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College football’s longest active conference title droughts

By Zach Bigalke

Dec 27, 2016; San Diego , CA, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers safety Damarius Travis (7) celebrates in the first quarter against the Washington State Cougars during the 2016 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2016; San Diego , CA, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers safety Damarius Travis (7) celebrates in the first quarter against the Washington State Cougars during the 2016 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 28, 2017; Birmingham, AL, USA; View of a statue of the team mascot, Blaze, prior to the game between the UAB Blazers and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Bartow Arena. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2017; Birmingham, AL, USA; View of a statue of the team mascot, Blaze, prior to the game between the UAB Blazers and the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Bartow Arena. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports /

Conference USA

Longest Drought: UAB Blazers (Last title: none)

A few years ago, UAB’s football program was shut down by the board of trustees of the University of Alabama System. The public outcry that ensued eventually led the Blazers to regain their football team, which returns to the field this season after a two-year hiatus. Now that the program has a new lease on life, UAB now turns its attention toward winning a first championship.

It is important to note that UAB has fielded a football team only since 1991. They began as a Division III independent and moved quickly through the divisions during the 1990s. In 1999, they affiliated with Conference USA after moving up to the I-A level. Under head coach Watson Brown, the Blazers finished their first year of conference play in a tie for second in the C-USA standings.

Five years later, the Blazers came in second place yet again in 2004. It would prove to be the closest they have yet come to winning a championship. Since C-USA split into two divisions in 2005, UAB has finished no higher than third in the division standings. Their best finish came in 2014, but any momentum that might have built up was severed by the initial decision to close down the program.

Honorable Mentions

  • UTEP Miners: The Miners have only been a member of Conference USA since 2005. Before that, they played in the now-defunct Western Athletic Conference. As a member of the WAC, UTEP won its last championship in 2000. Since winning that championship, the Miners have been to just five bowl games and lost all five.
  • North Texas Mean Green: Between 2001 and 2004, North Texas won four straight Sun Belt championships under head coach Darrell Dickey. Things fell off soon thereafter, and the Mean Green have been struggling to come anywhere near those highs since. Now in Conference USA, North Texas has finished with a winning record just once since winning its last championship.
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