D-I FBS Conferences Ranked

College Confidential Community
1

<p>With college football starting up this week i decided to do a quick study to rank each of the 11 D-I FBS Conferences by different factors. Academic ranking, Football Attendance, Endowments and National Championships.</p>

<p>Division-I FBS Conferences Ranked for Academics
Based off of U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 ranking of Best Colleges</p>

<p>Rank Conference (Average Rank)
1 ACC (48)
2 Big Ten (50)
3 PAC-10 (70)
4 SEC (99)
5 Big 12 (97)
6 Big East (105)
7 Conference USA (109)
8 MWC (115)
9 MAC (128)
10 Sun Belt (109)
11 WAC (138)</p>

<p>-ranked by total of U.S.News & World Report's scores- </p>

<p>Largest Division I Football Attendance by Conference
Based on 2008 NCAA football Attendance Records</p>

<p>Rank - Conference (Avg. Attendance/% of capacity)
1 SEC (75,816 / 98%)
2 Big Ten (70,514 / 94%)
3 Big 12 (61,993 / 94%)
4 ACC (52,806 / 89%)
5 PAC-10 (56,632 / 87%)
6 Conference USA (27,188 / 58%)
7 MWC (30,166 / 63%)
8 Big East (42,994 / 84%)
9 MAC (16,727 / 61%)
10 Sun Belt (18,584 / 64%)
11 WAC (24,475 / 77%)</p>

<p>-Ranked by total stadium capacity-</p>

<p>Largest Division I Enrollment by Conference
Information is based off of total 2008 University Enrollments</p>

<p>Rank - Conference (Total Enrollment)
1 Big Ten (437,295)
2 Big 12 (357,382)
3 PAC-10 (332,264)
4 SEC (317,155)
5 MAC (290,850)
6 Sun Belt (288,779)
7 Big East (240,040)
8 Conference USA (237,397)
9 MWC (202,860)
10 ACC (197,883)
11 WAC (172,322)</p>

<p>Division I Conferences by Endowment
Based on 2008 University Endowments </p>

<p>Rank - Conference (Total Endowments / Avg. Endowments) in $Millions
1 Big Ten (30,001 / 2,727)
2 PAC-10 (24,873 / 2,487)
3 Big 12 (22,614 / 1,885)
4 ACC (18,536 / 1,544)
5 SEC (11,091 / 924)
6 Conference USA (10,016 / 834)
7 Big East (7,690 / 961)
8 WAC (4,025 / 447)
9 MAC (2,525 / 210)
10 MWC (2,116 / 235)
11 Sun Belt (1,297 / 99)</p>

<p>Division I Football National Championships by Conference
Based on CFDW recognized championships won through 2008</p>

<p>Rank - Conference (# of National Championships)
1 Big Ten (27)
2 SEC (26)
3 Big 12 (19)
4 PAC-10 (16)
5 ACC (14)
6 Big East (7)
7 MWC (2)
8 Conference USA (1)
9 MAC (0)
10 Sun Belt (0)
11 WAC (0)</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>Rankings don’t mean jack, especially before the season has actually begun. How many people remember 'bama being number 1, guys? Come on.</p></li>
<li><p>Who cares about the past when ranking the conferences today? Looking at the 1960s doesn’t tell which conferences are the best right now.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>My (largely subjective, but also pretty accurate, I’d say) rankings would be:</p>

<ol>
<li>SEC</li>
<li>Big 12 (yes, the north is pretty weak, but the south’s awesomeness outweighs that).</li>
<li>PAC -10 (can’t stand them, but you have to admit it - they’re good).</li>
<li>ACC</li>
<li>Big 10</li>
<li>Big East</li>
<li>MWC</li>
<li>C-USA</li>
<li>MAC</li>
<li>WAC</li>
<li>Sun Belt</li>
</ol>

3

<p>I’m not sure you really understood the point of these rankings…</p>

4

<p>Acc football</p>