The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- October 11, 1999

SEC takes early lead in race against nonconference foes

BY GARY K. JOHNSON
STAFF WRITER

The Southeastern Conference once again is atop the list of the nation's best when playing Division I-A football opponents from other conferences, a distinction it has held in 11 of the last 15 years.

The SEC has won 20 games this season against Division I-A nonconference opponents while dropping only four, which is an .833 winning percentage. The Big Ten Conference is 26-7 (.788) and the Big 12 Conference is 23-11 (.676). Those are the only three conferences with at least 20 wins against nonconference opposition.

Other conferences above .500 are the Atlantic Coast Conference (11-6, .647), the Mountain West Conference (12-10, .545) and the Pacific-10 Conference (13-11, .542). Conference USA is right at .500 with a 14-14 record.

Of the 12 teams in the SEC, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi, Tennessee and Vanderbilt all have 2-0 records against nonconference I-A opponents, while Mississippi State leads them all with a 3-0 record. The conference is 2-0 against I-AA competition this year.

In the last 15 years, the SEC has won the nonconference title every year except for 1988 (Pac-10), 1990 (ACC), 1996 (Big Ten) and 1998 (Big 12). During that time, the SEC had two separate streaks of five straight titles.

Last season, both the Big 12 and Pacific-10 passed the SEC's early lead in nonconference winning percentage late in the season. The Big 12 took its first title with a 27-8 (.771) record, while the Pac-10 finished 24-8 (.750). The SEC was 24-9 (.727). Other conferences finishing above .500 last season were the Big Ten at 24-12 (.667) and the ACC with a 16-8 (.667) record.

Division I-A independent teams were 18-35 for a .340 winning percentage last season. This season, they have dropped to 5-20 (.200).

1999 Division I-A Conference Records vs. Division I-A Nonconference Opponents (through October 2)*:

Conference -- W -- L -- Pct.

Southeastern -- 20 -- 4 -- .833

Big Ten -- 26 -- 7 -- .788

Big 12 -- 23 -- 11 -- .676

Atlantic Coast -- 11 -- 6 -- .647

Mountain West -- 12 -- 10 -- .545

Pacific-10 -- 13 -- 11 -- .542

Conference USA -- 14 -- 14 -- .500

Big East -- 12 -- 14 -- .462

Western Athletic -- 7 -- 17 -- .292

Big West -- 7 -- 20 -- .259

All independents -- 5 -- 20 -- .200

Mid-American -- 4 -- 20 -- .167

-- -- --

*Games against Division I-AA and non-major opponents are deleted. Although some upsets of I-A teams by I-AA teams do happen and are usually publicized widely, the I-A teams this season are dominating their I-AA counterparts. The I-A teams have a record of 37-5 for a winning percentage of .881 against I-AA opponents. This high winning percentage and the wide variation in the number of such games among conferences are the reasons these games are deleted when comparing the I-A conferences.

Gateway in I-AA

In 1991, the Gateway Conference captured the Division I-AA nonconference crown by a landslide with an .810 winning percentage (15-2-2), but it hasn't come close since. But this year through games of October 2, it is in position for its second title in the 1990s.

The Gateway sits at the top spot with an 8-2 won-lost record and a .800 winning percentage against nonconference competition. Although the Big Sky Conference has played only four nonconference opponents in its division, it is in second place with a 3-1 (.750) mark. The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is third at 5-2 (.714).

Only two other conferences are playing above .500 so far this season in nonconference competition. They are the Patriot League at 11-6 (.647) and the Southern Conference at 5-3 (.625). The Ohio Valley Conference and Ivy Group are both right at the .500 mark at 7-7.

The independents, a group of 14 teams, have played 28 games against I-AA teams this season and have won 18 for a winning percentage of .643.

Last season, the Atlantic 10 Conference and Big Sky tied for the division title at .833. The Atlantic 10 was 15-3 and the Big Sky was 10-2. Two years ago, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tied for top honors with an 11-5 mark and .688 winning percentage.

Besides the top three conferences, the other conferences with winning records a year ago were the Southern (10-6, .625), the Southland (10-6, .625), the Gateway (11-7, .611) and the Patriot (18-16, .529). Three conferences finished at .500. All I-AA independents last year were 29-40 for a .420 winning percentage.

1999 Division I-AA Conference Records vs. Division I-AA Nonconference Opponents (through October 2)*:

-- -- --

I-AA Conference -- W -- L -- T -- Pct.

Gateway -- 8 -- 2 -- 0 -- .800

Big Sky -- 3 -- 1 -- 0 -- .750

Metro Atlantic -- 5 -- 2 -- 0 -- .714

Patriot -- 11 -- 6 -- 0 -- .647

All independents -- 18 -- 10 -- 0 -- .643

Southern -- 5 -- 3 -- 0 -- .625

Ohio Valley -- 7 -- 7 -- 0 -- .500

Ivy -- 7 -- 7 -- 0 -- .500

Mid-Eastern -- 5 -- 7 -- 1 -- .423

Atlantic 10 -- 5 -- 7 -- 0 -- .417

Pioneer -- 3 -- 5 -- 0 -- .375

Southwestern -- 3 -- 9 -- 1 -- .269

Northeast -- 2 -- 8 -- 0 -- .200

Southland -- 2 -- 10 -- 0 -- .167

*Games against Division I-A opponents are deleted because some I-AA conferences play several such games, some play few and still others none. Games against teams in Divisions II and III or the NAIA also are deleted for the same reasons.