The FCS/FBS debate is complex and my thoughts on it are rather borderline. There are some serious flaws, as pointed out, but keeping regional, or better yet, In-State matchups can be a good thing for the local fanbases. It is ok to have a game that generates interest in a 100 mile radius as opposed to 1500 miles.
Missouri has already scheduled Illinois State for the 2027 football season. That seems pretty far for an FCS game that can usually be filled a year or two out. Maybe ISU is looking to move up to FBS in the next 5 years, they deny it but have made many renovations to both football and basketball venues.
What I would like to see is a form of relegation in the Power 5 conferences. Each conference should be paired with a Group of 5 counterpart. Pac 12-Mt West, SEC-American, Big 12-Sun Belt, ACC-CUSA, Big 10-MAC, for example. If you go winless in CONFERENCE play over a 2 year period you get sent down and the team with the best 2year conf mark in your sister conference comes up. The paired conferences would have to have equal numbers of conference games so nonconf scheduling would not be effected. This would be for FOOTBALL ONLY and CONFERENCE GAMES ONLY. The money schools would never agree to it but it would add an edge to late season games and pretend to give those Group of 5 teams a chance. Imagine Rutgers winless last year, heading to top 10 Penn State winless again. You have Buffalo or Toledo with a chance to join the Big 10 if Penn State wins. Rutgers has to play for their lives, Penn State has to match the intensity, a possible Rose Bowl on the line. People all over the country suddenly care about a game that no one actually will otherwise.
Eh its a pipe dream. Maybe I should just go buy a few more lotto tickets while I'm at it.
