The 12 Team Conference

[GrayEagle]

Okay, Flyer had his MEGA Conference idea that raised a few 'huhs' so I'll trot out my concept of the FBS based on ten 12-team conferences.

This system would do little changing of the existing conferences. It would also tout a playoff system and each conference would have a conference championship game. To appease the current BCS, each of their conference runnersup would be playoff eligible for a period of ten years.

While I propose that we start with 12-team conferences not all will be able to maintain that number. Why? Because I also propose a rolling average attendance of 18,000 to begin; advancing to 20,000 in five years. By rolling average I mean that if a team averages only 16,000 one year it must average 20,000 the following year or be dropped to Division 1AA.

I've also tried to regionalize the conferences to reduce travel costs (except for existing 12 team BCS conferences). I would hope that every conference has a TV contract with a major network, ESPN, Fox, or maybe Turner or Cox. Or, that failing, the conference contracts their own network.

Here are my ten conferences:

PAC 12

Washington

Washington State

Oregon

Oregon State

California

Stanford

UCLA

USC

Arizona

Arizona State

Utah

Brigham Young

WESTERN/MOUNTAIN

Hawaii

San Jose State

Fresno State

San Diego State

Boise State

Idaho

Utah State

Nevada

UNLV

Wyoming

Colorado State

Air Force

SOUTHWEST

Tulsa

New Mexico

New Mexico State

UTEP

North Texas

TCU

SMU

Houston

Rice

Louisiana

Louisiana Tech

Tulane

BIG XII

Iowa State

Nebraska

Kansas

Kansas State

Colorado

Missouri

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Texas

Texas A&M

Texas Tech

Baylor

BIG 10

Minnesota

Iowa

Wisconsin

Northwestern

Illinois

Indiana

Purdue

Notre Dame

Michigan

Michigan State

Ohio State

Penn State

BIG EAST

Louisville

Cincinnati

Syracuse

Army

Connecticut

Rutgers

Pittsburgh

West Virginia

Navy

East Carolina

South Florida

UCF

ATLANTIC COAST

Boston College

Maryland

Virginia

Virginia Tech

North Carolina

North Carolina State

Duke

Wake Forest

Clemson

Georgia

Florida State

Miami

SOUTHEASTERN

Kentucky

Vanderbilt

Tennessee

South Carolina

Georgia

Florida

Alabama

Auburn

Mississippi

Mississippi State

LSU

Arkansas

SUN BELT

Arkansas State

Memphis

Middle Tennessee

Temple

Marshall

Western Kentucky

ULM

Southern Mississippi

UAB

Troy

FAU

FIU

There can never be a system where everyone is satisfied but this seems the least contentious. There are several that got the shaft, so to speak. But, even their merits (save one or two) are less travel expenses, an easier path to conference championship and the fact that the teams that cannot comply with moderate standards will be weeded out.

[BeanCounterGrad'03]

I count only nine conferences...does that mean the entire MAC falls to Div. AA?

Edited May 19, 2010 by BeanCounterGrad'03

[GrayEagle]

I count only nine conferences...does that mean the entire MAC falls to Div. AA?

No, I couldn't get the edit feature to work properly after I discovered that the MAC had been left off. No team currently in the FBS is eliminated until they eliminate themselves. I chose attendance over budget, stadium, etc. because it's the easiest for an institution to control.

[cwb]

108 days.

[MDH]

Not too far fetched, other than your sun belt. ULL and ULM won't split up and no way would Memphis (or Temple) be in a sun belt bball conference that includes some of those schools.

[GrayEagle]

Not too far fetched, other than your sun belt. ULL and ULM won't split up and no way would Memphis (or Temple) be in a sun belt bball conference that includes some of those schools.

Memphis, Marshall and USM were victims of location. Those three can produce football attendance of 30,000; the others can't, although Middle might get close with that lineup and Troy should be solidly in the 20s.

With Memphis, Temple and WKU in the same conference it could be a dogfight for the championship and tournament berth. Besides, Memphis basketball stock has fallen since Calipari left.

I don't think that there's a world of love lost if you split Lafayette and Monroe. Besides, the question would be moot since ULM can't average 18/20 thousand while Louisiana can.

[UNTflyer]

That's why my MEGA-conference idea is far superior. The divisions essentially are 12 10-team conferences, but they all have the benefit of being tied to some big time programs as well. Every conference would have big time programs along with fledgling wannabes.

[NT80]

I would prefer 120 1-team conferences. Every team schedules who they want, when they want. OOC games are the most fun anyway so now all teams will have 12 OOC games!

[Mo Green]

B.S.

[GreenStreet]

As far as BCS Bowl games go, will this allow for a Southwestern/Sunbelt bowl tie in?