This is the 1st part of 2 of my proposal of how college football should adjust it's format for the regular season and postseason. In this regular season format, there are no divisions for a more balanced conference schedule and playing conference opponents more frequently. I would also create a more uniform schedule format I think most leagues can use without issues. Lastly I would add a conference champions week to give teams at or above .500 a 13th game in the playoff pursuit. This gives Rivalry Week extra incentive as for teams with less than 5 wins, it’s a de facto bowl game. Teams with 5-6 wins are trying to become eligible for champions Week or bowl eligible. Then there are teams towards the top trying to remain in the top 25 (you’ll see why in the 2nd thread), win their conference, and/or contend for a playoff spot. Then on conference champions week, this all continues with many high quality matchups. This also could help limit conferences to 3 playoff teams most years as the 3-4 game could be a play-in game into the playoff. Below is an example of the Conference Champions Week Schedule for the Top 25, CCGs, and 2 loss G5 teams provided using 2017-2020 seasons.

Regular Season Schedule:
4 Non-Conference Games
- 2 Games Min. Against P5 Opponents
8 Conference Games
- 2-4 games Protected for Annual Rivalries
1 Bye Week
(Alternate: 2nd Bye Week with Rivalry Week and Conference Champions Week remaining on same weekends, but eliminating Army-Navy Week)
Regular Season Start: Week 0 (Weekend before Labor Day Weekend)
Regular Season Ends: Weekend before Thanksgiving Weekend (Rivalry Week)

Conference Champions Week: Thanksgiving Weekend
- Champions Week Eligibility: 6 Wins to Participate (teams with 5-6 record can participate if 13th game scheduled following week)
- Alternate: all Teams Participate
- 1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4, 5 vs. 6, etc., matchups based on conference record
- If odd number of teams eligible for a conference, 1 team would play an independent team eligible or team from another conference eligible
- Independents could also schedule their 13th game in advance
- Notre Dame presumably would schedule Army, BYU, or make an agreement to play a 6th ACC opponent during conference champions week, but not participate in CCG

First Weekend of December: Army-Navy + Rescheduled Games


2017 Conference Champions Week (82 Teams Eligible)
#7 Miami (FL) (10-1) vs. #1 Clemson (11-1) [ACC CCG]
Army (8-3) or ACC Opponent vs. #15 Notre Dame (9-3)
#22 Virginia Tech (9-3) @ #24 NC State (8-4)

#5 Alabama (11-1) vs. #2 Auburn (10-2) [SEC CCG]
#17 LSU (9-3) @ #6 Georgia (11-1)
(Note: Alabama and Georgia finished with at 7-1 both losing to Auburn 7-1 and did not play each other, opted for highest CFP Ranking)
#23 Mississippi St. (8-4) @ South Carolina (8-4)

#11 TCU (10-2) vs. #3 Oklahoma (11-1) [Big 12 CCG]
Texas (6-6) @ #19 Oklahoma St. (9-3)

#8 Ohio St. (10-2) vs. #4 Wisconsin (12-0) [Big Ten CCG]
#16 Michigan St. (9-3) @ #9 Penn St. (10-2)
Michigan (8-4) @ #21 Northwestern (9-3)

#12 Stanford (9-3) vs. #10 USC (10-2) [PAC-12 CCG]
Arizona St. (7-5) @ #13 Washington (10-2)
Arizona (6-6) @ #18 Washington St. (9-3)

#20 Memphis (10-1) vs. #14 UCF (11-0) [AAC CCG]
Houston (7-4) @ South Florida (9-2)

Boise St. (9-3) vs. #25 Fresno St. (9-3) [MWC CCG]
Colorado St. (7-5) @ San Diego St. (10-2)

Appalachian St. (8-4) vs. Troy (10-2) [SBC CCG]
Akron (7-5) vs. Toledo (10-2) [MAC CCG]
North Texas (9-3) vs. Florida Atlantic (9-3) [C-USA CCG]


2018 Conference Champions Week (82 Teams Eligible)
#4 Georgia (11-1) vs. #1 Alabama (12-0) [SEC CCG]
#15 Kentucky (9-3) @ #19 Texas A&M (8-4) (3 vs. 4)
#11 LSU (9-3) @ #10 Florida (9-3) (5 vs. 6)
#18 Mississippi St. (8-4) @ South Carolina (7-5)
Auburn (7-5) @ #24 Missouri (8-4)

Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. #2 Clemson (12-0) [ACC CCG]
Army (9-2) or ACC Opponent vs. #3 Notre Dame (12-0)
Georgia Tech (7-5) @ #20 Syracuse (8-4)

#14 Texas (9-3) vs. #5 Oklahoma (11-1) [Big 12 CCG]
#16 West Virginia (8-3) @ #23 Iowa St. (7-4)

#7 Michigan (10-2) vs. #6 Ohio St. (11-1) [Big Ten CCG]
#12 Penn St. (9-3) @ #21 Northwestern (8-4)

#13 Washington St. (10-2) vs. #11 Washington (9-3) [PAC-12 CCG]
Stanford (8-4) @ #17 Utah (9-3)

Temple (8-4) vs. #8 UCF (12-0) [AAC CCG]
Memphis (8-4) @ Cincinnati (10-2)

#25 Fresno St. (10-2) vs. #22 Boise St. (10-2) [MWC CCG]
Nevada (7-5) @ Utah St. (10-2)

Troy (9-3) vs. Appalachian St. (9-2) [SBC CCG]
Miami (OH) (6-6) vs. Buffalo (10-2) [MAC CCG]
UAB (9-3) vs. Middle Tennessee (8-4) [C-USA CCG]


2019 Conference Champions Week (79 Teams Eligible)
#8 Wisconsin (10-2) vs. #1 Ohio St. (12-0) [Big Ten CCG]
#10 Penn St. (10-2) @ #18 Minnesota (10-2)
#16 Iowa (9-3) @ #14 Michigan (9-3)

#4 Georgia (11-1) vs. #2 LSU (12-0) [SEC CCG]
#12 Alabama (10-2) @ #9 Florida (10-2)
Tennessee (7-5) @ #11 Auburn (9-3)

#23 Virginia (9-3) vs. #3 Clemson (12-0) [ACC CCG]
BYU (7-5) or ACC Opponent @ #15 Notre Dame (10-2)

#13 Oregon (10-2) vs. #5 Utah (11-1) [PAC-12 CCG]
California (7-5) @ #22 USC (8-4)

#7 Baylor (11-1) vs. #6 Oklahoma (11-1) [Big 12 CCG]
#25 Oklahoma St. (8-4) @ Texas (7-5)

#20 Cincinnati (10-2) vs. #17 Memphis (11-1) [AAC CCG]
UCF (9-3) @ #24 Navy (9-2)
Temple (8-4) @ SMU (10-2)

Air Force (10-2) vs. #19 Boise St. (11-1) [MWC CCG]
Louisiana (10-2) vs. #21 Appalachian St. (11-1) [SBC CCG]

UAB (9-3) vs. Florida Atlantic (9-3) [C-USA CCG]
Miami (OH) (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-4) [MAC CCG]


2020 Conference Champions Week*
#5 Texas A&M vs. #1 Alabama [SEC CCG]
#8 Georgia @ #7 Florida

#3 Clemson vs. #2 Notre Dame [ACC CCG]
#15 North Carolina @ #18 Miami (FL)
Boston College @ #22 NC State

#14 Northwestern vs. #4 Ohio St. [Big Ten CCG]
#16 Iowa @ #11 Indiana

#10 Oklahoma vs. #6 Iowa St. [Big 12 CCG]
#20 Texas @ #21 Oklahoma St.

#25 Colorado vs. #13 USC [PAC-12 CCG]
#23 Tulsa vs. #9 Cincinnati [AAC CCG]
#19 Louisiana vs. #12 Coastal Carolina [SBC CCG]
Boise St. vs. #24 San Jose St. [MWC CCG]

Liberty @ #17 BYU
Ball St. vs. Buffalo [MAC CCG]
UAB vs. Marshall [C-USA CCG]

Thinking about it some, I think Conferences could do 6 conference champions week games in 2 neutral locations if it’s played on thanksgiving weekend (assuming the start of the season is moved to Week 0). Using the Big Ten as an example, the 2 sites could be Indianapolis and St. Louis. Indianapolis would probably a Black Friday 4 PM game, a Saturday noon game, and the championship game at 8 PM Saturday night while St. Louis could have 2 games at noon and 8 PM EST on Black Friday and a 4 PM EST Saturday game. The 13 vs. 14 game could be tossed in the 8 PM Thanksgiving night window in either site. I feel college football is smart, they could arrange to have their conference championship games in 1 of the 6 time slots not to compete against each other.