With the game releasing next week, I put on my College Football Czar hat and tried to return sanity to the conference landscape.
This is the configuration I'll be using in my Illini dynasty.
(One caveat - the game won't let you make a new conference so you have to use the current 10 + independents structure).
Maybe the only conference left that still makes sense in real life, the MAC stays as-is but we bring back divisions here (and everywhere) because 12-14 team conferences without them are are stupid.
MAC
East - Akron, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Kent St., Miami (OH), Ohio
West - Ball St., CMU, EMU, NIU, Toledo, WMU
The gang is back together with one change - swapping Colorado for BYU to set up the Holy War as a conference game.
PAC-12
North - Cal, Oregon, Oregon St., Stanford, Washington, Washington St.
South - Arizona, Arizona St., BYU, UCLA, USC, Utah
The Big 10 and SEC get rid of their questionable adds and roll back to sensible 12 team versions.
BIG 10
East - Indiana, Michigan, Michigan St. Ohio St., Penn St., Purdue
West - Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, NU, Wisconsin
SEC
East - Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
West - Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Mississippi, Miss. St.
Colorado and Missouri back where they belong and we recreate the classic SWC (sorry, Rice). SMU gets a more sensible big boy upgrade.
BIG 12
Big Eight - Colorado, Iowa St. Kansas, Kansas St., Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St.
Southwest - Baylor, Houston, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
The biggest changes, leaning into the American's DNA.
American
Big East - Boston College, Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, West Virginia
Metro - Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, South Florida, Southern Miss, Tulane, Virginia Tech
Maryland returns, Central Florida goes to a more logical big conference and Appy St. gets a promotion
ACC
Atlantic - Central Florida, Clemson, Florida St., Maryland, NC State, Wake Forest
Coastal - Appalachian St., Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, North Carolina, Virginia
Pretty much the same but adds NMSU and UTEP to give some desert rivalry action
Mountain West
Mountain - Air Force, Colorado St., New Mexico, New Mexico St., Utah St., UTEP, Wyoming
West - Boise St., Fresno St., Hawaii, Nevada, San Diego St., San Jose St., UNLV
A couple minor moves to even out conference and team numbers
C-USA
East - Charlotte, East Carolina, FAU, FIU, Liberty, MTSU, Western Kentucky
West - Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Sam Houston, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA
Sun Belt
East - Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia St., James Madison, Kennesaw St., Marshall, Old Dominion
West - Arkansas St., Jacksonville St., Louisiana, UL-Monroe, South Alabama, Texas St., Troy
Independents
Army, Navy, Massachusetts, Notre Dame
