A scan of the annual standings for every Division I conference on Sports-reference.com shows 63 teams completed their conference schedules without a loss in the previous 30 seasons (1990-2019), or just over two per season on average.
» AP POLL: No change at the top this week
Dayton and New Mexico State (16-0 in the Western Athletic Conference) were the only teams to do it in 2020. Dayton is the 15th team since 1990 to go undefeated while playing 18 or more conference games.
The Big Ten hasn’t seen a team finish the conference schedule without a loss since Indiana finished 18-0 in 1976. The Big East — the old version and the new version — has never produced an undefeated champion.
The last perfect A-10 team before Dayton was George Washington (16-0) in 2006. Dayton is the first Ohio team to go undefeated in conference play since Cincinnati in 2000.
Gonzaga has gone undefeated in the West Coast Conference five times since 2004. The Ivy League has produced 10 undefeated teams.
There have been three seasons in the last 30 years in which every team suffered at least one conference loss: 2001, 2011 and 2018.
Here’s the full list going back to 1990:
2019
SOUTHERN: Wofford (18-0)
WEST COAST: Gonzaga (16-0)
2018
None
2017
AMERICA EAST: Vermont (16-0)
IVY: Princeton (14-0)
2016
SOUTHLAND: Stephen F. Austin (18-0)
2015
MEAC: North Carolina Central (16-0)
SEC: Kentucky (18-0)
2014
MISSOURI VALLEY: Wichita State (18-0)
SEC: Florida (18-0)
SOUTHLAND: Stephen F. Austin (18-0)
2013
CONFERENCE USA: Memphis (16-0)
MEAC: Norfolk State (16-0)
WEST COAST: Gonzaga (16-0)
2012
SEC: Kentucky (16-0)
2011
None
2010
HORIZON: Butler (18-0)
2009
CONFERENCE USA: Memphis (16-0)
WEST COAST: Gonzaga (14-0)
2008
CONFERENCE USA: Memphis (16-0)
IVY: Cornell (14-0)
SOUTHERN: Davidson (20-0)
2007
BIG SOUTH: Winthrop (14-0)
CONFERENCE USA: Memphis (16-0)
2006
ATLANTIC 10: George Washington (16-0)
PATRIOT LEAGUE: Bucknell (14-0)
WEST COAST: Gonzaga (14-0)
2005
BIG WEST: Pacific (18-0)
SOUTHERN: Davidson (16-0)
2004
ATLANTIC 10: Saint Joseph’s (16-0)
OHIO VALLEY: Austin Peay (16-0)
WEST COAST: Gonzaga (14-0)
2003
BIG SKY: Weber State (14-0)
IVY LEAGUE: Penn (14-0)
SEC: Kentucky (16-0)
2002
BIG 12: Kansas (16-0)
2001
None
2000
BIG WEST: Utah State (16-0)
CONFERENCE USA: Cincinnati (16-0)
IVY : Penn (14-0)
1999
ACC: Duke (16-0)
WAC: Utah (14-0)
1998
IVY: Princeton (14-0)
WAC: Texas Christian (14-0)
1997
IVY: Princeton (14-0)
TRANS-AMERICA: Charleston (16-0)
1996
MCC: Green Bay (16-0)
SEC: Kentucky (16-0)
SOUTHERN: Davidson (14-0)
SOUTHWEST: Texas Tech (14-0)
1995
AMERICAN WEST: Southern Utah (6-0)
IVY: Penn (14-0)
MCC: Xavier (14-0)
1994
BIG EIGHT: Missouri (14-0)
EAST COAST: Troy (5-0)
IVY: Penn (14-0)
MEAC: Coppin State (16-0)
1993
IVY: Penn (14-0)
MEAC: Coppin State (16-0)
SUN BELT: New Orleans (18-0)
1992
BIG WEST: UNLV (18-0)
NORTH ATLANTIC: Delaware (14-0)
WEST COAST: Pepperdine (14-0)
1991
BIG WEST: UNLV (18-0)
IVY: Princeton (14-0)
1990
MEAC: La Salle (16-0)
About the Author
