11 Warriors just posted a cool story about "perfect" conferences when mapped up geographically that still do a solid job of keeping tradition alive:
Midwest Conference
Archie Griffin Division: Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Toledo
Barry Sanders Division: Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Northern Illinois, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa State, Kansas
East Coast Conference
Jim Brown Division: Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Maryland, Rutgers, Navy, Army, Boston College, Syracuse, Marshall
Lawrence Taylor Division: Clemson, Georgia, App. State, Virginia Tech, NC State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia
Southern Conference
Bo Jackson Division: Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, LA-Lafayette, Baylor, Houston, Miss. St., Ole Miss, Arkansas
Deion Sanders Division: UCF, Florida State, Florida, Memphis, Miami (FL), Louisville, Tennessee, Kentucky, GA Tech, Vanderbilt
West Coast Conference
Earl Campbell Division: Oklahoma, Boise State, BYU, Utah, TCU, Air Force, Texas, Texas Tech, Arizona, Colorado
Ronnie Lott Division: Oregon, SD State, Stanford, Washington, USC, Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State, Cal, Oregon State
Who's Left - Lower Level Conferences
Midwest: Akron, Arkansas State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (OH), Middle Tenn, Ohio, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Tulsa
East Coast: Buffalo, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, GA Southern, GA State, James Madison, Liberty, Old Dominion, Temple, UConn, UMass
Southern: FL Atlantic, FL International, LA Monroe, LA Tech, North Texas, Rice, SMU, South Alabama, South Florida, Southern Miss, Troy, Tulane, UAB
Western: Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Nevada, San Jose State, Texas San Antonio, Texas State, UNLV, Utah State, UTEP, Wyoming
The best teams in the lower level conferences play each other in a mini National Championship for a right to get promoted.
Say the two worst teams in the Midwest Conference are Northwestern and Kansas. Then say the two best teams in the Midwest (lower level) are Bowling Green and Western Michigan.
Northwestern and Kansas both play each other - loser gets sent down to the lower level conference and is replaced by the winner of BG and Western Michigan.
Obviously will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER happen - but I thought it was an interesting read and concept. Would be something fun to throw into a video game. You get punished for being Rutgers year in and year out in this system.