Metro Conference
This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2018) |
Association | NCAA |
---|---|
Founded | 1975 |
Ceased | 1995 |
Division | Division I |
No. of teams | 7 (final), 13 (total) |
Locations | |
The Metropolitan Collegiate Athletic Conference, popularly known as the Metro Conference, was an
The conference was popularly known as the "Metro 6" during its first season, then as the "Metro 7" during the rest of the 1970s and early 1980s. For most of its existence, it was considered a "major" conference.
History
The Metro Conference was founded in 1975 with institutions that were located in urban metropolitan areas. The charter members were the
In 1978, Georgia Tech left the Metro for the Atlantic Coast Conference, effective on July 1, 1979; and Virginia Tech took its spot. In 1982, Saint Louis left to join the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, now known as the Horizon League; while the University of Southern Mississippi took its spot in that same year. The University of South Carolina later joined in 1983. In 1985, West Virginia University was in talks to replace Tulane, which had suspended its men’s basketball program due to a points shaving scandal. Ultimately, West Virginia officials decided to remain in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
In 1991, Florida State joined the ACC, and then South Carolina joined the Southeastern Conference. However, South Carolina re-joined the Metro for 1993 and 1994 men's soccer seasons in that sport only, because the SEC did not (and still does not) offer the sport for men (four schools were required to sponsor a sport; the SEC had just three, now two). Charter members Cincinnati and Memphis State also left the Metro in 1991 to become charter members of the Great Midwest. To replace them, three of the stronger non-football schools from the Sun Belt Conference (the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of South Florida and Virginia Commonwealth University) shifted to the Metro.
In 1993, the Metro and Great Midwest conferences began reunification talks that led to the creation of C-USA. However, the
Initially, South Carolina was not permitted to participate in Conference USA for
Proposed super conference
The Metro Conference also had studies into a new "Super conference" in 1990. The study was conducted by Raycom Sports. The conference would have included members of the Metro, Atlantic 10, and Big East conferences, but it was not clear if the conference would become a football-sponsoring conference as many of its members did in fact sponsor football but were either independents or belonged to other conferences. The original study plan also included Penn State, which was invited to join the Big Ten on December 15, 1989.[1]
North Division | South Division |
---|---|
Boston College | East Carolina |
Cincinnati | Florida State |
Pittsburgh | Louisville |
Rutgers | Memphis State |
Syracuse | Miami |
Temple | South Carolina |
Virginia Tech | Southern Mississippi |
West Virginia | Tulane |
Member schools
Charter members
Institution | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Joined | Left | Subsequent conference(s) |
Current conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University of Cincinnati[a] | Cincinnati, Ohio | 1819 | Public | 41,357 | Bearcats | 1975 | 1991 | Great Midwest (1991–95) Conf. USA (C-USA) (1995–2005) original Big East (2005–13) The American (2013–2023) |
Big 12 (2023–present) |
Georgia Institute of Technology
|
Atlanta, Georgia | 1885 | Public | 21,557 | Yellow Jackets | 1975 | 1978 | Atlantic Coast (ACC) (1978–present) | |
University of Louisville[a] | Louisville, Kentucky | 1798 | Public | 22,249 | Cardinals | 1975 | 2005 | Conf. USA (C-USA) (1995–2005) original Big East (2005–13) The American (2013–14) |
Atlantic Coast (ACC) (2014–present) |
Memphis State University[a][b] | Memphis, Tennessee | 1912 | Public | 22,365 | Tigers | 1975 | 1991 | Great Midwest (1991–95) Conf. USA (C-USA) (1995–2013) |
The American (2013–present) |
Saint Louis University[a] | St. Louis, Missouri | 1818 | Jesuit )
|
13,785 | Billikens | 1975 | 1982 | Horizon (1982–91) Great Midwest (1991–95) Conf. USA (C-USA) (1995–2005) |
Atlantic 10 (A-10) (2005–present) |
Tulane University[a][c] | New Orleans, Louisiana | 1834 | Nonsectarian | 13,359 | Green Wave | 1975, 1989 |
1985, 2013 |
Conf. USA (C-USA) (1995–2014) |
The American (2014–present) |
- Notes
- ^ a b c d e School was charter member of Conference USA, but has since left for another conference. South Florida, Memphis, Cincinnati and Tulane are now members of the American Athletic Conference (Cincinnati will leave The American for the Big 12 in 2023).
- ^ Formerly known as Memphis State University until 1994.
- ^ From 1985 through 1989, Tulane dropped its men's basketball program after a point shaving scandal and was expelled from the conference. It was re-admitted in 1989 when it reinstated men's basketball.
Later members
- Notes
- ^ Southern Mississippi remains in the reunified Conference USA for all sports, but will leave for the Sun Belt in mid-2022.
- ^ After leaving the Metro Conference in 1991, South Carolina played two seasons as an independent in men's soccer, as the Southeastern Conference does not sponsor men's soccer. They rejoined the Metro for the sport only in 1993, but was not invited as part of reunification. When the program rejoined C-USA in 2005, Kentucky, the other remaining SEC school with men's soccer, left the Mid-American Conference to follow their SEC brethren.
- ^ a b School left Conference USA, but has since returned. Charlotte was one of C-USA's charter members but left in 2005 to join Saint Louis in the Atlantic 10 Conference. After announcing football to begin play in 2013, Charlotte rejoined C-USA in all sports except football, which underwent a two-year transitional membership. The school began football play in 2015 but was only conditionally eligible for postseason play that year.
- ^ a b Non-football school at the time but has since added football, first year of play listed (South Florida began football in 2003 and Charlotte began in 2015).
Membership timeline
Notes:
- 1. Because the Southeastern Conference does not sponsor men's soccer, South Carolina was an independent from the 1991 to 1992 fall season, then rejoined the Metro for the 1993 and 1994 fall seasons.
Championships
References
- Sports Business Daily. Street and Smith's Sports Group. Retrieved 27 May 2013.