The World Series gets underway tonight in Cleveland. The Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs are each looking to bring an end to a championship drought that dates back over 70 years. The Cubs are playing in their first World Series since 1945. The Indians have been back to the Fall Classic a small handful of times since last winning a World Series in 1948. There are three college football programs from the Power Five that have similar droughts they continue to look to end, as far as a conference championship is concerned.
No team has waited as long to win a conference title than Iowa State, who last saw a conference championship in 1912. That came in the old Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. That conference would pave the path to the old Big Eight Conference, which of course later merged with departing members from the Southwest Conference. As the conference has evolved, Iowa State has struggled to compete for a conference crown.
The only two conference championship droughts comparable to the current droughts of the Cubs and Indians reside in the SEC. Mississippi State has not won a conference championship since 1941 (SEC), and Vanderbilt has to go all the way back to 1923 for its last conference title (Southern Conference). Playing in the same conference as college football powers like Alabama, LSU, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia over the years has not allowed for much opportunity for either SEC program, and that likely will remain the case for many years to come.
While not quite as long of a wait, Western Michigan looks to be on track to snapping their conference championship drought that goes back to 1988. The Broncos are undefeated and have a favorable schedule the rest of the way, aside from a regular season finale against Toledo. Western Michigan head coach PJ Fleck gave the Cubs a pep talk during a stop on SportsCenter this morning.
Coach Fleck beginning his looooong day in Bristol. Fleck asked to motivate the Cubs during this mornings appearance on SportsCenter #RTB pic.twitter.com/qF1W97RMrd
— Andy Pepper (@APepperWWMT) October 25, 2016
Row the boat, Cubs (or Indians, depending on your rooting interests)!
Longest Conference Title Droughts By Conference
ACC: North Carolina State (1979)
Big 12: Iowa State (1912)
Big Ten: Minnesota (1967)
Pac-12: Arizona (1993)
SEC: Vanderbilt (1923)
American: Temple (1967)
Conference USA: Rice (1994)
MAC: Ohio (1968)
Mountain West Conference: New Mexico (1964)
Sun Belt Conference: New Mexico State (1978)