a 40-team format (with 30 more in a Tier 2/Tier 3)

just for fun...20 minutes over lunch:

Tier 1 - Super League: 40 teams, 8 divisions divided into two conferences (protected, no relegation or promotion from or to this League)
Tier 2 - 15 teams TBD after year 1
Tier 3 - 15 teams TBD after year 1

Tiers 2 and 3, bottom 5/top 5 relegated/promoted every year.

Playoff format: 16 teams
- 14 from Super League (8 division champs and 6 at-large, get seeds 1-8 and 11-16)
- 2 from Tier 2 (those teams get seeds #9, #10 every year).

Scheduling: Super League teams play 12-game schedule against each other. Tiers 2/3 play 12-game schedule against each other. Super League teams allowed to have "Week 0" game to do whatever they want, TV controlled by Super League. So team could schedule a buy game, neutral site game against Tier 2, Tier 3, FCS whatever.

Super League 12-game schedule: play other 4 teams in your division, 4 more from within your conference, 4 more from other conference. Would create some variety and also protect some traditional matchups (ND-USC, etc.).

Conference delineation primarily used for travel and division champ tie-breaker purposes.

Super League divisions:

ND
Penn State
Michigan St.
Purdue
Indiana

USC
UCLA
Oregon
Washington
Utah

Ohio State
Michigan
Iowa
Wisconsin
Minnesota

Missouri
Nebraska
Arkansas
Illinois
BYU

FSU
Miami
Clemson
Virginia Tech
UNC

Florida
Georgia
South Carolina
Kentucky
Tennessee

Alabama
Auburn
Ole Miss
Miss. State
LSU

Texas
Texas A&M
Oklahoma
TCU
Baylor

Tier 2 & 3:

Okla. St.
Arizona State
Arizona
Colorado
Georgia Tech
Pitt
Louisville
NC State
Kansas State
Iowa State
West Virginia
Texas Tech
Kansas
Maryland
Rutgers
Cal
Stanford
Wash. State
Oregon State
BC
Wake Forest
Duke
Syracuse
Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Cincinnati
SMU
Houston
UCF
Tulane