(09-08-2015 07:47 AM)owl at the moon Wrote:  

(09-08-2015 12:58 AM)David Krysakowski Wrote:  I mean for conference USA football?

Good idea.
Split into 3 regional pods 5 (or 4).
First 5 games play everyone in your pod plus an annual rivalry outside your pod.
Last 3 games are played "bracket buster" style with teams in the top two in each pod playing each other to build a resume for the access bowl.
Then the championship game pits the top two teams in the overall standings.

For that matter this could be done with two divisions even more easily...
Play 6 games in division.
Week 7:
West 1 plays east 4
West 2 vs east 3,
West 3 vs east 2,
West 4 vs east 1.
(Also - w5-e7, w6-e6, w7-e5)

Week 8: winners from week 7play, losers from week 7 play.

Week 9: two remaining top bracket winners play.

Voila, 8-team conference tournament that could be done with very little modification to NCAA rules. Or just play best standing east vs west at week 9 under current champ game rules with nearly the same effect.