wish we'd think about conf realignment stuff opposite of how we do.
instead of media rights controlling it, how bout make the best possible alignment for the fans which in turn would create the most revenue for tv deals.
could easily do regional map of 5 or 6 regions. minimal travel and max fan interaction / interest. 6 regions of 20 teams would basically work.
my rough outline w/o much thought:
West of Nebraska is split into a "North West" and "South West"
Upper Midwest
Texas / South Midwest
Ohio Valley
Northeast
Southeast
top x amount of teams from each region go to a playoff - some regions will have more teams than others prorate it for eligible playoff teams.
this isn't rocket science. biggest rivalries and fan interaction happens with nearby surrounding schools.
follow the $ and it will lead you to things that don't make sense because billionaires want more $ and power.
/rant