The ECAC, from its inception until 1984, had regular membership of the
following number of teams:
 
Starting in 65 (where 65 is the 1964-65 season):
 
65, 66: 15 teams
67: 16 teams
68 - 78: 17 teams
79: 16 teams
80 - 84: 17 teams
 
So for most of its history, a major conference chugged along with 17 teams
(one or two of which were generally "half members" -- Army, for example,
frequently played a reduced conference schedule.
 
It wasn't unusual for there to be differences in game played within
conferences -- at such times, winning percentage often decided ranking.
Later in the conference's development there was also a split into three
component divisions, but total league record was still the major criterion
for advance.
 
It was not a completely balanced system of course, and I'm not necessarily
recommending that conferences grow large enough to emulate it, but the point
is that the is ample precedent for a working conference of such size.
 
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