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The only problem with this whole thing is that there are an odd number of Division I football programs. Oh well.
I have divided the 125 current Div 1 teams, plus the 4 that will come on in 2015, into 8 super conferences. Screw the current conferences and such. Too much moving around, teams too far from each other.
Some of this will look traditional, some won't. I tried to keep it as regional as possible, as, IMO, proximity fosters rivalry and is conducive to travel for most games. Non-conference schedules could be regulated. Gotta play at least one game against a "primary" opponent and a "secondary" opponent from outside your conference, and one team from the opposite division of your conference. Suggestions?
How you would seed the conference champs, well, I'm not sure. You could offer ideas in the comments.
But the concept is simple and it pretty much amounts to a 16-team playoff.
Win your division, and you make it to the conference finals.
Win your conference, and you make it to the national bracket against the other champions.
No more committees, no more subjective bullshit. Win and your in. Maybe your seeding will depend on the previous years performance of your conference champion?
Obviously there are the power, or primary, conferences, as well as the minor, or secondary, conferences. The "secondary" leagues would always play either the #1, #2, or #3 seeded "primary conferences, unless one of those wins and advances? Then maybe their conference could move up in the annual seeding.
Here are the conferences as I have split them up...have fun!
| Georgia Tech | Atlanta | Georgia | |
| A2 | Auburn | Auburn | Alabama |
| Alabama | Tuscaloosa | Alabama | |
| Ole Miss | Oxford | Mississippi | |
| Mississippi State | Starkville | Mississippi | |
| Southern Miss | Hattiesburg | Mississippi | |
| LSU | Baton Rouge | Louisiana |
| Kansas | Lawrence | Kansas | |
| B1 | Kansas State | Manhattan | Kansas |
| Missouri | Columbia | Missouri | |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | Nebraska | |
| Oklahoma | Norman | Oklahoma | |
| Oklahoma State | Stillwater | Oklahoma | |
| Tulsa | Tulsa | Oklahoma |
| Arkansas | Fayetteville | Arkansas | |
| B2 | Texas | Austin | Texas |
| Texas A&M | College Station | Texas | |
| TCU | Fort Worth | Texas | |
| Houston | Houston | Texas | |
| Texas Tech | Lubbock | Texas | |
| Baylor | Waco | Texas |
| Oregon State | Corvallis | Oregon | |
| C1 | Oregon | Eugene | Oregon |
| Washington State | Pullman | Washington | |
| Washington | Seattle | Washington | |
| Stanford | Palo Alto | California | |
| California | Berkeley | California | |
| UCLA | Los Angeles | California | |
| USC | Los Angeles | California |
| Boise State | Boise | Idaho | |
| C2 | Arizona State | Tempe | Arizona |
| Arizona | Tucson | Arizona | |
| Utah State | Logan | Utah | |
| BYU | Provo | Utah | |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | Utah | |
| Colorado | Boulder | Colorado | |
| Colorado State | Fort Collins | Colorado |
| Michigan | Ann Arbor | Michigan | |
| D1 | Ohio State | Columbus | Ohio |
| Tennessee | Knoxville | Tennessee | |
| Vanderbilt | Nashville | Tennessee | |
| Kentucky | Lexington | Kentucky | |
| Louisville | Louisville | Kentucky | |
| Northwestern | Evanston | Illinois | |
| Illinois | Urbana-Champaign | Illinois |
| Indiana | Bloomington | Indiana | |
| D2 | Notre Dame | South Bend | Indiana |
| Purdue | West Lafayette | Indiana | |
| Iowa State | Ames | Iowa | |
| Iowa | Iowa City | Iowa | |
| Michigan State | East Lansing | Michigan | |
| Minnesota | Minneapolis-Saint Paul | Minnesota | |
| Wisconsin | Madison | Wisconsin |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | Massachusetts | |
| E1 | Connecticut | Storrs | Connecticut |
| Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | |
| Penn State | University Park | Pennsylvania | |
| Syracuse | Syracuse | New York | |
| Rutgers | Piscataway | New Jersey | |
| Cincinnati | Cincinnati | Ohio |
| West Virginia | Morgantown | West Virginia | |
| E2 | Maryland | College Park | Maryland |
| North Carolina | Chapel Hill | North Carolina | |
| NC State | Raleigh | North Carolina | |
| Wake Forest | Winston-Salem | North Carolina | |
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg | Virginia | |
| Virginia | Charlottesville | Virginia |
| SECONDARY CONFERENCES | ||||||
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| Georgia State | Atlanta | Georgia | ||||
| F1 | Navy | Annapolis | Maryland | |||
| Appalachian St | Boone | North Carolina | ||||
| Duke | Durham | North Carolina | ||||
| ECU | Greenville | North Carolina | ||||
| Charlotte | Charlotte | North Carolina | ||||
| Florida Atlantic | Boca Raton | Florida | ||||
| FIU | Miami | Florida | ||||
| UCF | Orlando | Florida | ||||
| UAB | Birmingham | Alabama | |
| F2 | Troy | Troy | Alabama |
| Louisiana-Lafayette | Lafayette | Louisiana | |
| Louisiana-Monroe | Monroe | Louisiana | |
| Georgia Southern Eagles | Statesboro | Georgia | |
| Louisiana Tech | Ruston | Louisiana | |
| South Alabama | Mobile | Alabama | |
| Memphis | Memphis | Tennessee | |
| Middle Tennessee | Murfreesboro | Tennessee |
| Buffalo | Buffalo | New York | |
| Army | West Point | New York | |
| G1 | Temple | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania |
| Marshall | Huntington | West Virginia | |
| Old Dominion Monarchs | Norfolk | Virginia | |
| Northern Illinois | DeKalb | Illinois | |
| Ball State | Muncie | Indiana | |
| Kent State | Kent | Ohio | |
| Umass | Amherst | Massachusetts |
| Ohio | Athens | Ohio | |
| Bowling Green | Bowling Green | Ohio | |
| G2 | Miami University | Oxford | Ohio |
| Toledo | Toledo | Ohio | |
| Akron | Akron | Ohio | |
| Western Kentucky | Bowling Green | Kentucky | |
| Western Michigan | Kalamazoo | Michigan | |
| Central Michigan | Mount Pleasant | Michigan | |
| Eastern Michigan | Ypsilanti | Michigan |
| Idaho | Moscow | Idaho | |
| UNLV | Las Vegas | Nevada | |
| H1 | Nevada | Reno | Nevada |
| San Diego State | San Diego | California | |
| San Jose State | San José | California | |
| Fresno State | Fresno | California | |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | Hawaii | |
| Air Force | Colorado Springs | Colorado | |
| Wyoming | Laramie | Wyoming |
| Texas State Bobcats | San Marcos | Texas | |
| New Mexico | Albuquerque | New Mexico | |
| H2 | New Mexico State | Las Cruces | New Mexico |
| Tulane | New Orleans | Louisiana | |
| North Texas | Denton | Texas | |
| UTSA | San Antonio | Texas | |
| UTEP | El Paso | Texas | |
| SMU | University Park | Texas | |
| Rice | Houston | Texas | |
| Arkansas State | Jonesboro | Arkansas |
This is just my idea, but I think this would have the chance to blow up on an epic scale. Maybe I'm wrong.
I welcome your thoughts.