129 full fbs members by '15. A handful of these programs are Indy, but let's face it ND is the only true Indy the rest can be swayed to an affiliation of some sort if the $$$ is right. Assuming ND will remain independent and nobody drops out of the fbs what "should" happen is an east/west division separating 128 affiliate member schools into eight 16 team conference-regions with 8 team divisions within those conferences. At seasons end conference division champs will play for dr. Pepper and the champ will receive one of the top 8 seeds in a 32 team bracket (basically the top 4 finishers from each conference will get a bid but only conference champs get top 8). Since ND has to be different they will have a shot at a playoff bid with enough wins and can receive a top 8 bid with a healthy resume and better record than any of the conference champs. Here's the breakdown:
EAST DIVISION
Region I
Group A) BC, UMass, UConn, Army, Cuse, Buffalo, Rutgers, Temple
Group B) PSU, Pitt, WVU, UMD, Navy, UVA, VT, ODU
Region II
Group A) ECU, NCSU, Duke, UNC, WF, Charlotte, SCar, Clemson
Group B) App St, Tenn, MTSU, Vandy, WKU, UofL, UK, Marshall
Region III
Group A) UGA, GT, GSU, UAB, Bama, Auby, Troy, So. Alabama
Group B) Ga So., FSU, UF, UCF, USF, FAU, FIU, Miami (FL)
Region IV
Group A) CMU, MSU, Mich, EMU, WMU, Purdue, Ball St, Indiana
Group B) Toledo, BGSU, Kent St, Akron, tOSU, Miami (OH), Ohio, Cincy
WEST DIVISION
Region V
Group A) UW, WSU, OSU, UO, Idaho, Boise St, Nevada, UNLV
Group B) Cal, Stan, SJSU, Fresno St, UCLA, USC, SDSU, Hawai'i
Region VI
Group A) Utah St, Utah, BYU, Wyo, CSU, CU, AF, UNM
Group B) ASU, Zona, NMSU, UTEP, TTU, UTSA, TX St, UT
Region VII
Group A) Memphis, Ole Miss, MSU, So Miss, Tulane, LSU, ULL, ULM
Group B) UNT, TCU, SMU, LT, BU, TAMU, UH, Rice
Region VIII
Group A) Minn, Wisc, NW, UNI, Ill, Iowa, ISU, Neb
Group B) KSU, KU, Mizzou, OU, OSU, Tulsa, Ark, Ark St.
*Notre Dame remains independent (A-holes!)
Since we've grown accustomed to 60+ teams featured in bowl games each year it's only logical that some of these bowls stick around as sort of a consolation for teams that had good seasons but didn't make playoffs. This will help them to add to added affiliation revenue sharing and still gives us something to watch during the holidays.
This of course is a totally unrealistic template with an obvious socialist agenda. There is no reality in which this could exist and therefor college football as we know it is doomed. I realize that this was probably a complete waste of time but I have the day off and I'm bored out of my mind. This is still better than allowing DII and DIII schools to advance to pool play and try to hang with the big boys.