowling Green (1960- ) Buffalo (1962-1970, 1999- ) Kent (1960- ) Marshall (1960-70,1997- ) Miami (Ohio) (1960- ) Ohio (1960- ) Western Division Ball State (1975- ) Central Michigan (1975- ) Eastern Michigan (1976- ) Northern Illinois (1968- ) Toledo (1960- ) Western Michigan (1960- ) Western Reserve (Div II 1946-1955) Big Twelve Conference Northern Division Colorado (1900- ) Iowa State (1900- ) Kansas (1900- ) Kansas State (1908- ) Missouri (1900- ) Nebraska (1900- ) Southern Division Baylor (1901- ) Oklahoma (1901- ) Oklahoma State (1913- ) Texas (1900- ) Texas A&M (1900- ) Texas Tech (1931- ) Pioneer League Dayton (1955-1970) Drake (1900-58) Missouri Valley Conference Bradley (1949-1951) Creighton (1927-1942) Detroit (1927-1964) Grinnell (1905-1936) St. Louis (1907, 1932-1949) Wasburn (1905, 1935-1940) Washington (Missouri) (1902-1942) West Texas A&M (1941-1985) Wichita State (1945-1986) Gateway Football Conference (Div I-AA since 1978) Illinois State (1981-1985) Indiana State (1978-1985) Southern Illinois (1977-1984) Midwest Teams Beloit (1900-1905) Chicago (1900-1939) Coe (1905) Cornell(Iowa)(1903) Drury (1907) Haskell (1901-1910, 1914-1917) Knox (1900-1903, 1905) Lawrence (1903, 1905) Lombard (1903) Marquette (1927-1960) Physicians & Surgeons (1900) Simpson (1902-1903) Wabash (1904, 1905) Xavier (1935, 1959-1973) WEST Pacific Ten Conference Arizona (1931- ) Arizona State (1931- ) California (1900-05, 1915- ) Oregon (1900- ) Oregon State (1902- ) Southern California (1915- ) Stanford (1900-05, 1918- ) UCLA (1928- ) Washington (1900- ) Washington State (1900- ) Prediction: will add Hawaii by 2010. Western Athletic Conference Boise State (1996- ) Fresno State (1971- ) Hawaii (1974- ) Louisiana Tech (1989- ) Nevada (1900-04, 21-33, 46-50, 91- ) Rice (1914- ) San Jose State (1946- ) Southern Methodist (1916- ) Texas at El Paso (1931- ) Tulsa (1926- ) Prediction: will pick up Idaho, Portland State, and Utah State by 2010. Big West Conference California State at Los Angeles (1969-1971) California at Santa Barbara (1969-1971) Fullerton State (1974-1992) Long Beach State (1971-1991) Pacific (1950-1995) Utah State (1902- ) Rocky Mountain Conference Colorado College (1900-1937) Colorado Mines (1900-1937) Skyline Conference Denver (1900-1960) Northern Colorado (1923-1937) Western State (Colo) (1923-1937) Big Sky Conference (Div I-AA since 1978) Gonzaga (1922-1941) Idaho State (1978- ) Montana (1900-06, 1912-63) Montana State (1923-1937) Northern Arizona (1931-1961) Weber (1963-1972) Mountain West Conference Air Force (1958- ) Brigham Young (1922- ) Colorado State (1900- ) Nevada Las Vegas (1978- ) New Mexico (1931- ) San Diego State (1970- ) Utah (1900- ) Wyoming (1900- ) Border Conference Hardin Simmons (1931-1962) Western Independents Loyola Marymount (1930-1951) St. Mary's (1922-1950) San Francisco (1932-1943, 1946-1951) Santa Clara (1922-1952) Regis (1924, 1929, 1930) Whitman (1923, 1924) DESCRIPTION The NCAA began classifying teams as Major and College division in 1937. Division I, II, and III format was adopted in 1973, and Division I was divided in I-A and I-AA in 1978. When reading about college football history it is useful to know which teams were considered I-A, that is the top 100 or so programs. The NCAA record book is controversial in not considering Lafayette and Washington & Jefferson as I-A in 1921 when they were in the top five, and W&J went to the Rose Bowl. On the other hand New Mexico State is considered I-A in 1906 when their schedule is more like Division II. The NCAA in 1937 designated colleges as major if half of their opponents were major. Before 1937, colleges were not motivated to this, and often played most of the local state teams. For 1900-1936, I considered a program major if an average of four major opponents were played competitively each year, or if the school was obviously nationally prominent as in the case of Haskel Institute, which met intersectional opponents on a regular basis. The old Border Conference teams I list as I-A since 1931. The NCAA did not classify this conference as Div I until about 1950, but the Border conference compared in strength to the Rocky Mt. conference in the 1930's. I don't have a collection of NCAA guides so there are probably some errors. Please e-mail dwilson@engr.wisc.edu any corrections that are needed, or if you disagree with any selections for 1900-1936. Larry Hayes with corrections by Carl Dunn updated July, 1999 by David Krysakowski