Every now and then I have to look back and pinch myself to remember where we were then and where we are now.
1991:
ACC (8 teams)
Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, and Wake Forest
Big East (FB side - 8 teams)
Boston College, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia
Big Ten (10 teams)
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin
Big 8 (8 teams)
Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State
Big West (8 teams)
Cal State-Fullerton, Fresno State, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, Pacific, San Jose State, UNLV, and Utah State
MAC (9 teams)
Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan
Pac-10 (10 teams)
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State
SEC (10 teams)
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt
Southwest Conference (9 teams)
Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Christian and Texas Tech
WAC (9 teams)
Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State, Texas-El Paso, Utah, and Wyoming
Independents (18 teams)
Akron, Arkansas State, Army, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida State, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Memphis, Navy, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Penn State, South Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Southwestern Louisiana (Louisiana-Lafayette), Tulane, Tulsa.
Div 1-A has 107 teams, and 18 of them are Independent.
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2016:
ACC (14 teams)
Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (FL), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
American Athletic Conference (12 teams)
Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Navy, South Florida, Southern Methodist, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa
Big 12 (10 teams)
Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Christian, Texas Tech, West Virginia
Big Ten (14 teams)
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin
Conference USA (14 teams)
Alabama-Birmingham, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Texas-El Paso, Texas-San Antonio, Western Kentucky
MAC (13 teams)
Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Massachusetts, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Mountain West (12 members)
Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming
Pac-12 (12 members)
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State
SEC (14 members)
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Sun Belt (11 teams)
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy
Independents (3 teams):
Army, Brigham Young, Notre Dame
129 Total Div 1-A (FBS) Teams in 2016.
A total of 22 teams moved up, into Div 1-A (FBS), from 1991-2016.
A total of only 4 teams moved up, during that 25 year period, from lower levels of Div 1-A into what is now unofficially the P5 level of FBS:
Florida State (from Indy to ACC)
Louisville (from Indy to ACC)
Penn State (from Indy to Big Ten)
Utah (from WAC to Pac-12)
Since 1991, on a net basis :
P5: The ACC lost Maryland and gained Boston College, Florida State, Louisville, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech.
Non-P5: The Big East (FB) was dissolved and renamed (see AAC, below), and lost Boston College, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.
Non P5: The American Athletic Conference was created with Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Navy, South Florida, SMU, Temple, Tulane, and Tulsa
P5: The Big Ten gained Penn State, Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers.
P5: The Big 8 and SWC merged and became the Big 12, losing Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Houston, Rice, and SMU and gained West Virginia
P5: The Pac-12 gained Colorado and Utah
P5: The SEC gained South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas A&M.
For the P5 Conferences, as a group, since 1991, they have lost Temple, Houston, Rice and SMU and gained Florida State, Louisville, Penn State and Utah.
1991:
ACC (8 teams)
Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, and Wake Forest
Big East (FB side - 8 teams)
Boston College, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia
Big Ten (10 teams)
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin
Big 8 (8 teams)
Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State
Big West (8 teams)
Cal State-Fullerton, Fresno State, Long Beach State, New Mexico State, Pacific, San Jose State, UNLV, and Utah State
MAC (9 teams)
Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan
Pac-10 (10 teams)
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington and Washington State
SEC (10 teams)
Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt
Southwest Conference (9 teams)
Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Rice, Southern Methodist, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Christian and Texas Tech
WAC (9 teams)
Air Force, Brigham Young, Colorado State, Hawaii, New Mexico, San Diego State, Texas-El Paso, Utah, and Wyoming
Independents (18 teams)
Akron, Arkansas State, Army, Cincinnati, East Carolina, Florida State, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, Memphis, Navy, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame, Penn State, South Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Southwestern Louisiana (Louisiana-Lafayette), Tulane, Tulsa.
Div 1-A has 107 teams, and 18 of them are Independent.
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2016:
ACC (14 teams)
Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (FL), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
American Athletic Conference (12 teams)
Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Navy, South Florida, Southern Methodist, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa
Big 12 (10 teams)
Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Christian, Texas Tech, West Virginia
Big Ten (14 teams)
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin
Conference USA (14 teams)
Alabama-Birmingham, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee State, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Mississippi, Texas-El Paso, Texas-San Antonio, Western Kentucky
MAC (13 teams)
Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Massachusetts, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
Mountain West (12 members)
Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming
Pac-12 (12 members)
Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State
SEC (14 members)
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Sun Belt (11 teams)
Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy
Independents (3 teams):
Army, Brigham Young, Notre Dame
129 Total Div 1-A (FBS) Teams in 2016.
A total of 22 teams moved up, into Div 1-A (FBS), from 1991-2016.
A total of only 4 teams moved up, during that 25 year period, from lower levels of Div 1-A into what is now unofficially the P5 level of FBS:
Florida State (from Indy to ACC)
Louisville (from Indy to ACC)
Penn State (from Indy to Big Ten)
Utah (from WAC to Pac-12)
Since 1991, on a net basis :
P5: The ACC lost Maryland and gained Boston College, Florida State, Louisville, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech.
Non-P5: The Big East (FB) was dissolved and renamed (see AAC, below), and lost Boston College, Miami (FL), Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia.
Non P5: The American Athletic Conference was created with Central Florida, Cincinnati, Connecticut, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Navy, South Florida, SMU, Temple, Tulane, and Tulsa
P5: The Big Ten gained Penn State, Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers.
P5: The Big 8 and SWC merged and became the Big 12, losing Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Houston, Rice, and SMU and gained West Virginia
P5: The Pac-12 gained Colorado and Utah
P5: The SEC gained South Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas A&M.
For the P5 Conferences, as a group, since 1991, they have lost Temple, Houston, Rice and SMU and gained Florida State, Louisville, Penn State and Utah.
