20 team playoff
Dec. 1ish 1st round-10 Conference Championship Games=20 teams(No wildcards or at large, you can’t be National Champ if you’re not even Regional Champ), each conference determines their CCG participants and venues, be it division winners, 2 highest ranked, 2 best records, neutral site, higher seed hosts, whatever, it’s up to each conference but only 1 team from each conference can advance, it’s either this or we split FBS and have two separate champions(my preference).
Dec. 8ish 2nd round- bye for top 6 C.C./ 7vs10, 8vs9
Dec 27-30 Quarterfinal- 1 vs8/9, 2vs7/10, etc…(traditional 8 team bracket)
Dec 31-Jan 2Consolation games(NY6) The 12 eliminated teams from the 1st and 2nd round are matched up in the NY6. The Rose for example, would be PAC12 runner up vs Big10 runner up. The NY6 and the playoff will be the only post season games, I’ll explain where the other bowls go later.
Jan 6ish- Semifinal
Jan 13ish- Championship
Bowl Season
The non NY6 bowls would be moved to opening week the following season.
They could be held in northern cities such as Seattle, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, etc… Perhaps 1 or 2 could even be held in Canada. This would end all player opt outs, and put an end to interim coaching situations in these bowl games. It would also provide some nice end of summer vacation plans, and tourism dollars to the North. With more planning time, more favorable traveling conditions, and with the hope that springs eternal at the start of each season, the attendance at opening season bowl games would be much better. How would you like to visit Niagara falls before watching your team in the Buffalo Bowl?
The NY6 could still have some player opt outs, but in a less watered down bowl season, the NY6 would be even more high profile than it is now. The potential increased exposure and revenue may be viewed as a more valuable final showcase for NFL scouts, and with the increased revenue and new rules, there could also be a financial incentive provided for participation.
From a competitive standpoint, this could help the non playoff teams as they could immediately get to recruiting and preparing for the following season earlier than their more successful counterparts. It’s a small advantage, but parity is yet another problem College Football struggles with, so every little thing counts.