American Way: Cincinnati Has Track Record Winning New League's Tourney

January 5th, 2014 - 13:42

Don't bet against Cincinnati capturing the first American Athletic Conference Tournament. As a charter member, the Bearcats won the inaugural postseason tourneys in the Metro, Great Midwest and C-USA. Following is a chronological list summarizing inaugural campaign for new leagues formed since the ACC was introduced 60 years ago:

DI Conference First Season Best Regular-Season Record League Tourney Winner
Atlantic Coast 1953-54 Duke (9-1) North Carolina State
Middle Atlantic/East Coast 1958-59 St. Joseph's (7-0) DNP
Western Athletic 1962-63 Arizona State (9-1) DNP until 1984
Big Sky 1963-64 Montana State (8-2) DNP until 1976
Big West 1969-70 Long Beach State (10-0) DNP until 1976
Atlantic 10 1976-77 Rutgers (7-1) Duquesne
Metro 1976-77 Louisville (6-1) Cincinnati
Sun Belt 1976-77 UNC Charlotte (5-1) UNC Charlotte
Atlantic Sun 1979-80 Northeast Louisiana (6-0) Centenary
Big East 1979-80 Georgetown/St. John's/Syracuse (5-1) Georgetown
Horizon League 1979-80 Loyola of Chicago (5-0) Oral Roberts
America East 1981-82 Northeastern (8-1) Northeastern
Metro Atlantic Athletic 1981-82 Saint Peter's (9-1) Iona
Northeast 1981-82 Fairleigh Dickinson (12-3) Robert Morris
Colonial Athletic 1982-83 William & Mary (9-0) James Madison
Summit League 1982-83 Western Illinois (9-3) DNP until 1984
Gulf Star 1984-85 Southeastern Louisiana (9-1) DNP
Big South 1985-86 Charleston Southern (5-1) Charleston Southern
American South 1987-88 Louisiana Tech/New Orleans (7-3) Louisiana Tech
Patriot League 1990-91 Fordham (11-1) Fordham
Great Midwest 1991-92 Cincinnati/DePaul (8-2) Cincinnati
American West 1994-95 Southern Utah (6-0) DNP
Conference USA 1995-96 Cincinnati/Memphis (11-3) Cincinnati
Big 12 1996-97 Kansas (15-1) Kansas
Mountain West 1999-00 UNLV/Utah (10-4) UNLV
Great West 2009-10 South Dakota (11-1) South Dakota
American Athletic 2013-14 Cincinnati/Louisville (15-3) TBD

NOTES: Big Ten, Ivy League, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Pac-12, SEC, Southern and WCC are existing conferences formed before the ACC. . . . America East and Atlantic Sun conducted at least one postseason tourney before having its first formal regular-season competition. . . . MEAC, Southland and SWAC were Division II leagues before moving up to the DI level. . . . American South, American West, ECC, Great Midwest, Great West, Gulf Star and Metro are now defunct.