(08-14-2017 12:19 AM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Below are the rules for a D-I FBS conference. The applicable one is 20.02.6. You need 8 members and it has to be a multi-sport conference. You cannot have a single sport football conference at this level


20.02.5 Multisport Conference. A Division I multisport conference shall satisfy the requirements of this section. (Adopted: 1/15/11 effctive 8/1/11)
20.02.5.1 Minimum Number of Members. A multisport conference shall be composed of at least seven active Division I members. The member conference shall include at least seven active Division I members that sponsor both men’s and women’s basketball. (Adopted: 1/15/11 effctive 8/1/11)
20.02.5.2 Sports Sponsorship. A multisport conference shall satisfy the following requirements: (Adopted: 1/15/11 effctive 8/1/11)
(a) Th conference shall sponsor a minimum of 12 Division I sports;
(b) Th conference shall sponsor a minimum of six men’s sports, one of which shall be men’s basketball. In addition to men’s basketball, the conference shall sponsor football or two other men’s team sports. A minimum of seven members shall sponsor men’s basketball. A minimum of six members shall sponsor five other sports, including football or two additional men’s team sports; and
( c) Th conference shall sponsor a minimum of six women’s sports, one of which shall be women’s basketball. In addition to women’s basketball, the conference shall sponsor two other women’s team sports. A minimum of seven members shall sponsor women’s basketball. A minimum of six members shall sponsor five other sports, including two additional women’s team sports (or a minimum of fie members for an emerging sport for women).
20.02.5.3 Regular-Season Conference Competition. Multisport conference members shall participate in
regular-season conference competition, subject to the following requirements: (Adopted: 1/15/11 effctive 8/1/11)
(a) Basketball teams shall participate in a regular-season conference schedule of a double round robin, inseason competition, or a minimum of 14 regular-season conference contests;
(b) In football or in a minimum of two men’s team sports other than men’s basketball [as required in Bylaw 20.02.5.2-(b)], teams shall compete in a minimum regular-season conference schedule of fie contests. A minimum of five regular-season conference contests must be hosted by one of the two competing teams at its home venue; and
( c) In a minimum of two women’s team sports other than women’s basketball (as required in Bylaw 20.02.5.2), teams shall compete in a minimum regular-season conference schedule of fie contests. A minimum of fie regular-season conference contests must be hosted by one of the two competing teams at its home venue.
20.02.5.4 Continuity. A multisport conference shall establish continuity. To establish continuity, a multisport conference must meet the requirements of Bylaw 20.02.5.1. In addition, the conference must meet the requirements of Bylaws 20.02.5.2 and 20.02.5.3 for a period of eight consecutive years. (Adopted: 1/15/11 effctive 8/1/11)
20.02.5.5 Grace Period. A conference shall continue to be considered a multisport conference for two years following the date of withdrawal of the institution(s) that causes the conference’s noncompliance with the minimum multisport conference requirements. (Adopted: 1/15/11 effctive 8/1/11)

20.02.6 Football Bowl Subdivision Conference. A conference classifid as a Football Bowl Subdivision conference shall be comprised of at least eight full Football Bowl Subdivision members that satisfy all bowl subdivision requirements. An institution shall be included as one of the eight full Football Bowl Subdivision members only if the institution participates in the conference schedule in at least six men’s and eight women’s conferencesponsored sports, including men’s basketball and football and three women’s team sports including women’s basketball. A conference-sponsored sport shall be a sport in which regular-season and/or championship opportunities are provided, consistent with the minimum standards identifid by the applicable NCAA sport committee for automatic qualifiation. (Adopted: 10/31/02 effctive 8/1/05, Revised: 12/15/06)
20.02.6.1 Exception. A Football Bowl Subdivision member institution shall be permitted to count as one of its required six men’s sports and one of its required eight women’s sports a sport in which its conference does not sponsor or conduct a championship, provided the sport is one in which it participates in another Division I multi- or single-sport conference. Different sports may be counted for men and women. (Adopted: 4/29/04
effctive 8/1/05, Revised: 12/15/06)
20.02.6.2 Grace Period. A conference shall continue to be considered a Football Bowl Subdivision conference for two years following the date when it fails to satisfy the eight full Football Bowl Subdivision member requirement due to one or more of its member’s failure to comply with the bowl subdivision membership requirements. (Adopted: 4/28/05 effctive 8/1/05, Revised: 12/15/06)

Nothing in there precludes you having a contractual scheduling or bowl arrangement between schools.