Look, I'm positive this is not an original idea, and this won't be the best expression of it, but I can't stop thinking about it.
How to realign the B1G divisions for next season: take the ten Members with best records from this year, they each play each other once, best record wins the title with usual tie breakers. No championship.
The other 4 teams? This is where it gets good. They're not in the B1G anymore. They are in the B2G. 20? Yes, we let the best 6 schools by 2021 record who want to join the B1G in as football only members (let's call them BIG Guests). What if 16 teams want to be Guests? Then we have a B3G. We can keep going, B4G, B5G, anyone is welcome 10 teams at a time.
You know what's coming next: the 4 worst teams in the B1G at the end of 2022 are relegated to the B2G, best 4 teams in the B2G are promoted to the B1G. Promotion/relegation happens for every division.
What's to like: I'm telling you, within a few years, those 45 match-ups in the B1G will be as big as bowl games now, and the biggest ones will be bigger than the playoffs--winning the B1G will determine the best team in college football, not bowls or playoffs. It's fairer--success is 100% determined by on field results rather than opinion poles. Power in college athletics would shift from the SEC and NCAA to the B1G (only a positive if you make it one, hold SEC schools to the same standards as everyone else). Excitement for fans of teams at the bottom of the divisions as they try to avoid relegation.
What's in this for current members? Humbling the SEC. Oh, this is about money? Throw them an extra $1/2 billion a year or something. Look, the reason this will never happen besides contracts, bylaws, whatever, is part of the B1G existence is to insulate its members from competition. You all can tell me what else I am missing with this concept, but it's at least fun to think about.
How to realign the B1G divisions for next season: take the ten Members with best records from this year, they each play each other once, best record wins the title with usual tie breakers. No championship.
The other 4 teams? This is where it gets good. They're not in the B1G anymore. They are in the B2G. 20? Yes, we let the best 6 schools by 2021 record who want to join the B1G in as football only members (let's call them BIG Guests). What if 16 teams want to be Guests? Then we have a B3G. We can keep going, B4G, B5G, anyone is welcome 10 teams at a time.
You know what's coming next: the 4 worst teams in the B1G at the end of 2022 are relegated to the B2G, best 4 teams in the B2G are promoted to the B1G. Promotion/relegation happens for every division.
What's to like: I'm telling you, within a few years, those 45 match-ups in the B1G will be as big as bowl games now, and the biggest ones will be bigger than the playoffs--winning the B1G will determine the best team in college football, not bowls or playoffs. It's fairer--success is 100% determined by on field results rather than opinion poles. Power in college athletics would shift from the SEC and NCAA to the B1G (only a positive if you make it one, hold SEC schools to the same standards as everyone else). Excitement for fans of teams at the bottom of the divisions as they try to avoid relegation.
What's in this for current members? Humbling the SEC. Oh, this is about money? Throw them an extra $1/2 billion a year or something. Look, the reason this will never happen besides contracts, bylaws, whatever, is part of the B1G existence is to insulate its members from competition. You all can tell me what else I am missing with this concept, but it's at least fun to think about.