I came up with a totally restructured organization of college football.
Basically scrap conferences altogether, and put teams in divisions that more closely resemble the old classic conferences.
Basically each Division has two levels: A “Championship” Tier, that consists of the traditional Power teams, and a 2nd Tier of the non-Power Five schools. But each year a playoff game at the end of the season determines which 2nd Tier team gets to play in the Championship Tier the following season.
The top-two teams from each division make the playoffs.
I painstakingly worked out the divisions and where each team would go, based on Geographic location and traditional rivalries:
West 1 Division
Championship Tier
Washington
Washington State
Oregon
Oregon State
Cal
Stanford
Boise State
2nd Tier
Hawaii
San Diego State
Fresno State
Nevada
UNLV
San Jose State
West 2 Division
Championship Tier
USC
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
BYU
Colorado
2nd Tier
Air Force
Wyoming
Colorado State
New Mexico
New Mexico State
Utah State
UTEP
——
Central 1 Division
Championship Tier
Nebraska
Kansas
Kansas State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Missouri
2nd Tier
Tulsa
North Texas
Arkansas State
SMU
Central 2 Division
Championship Tier
Texas
Texas A&M
Arkansas
Baylor
TCU
Texas Tech
2nd Tier
Houston
Rice
UTSA
Texas State
——
Southeastern 1 Division
Championship Tier
Florida
Georgia
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Kentucky
South Carolina
2nd Tier
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
Memphis
South Alabama
Southern Mississippi
Southeastern 2 Division
Championship Tier
Alabama
Auburn
LSU
Ole Miss
Mississippi State
2nd Tier
Tulane
Louisiana
Louisiana-Monroe
Louisiana Tech
UAB
Troy
——
Atlantic 1 Division
Championship Tier
Florida State
Miami
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Duke
Wake Forest
2nd Tier
East Carolina
Coastal Carolina
Charlotte
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
South Florida
UCF
Atlantic 2 Division
Championship Tier
Virginia
Virginia Tech
Maryland
Louisville
Clemson
Georgia Tech
West Virginia
2nd Tier
Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee State
Old Dominion
Navy
Liberty
Marshall
Appalachian State
Atlantic 3 Division
Championship Tier
Syracuse
Rutgers
Boston College
Notre Dame
Penn State
Pitt
2nd Tier
Buffalo
Temple
Connecticut
Army
Massachusetts
——
Midwest 1 Division
Championship Tier
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Indiana
Purdue
Cincinnati
2nd Tier
Kent State
Miami (OH)
Ohio
Akron
Bowling Green
Toledo
Midwest 2 Division
Championship Tier
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Minnesota
Iowa
Iowa State
Illinois
2nd Tier
Western Michigan
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois
Ball State
My friends does it really matter? The pac-12 was always a two-tier conference. Washington/Oregon and 2 southern Cal teams. The rest were the Washington generals. A surprise win or two and a few really good pros to come out.
I like it!
You deserve credit for your work, But i’m told it will be fewer divisions.
Bama and Georgia teaming up in a conference with Ohio State & Michigan would bring in zillions. The Vanderbilt’s of the world will be kicked to the curb.
As a college football traditionalist i find it sad. As an American who is being asked to pay the student loans of strangers who went to many of these schools that are raking in billions of tax free $$$ each year, its sickening.
I thought Jackson State might move up to FBS.
They had higher attendance per game last year than any of the PAC-4. They were 30k-ish before Deion — Deion brought them up to 42.
The MEAC (the other HBCU conference in FCS) is down to 6 teams in football.
The SWAC does not send as many players to the NFL as it once did.
Have to ask- is Princely Umanmielen injured or was he just that awful last night?