Hello fellow information superhighway users. I just tried to list the 8 teams that were in the Sunbelt Confeence in the 80’s. I came up with nine, so I must have thrown one or more Metro teams in the mix.
So does anyone have a list of conference foes that the Niners went up against. I understand they were originally in the Dixie Conference. (NAIA?) My memory is not so feeble that I cannot name the C-USA or A-10 foes. Any info would help greatly. Thank you.
Goink by memory:
UAB
VCU
Jacksonville
South Alabama
ODU
USF
New Orleans???/Georgia Southern???
UNCC
New Orleans was a SB opponent once. They left by the time I moved here(87). Was Tulane in the Sunbelt?
Western Kentucky was for sure in the last few years of our SunBelt life. Benny Moss fans are familar with them. B)
South Alabama, Tulane and Western Kentucky were the perenial teams to beat.
S. Alabama ('77 - '91)
S. Florida ('77 - '91)
VCU ('79 - '91)
Jacksonville ('76 - '91)
Georgia State ('77 - '82)
UAB ('79 - '91)
New Orleans ('76 - '80)
W. Kentucky - ('82 - '91)*late addition
Old Dominion ('82 - '91)*late addition
UNCC - ('76 - '91)
These dates reflect what I found in the media guide by looking at our schedule/results section. The dates listed show what looks like our conference opponents during our stretch in the Sun Belt.
Obviously there could be some error in the dates…but for the most part, I think the teams are correct.
Thanks! Now the Metro! Here is my inclination.
UNCC
Louisville
Tulane
VCU
ODU
UAB
USF
Southern Miss
Was it an 8 or a 9 team league? Are these teams correct?
Metro Conference was '91 - '95
Per the Media Guide, teams included:
UNCC
VCU
S. Fla
Louisville
S. Miss
Tulane
Va. Tech
The charter members of the Sun Belt were:
Charlotte
Georgia State (now Atlantic Sun - moving to Colonial)
Jacksonville (now A-Sun)
New Orleans (left SBC, then rejoined)
South Alabama (only continuous member)
South Florida (left for Metro, now C-USA, soon Big East)
Along the way, joining during Charlotte’s tenure were:
Old Dominion (now Colonial)
UAB (left for Great Midwest, now C-USA)
Western Kentucky (rumored to be headed to MAC)
The last configuration of the Metro was:
Charlotte
Louisville
South Florida
Southern Miss
Tulane
VCU
Virginia Tech
The Great Midwest was made up of former Metro, Sun Belt, and Midwestern (now Horizon) schools:
Cincinnati
Dayton
DePaul
Marquette
Memphis
Saint Louis
UAB
The Metro and Great Midwest merged to form Conference USA, sans Dayton, VCU, and Va Tech. Houston joined a year later.
2 points for run49er.
What I find ironic about all the AD-bashing is that Judy Rose had to work her butt off to get us into Conference USA. Initially, we were on the “left-behind” list with Dayton, VCU, and VPI. When the Metro and Great Midwest were merging, it looked like we were headed to the A-10. Now, there’s the real irony…
I don’t know who VPI is. Maybe you mean VT, who went to the Big East & now Acc, so things worked out for them.
I can’t call it the A-10. I always call it the A-14 because once St. Louis & us join, that’s how many there will be. I also call the Big 10, the Big 11.
what about the Big 10? any chance they would want to add a bball only school to conference(since they only have 11 now anyway)…it seems to me like we have decent selling points to some of these big conferences. In nice city, in heart of ACC country, they could use us to stick it to the ACC plus our recent trips to tourney. Imagine what our recruiting would be like in a bigger conference…i think we could have a rivalry with Indiana in the making.
i know, wishful thinking…back to earth now.
[i]Originally posted by stonecoldken[/i]@Mar 29 2005, 05:59 PM [b] I don't know who VPI is. Maybe you mean VT, who went to the Big East & now Acc, so things worked out for them. [/b]Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI)
[i]Originally posted by austinniner+Mar 29 2005, 06:55 PM-->
[b]QUOTE[/b] (austinniner @ Mar 29 2005, 06:55 PM) <!--QuoteBegin-stonecoldken[/i]@Mar 29 2005, 05:59 PM [b] I don't know who VPI is. Maybe you mean VT, who went to the Big East & now Acc, so things worked out for them. [/b] Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) [/b][/quote] Officially, it's Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.