"Conference model no longer relevant"

[cygrads]

It works for the NFL...

Says the Detroit Lions.

 

[isugcs]

For profit..? You must be talking about the B10 and Sec

There's been talk about the power schools eventually breaking away into a new division that would likely just realign on a geographic basis in divisions, with division winners getting the playoff spots. Similar to the NFL.

It would make sense and probably create the most revenue growth across the board. There's a reason the for-profit sports leagues align that way.

 

[19clone91]

I really don't see a solution that doesn't involve 64 teams. 32 is way too shallow.

4 conferences of 16 teams, each with two divisions of 8.

You could either do 4 conferences of 16 teams where you play 7 division games, 3 or 4 other conference games, and 2 or 3 wild card games from the other 3 conferences.

Or 8 "divisions" where you play all 7 teams in your division every year and 5 other games. I would almost prefer this model because you would have 7 familiar teams (enough for say two rivalries) and you'd get 5 totally different games every year to mix things up.

You could do something like: ISU, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Missouri, KU, and K State. Could you imagine actually being grouped by geography and having rivalries with our neighbors every year? And having 5 non-divison games would help cross-pollinate the 64-team league while generating even more money for TV deals. Lets say ISU would play the 7 teams every year, and a group of 5 teams like Arizona, Tennessee, Boston College, LSU, and Pittsburg. I would love a setup like this

 

[surly]

While I totally agree with this, at least for us I think a move to regional divisions would actually be a step in the right direction. I would actually be more interested, and feel we would have more rivals, if the P5 dissolved and we ended up in a new division with something like Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. I would find any of those games more interesting than our current schedule with Texas and Oklahoma schools. Proximity of fan bases really helps build those rivalries. I don't know a single fan or alum of any of the Texahoma schools or WVU. It just makes it really hard to get amped up for those games when there are no bragging rights to be had.

Four 16 team conferences with two divisions each, see Plains.

Yankee: Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers, Ohio State, WVU, Syracuse, V'Tech, Virginia, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, ND, Illiniois, Pitt

Plains: North - Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missiouri, Iowa State, K-State, Ku;
South - oSu, OU, Baylor, TCU, T'Tech, Arkansas, aTm, Texas

Confederate: Florida, FSU, Miami, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, UNC, NCS, Duke, USCe, Clemson, G'Tech, UGA, Ole Miss, MSU, Tennessee

Leftist: ASU, Arizona, USC, UCLA, Washington, CU, Utah, BYU, W'State, Oregon State, Oregon, Stanford, Cal, Boise, New Mexico, CSU.

Interestingly, I had trouble filling out the west - three "say what?" there at the end. If it ends up with less than 64, both our schools could be in trouble - K-State more so than ISU due to AAU certs.

In hoops, it would be one game a year, 15 game conference schedule, perhaps with a home & home for rivals like "Bedlam."

For football, in-division play for 7 with maybe 2 or 3 cross-division games each year, plus a championship, and 2 or 3 OOC games against other Power 4 conference teams.

TV would be all in for it. Coaches would hate. But tell me as an ISU fan you wouldn't love being in that division long term?