Interesting article (with some familiar schools) on the attempt to put together a continental "Super Conference" back in the day. The "American" 1.0?


Airplane Conference

(04-16-2014 07:46 PM)BIgCatonProwl Wrote:  Interesting article (with some familiar schools) on the attempt to put together a continental "Super Conference" back in the day. The "American" 1.0?

Perhaps the most interesting thing is that Penn was angling for membership.

Airplane Conference

Notre Dame, Indiana, Iowa State, Navy, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Army, Penn, Pittsburgh, SMU, Texas, USC, UCLA and Yale

The WTF conference. 15 members in 1951. Ambitious.

The 1957 one proposed by Hamilton, the AD at Pittsburgh is a little better
East - Army, Navy, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Syracuse and Notre Dame
West - USC, UCLA, Stanford, California and Washington, plus Air Force.
Division winners meet in the Rose Bowl.

The "Airplane Conference" made sense for ND at the time because it would have been a national conference with traditional opponents in Southern Cal, Navy, Pitt and Michigan State.

It would have had Midwestern opponents in Indiana, Iowa State and Michigan State.

It also would have had another West Coast school in UCLA, along with Southwestern schools Oklahoma, SMU, and Texas, a Southeastern school in North Carolina and Northeast schools Yale, Penn and Army (along with Pitt).

It would have been a national schedule for ND in scope, which is what Notre Dame was/is always looking for.

Too bad it did not come to fruition, CFB would have been possibly playing a NC since the 50's instead of starting in 2015, no telling how far along it would have developed, maybe we would be seeing a 16 team bracket for the NC. Very interesting to say the least, way ahead of its time.

It should be noted that these early proposals envisioned that they would be for football only. A lot of today's issue could be resolved fairly easily if not for the preference for conferences to include all sports under a single umbrella.

(04-17-2014 09:22 AM)ken d Wrote:  It should be noted that these early proposals envisioned that they would be for football only. A lot of today's issue could be resolved fairly easily if not for the preference for conferences to include all sports under a single umbrella.

Good point, indeed it would be. Interesting to see Texas and ND, would have been in the same conference, so there has aways been some mutual attraction by both schools it seems, to be in the same conference historically, who knows it may end still being that way, someday; also seeing the military academies in the same conference, which they could end still being vis-a-vis the American, as well

(04-17-2014 09:22 AM)ken d Wrote:  It should be noted that these early proposals envisioned that they would be for football only. A lot of today's issue could be resolved fairly easily if not for the preference for conferences to include all sports under a single umbrella.

And that is a situation that is only a decade old. The G5 might benefit if that change were repealed.


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