Metro Conference

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The Metro Conference was an NCAA Division I athletics conference, so named because all of its charter members were situated in urban metropolitan areas in, or at least on the fringes of, the Southern United States. The conference never sponsored football, although most of its members throughout its history had Division I-A football programs. In 1995 it merged with the Great Midwest Conference to form Conference USA. The merger was driven mainly by football, as several Metro Conference members had been successfully lured to larger conferences that sponsored the sport.

First, Georgia Tech left the Metro for the ACC in 1978. In 1991, Florida State joined the ACC, and then South Carolina joined the SEC (however, South Carolina rejoined the Metro for 1993 and 1994 men's soccer seasons in the sport only, because the SEC does not offer the sport for men). Charter members Cincinnati and Memphis State also left the conference in 1991 to become charter members of the Great Midwest. Shortly afterwards, the Metro and Great Midwest conferences began merger talks that led to the creation of C-USA. The Virginia schools, however, were not amused at the merger idea. In 1995, Virginia Tech, assuming they were going to be invited to join the Big East, were left behind by the dissolution of the Metro and subsequent formation of Conference USA. Meanwhile, VCU went to the CAA where it continues to be a member.

Contents

[edit] Membership

[edit] Charter Members

[edit] Later Joined

[edit] External links

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