we cover this all the time. The only way the selections are fair, is to select an EXACTLY even number of teams from each region
8 from the Northeast
8 from the Midwest
8 from the West
8 from the South.
No questions asked ...if you meet the criteria ...you participate. Only the top-2 teams from each conference will go. Each conference has an auto-bid and an at-large bid. So if you want to have super conferences ...better think again.
Annually:
You award 16 conference champions
You award 4 regional champs
You award 2 national finalists
You award one national champion.
West Region Conferences:
1. Big Sky
2. Southland
3. New West Region Conference #1
4. New West Region Conference #2
South Region Conferences:
1. Big South
2. Mid-Eastern Athletic
3. Southern
4. Southwestern Athletic
Northeast Region Conferences:
1. Colonial
2. Northeast
3. Ivy League
4. Patriot League
MidWest Region Conferences:
1. Missouri Valley
2. Ohio Valley
3. Pioneer League
4. New Mid-West Region Conference #1
The requirements must have a minimum number of wins and ONLY count I-AA games. No $$ games do not count. I do not care if you can beat Pitt, as you cannot beat anyone good from your own conference.
The requirements must specify a minimum number of scholarships.
You seed 16-teams from each region. Then you seed the 4 regions
Conference champs are in ...no questions ...as long as they meet the criteria.
If you cannot find enough teams to meet the criteria in a given region, you move to the other conferences, in the order of regional seed and team seed inside that region. It is really that simple. This means that good teams from the MVFC and the CAA are going to sit home, but that is how it must be. EVERY team from EVERY conference has to be on an equal playing field.
FAG (Frequently asked Gripes):
What about the west, where there are less schools?
They will be able to get to 4 conferences. I have always thought that is a conference does not have at least 8 members, it should only be awarded 1 bid to the play-off.
What about these supposedly easier conferences such as the NEC or the Pioneer League?
Well, if you have minimum scholarship requirement, problem solved. Once these schools get to ful scholarship, they will become competitive.
What about a conference that is not doing well such as the SoCon or OVC?
It will balance out & the SoCon would need to add one more team in order to get 2 bids. The reason the OVC stays down is because good recruits do not want to go there; well with a fair system everyone has equal recruiting power.
what is wrong with taking the top-24 and that is it?
Well, first of all, we would never agree. Secondly, why then why would we have any any need for divisions, regions or conferences? We need some organization.