20-Year AP Top-25 Trends

Year	FBS Teams	Ind	vs FBS	vs FCS	Bowls		T25 Games	Pct of Games	T25 Bowls	T25 Conf CG	T25 Conf	T25 Non Conf	T25 vs FCS
1989	106	25	582	50	18		52	8.9%	10	0	19	23	2
1990	107	26	579	67	19		49	8.5%	10	0	21	18	10
1991	107	19	586	53	18		46	7.8%	9	0	16	21	10
1992	107	16	588	49	18		44	7.5%	9	1	25	9	7
1993	106	11	585	47	19		46	7.9%	7	1	27	11	5
1994	107	12	593	43	19		45	7.6%	8	1	27	9	7
1995	108	13	597	43	18		44	7.4%	8	0	25	11	7
1996	111	11	614	48	18		46	7.5%	9	3	24	10	5
1997	112	9	628	38	20		46	7.3%	8	2	29	7	1
1998	112	8	627	47	22		48	7.7%	9	1	26	12	4
1999	114	7	633	53	23		55	8.7%	9	2	36	8	6
2000	115	8	641	55	25		45	7.0%	8	2	27	8	6
2001	117	7	652	57	25		48	7.4%	10	1	28	9	4
2002	117	6	707	65	28		48	6.8%	7	1	25	15	11
2003	117	4	699	72	28		44	6.3%	9	3	24	8	9
2004	117	2	651	56	28		36	5.5%	9	1	20	6	8
2005	119	4	664	54	28		44	6.6%	9	2	27	6	9
2006	119	4	714	78	32		44	6.2%	8	1	27	8	15
2007	119	3	712	80	32		45	6.3%	9	3	29	4	18
2008	120	4	717	87	34		46	6.4%	9	2	27	8	22
2009	120	3	714	94	34		39	5.5%	7	3	23	6	17

Ind - Independent teams; T25 Games - Games played between teams that finished the year ranked in the final AP top-25 poll; T25 Conf CG - Conference championship games played between final AP top-25 teams. Though these games are scheduled before the season, the participants are not known until the end of the regular season; T25 Conf - Conference games between final AP top-25 teams; T25 Non Conf - Non-conference regular season games between AP top-25 teams, including independents.

Provided as a supplement to the 1989 vs. 2009 connectivity infographic posted earlier this week, this table more fully demonstrates the decline in frequency of games between top teams over the last 20 years. The Big East football conference formed in 1991. The SEC expanded to 12 teams in 1992. Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993. The Big 12 expanded to 12 teams in 1996. The ACC expanded to 12 teams in 2005.