Top 8 One Plane Ride Playoff Format

[Argonut]

I decided to take a stab at splitting up top 8 (D2 poll) ranked teams in playoff format that includes all 15 conference champions with rest of field of 32 filled out out by remainder of Top 25 and then the final regional rankings. I was able to limit first round games to one plane ride for Central Washington that was going to happen anyway.

Playoff field below divided into 8 four team pods with top 8 ranked team in each pod with other 3 teams arranged by geography to limit plane rides. I have also listed first round games and mileage in parentheses. Four pods involve games between two conferences, but the other four pods match up 3-4 conferences.

If I can do this certainly the NCAA can do this. Food for thought while watching the mismatched FBS bowl games and the FBS playoff games.

Pod 1
Colo. Mines (#1)
UT-Permian (#10)
Western Colo. (#12)
Central Wash. (#3 Regional)

Pod 2
Grand Valley (#2)
Cal. (Pa,) (#4 R)
Shepherd (#6 R)
E. Stroudsburg (#7 R)

Pod 3
Ferris St. (#3)
Kutztown (#12)
Slippery Rock (#13)
New Haven (#10 R)

Pod 4
Harding (#4)
Indy (#21)
Ouachita Baptist (#22)
Mo. Western (#7 R)

Pod 5
Pitt. St. (#5)
Bemidji St. (#15)
Minn.-Mankato (#16)
Minn.-Duluth (#20)

Pod 6
Benedict (#6)
L-R (#11)
Fayetteville St. (#6 R)
Va. Union (#7 R)

Pod 7
Central Mo. (#7)
Augustana(#9)
Tiffin (#18)
Charleston (#25)

Pod 8
Delta St. (#8)
Valdosta St. (#14)
West Fla. (#18)
Henderson St. (#24)

First Round Games

Central Wash. @ Colo. Mines (1,200 miles)
Western Colo. @ UT-Permian (652)

Cal. (Pa.) @ Grand Valley (479)
E. Stroudsburg @ Shepherd (212)

Slippery Rock @ Ferris St. (450)
New Haven @ Kutztown (191)

Mo. Western @ Harding (420)
Ouachita Baptist @ Indy (648)

Minn.-Mankato @ Pitt. St. (524)
Minn.-Duluth @ Bemidji St. (148)

Fayetteville St. @ Benedict (166)
Va. Union @ L-R (248)

Augustana @ Central Mo. (423)
Charleston @ Tiffin (247)

Henderson St. @ Delta St. (191)
West Fla. @ Valdosta St. (268)

[bigmrg74]

Central Wash. @ Colo. Mines (1,200 miles)

Western Colo. @ UT-Permian (652)

Ouachita Baptist @ Indy (648)


Actually it would be 3 plane rides here, as anything over 600 miles is an automatic flight. You could flip Central Washington and Western Colorado and get it down to 2 flights.

[Argonut]

Central Wash. @ Colo. Mines (1,200 miles)

Western Colo. @ UT-Permian (652)

Ouachita Baptist @ Indy (648)


Actually it would be 3 plane rides here, as anything over 600 miles is an automatic flight. You could flip Central Washington and Western Colorado and get it down to 2 flights.

My bad, I thought it was 700 miles for the plane ride.

[Goods]

8 games in this scenario with less than 300 miles to go. Dang. CWU has a two hour drive over a mountain pass just to get to the airport.

[IUPNation]

The irony of those who think a 600 mile bus ride is no big deal are those who never have to ride 600 miles on a bus.

[Buffalo/Islander Alum]

The irony of those who think a 600 mile bus ride is no big deal are those who never have to ride 600 miles on a bus.

To someone in their 50's its a terrible thought.

For young athletes in their 20s full of energy its not ideal but not horrible.

Charter buses are way better than travelling those distances by the dreaded yellow dog.

In the LSC some conference and non conference games cover those distances.

[LeftSider]

The irony of those who think a 600 mile bus ride is no big deal are those who never have to ride 600 miles on a bus.

Searcy to Indianapolis in 2017 was pretty fun. Split up between 2 days and then sing nickelback & Hank Williams jr the whole way back.

Harding makes a 500 mile trip every other year to Alva, OK. That bus ride isn’t as fun

[bigmrg74]

The irony of those who think a 600 mile bus ride is no big deal are those who never have to ride 600 miles on a bus.

Honestly they should put it back to 500 miles.

[Brandon]

Honestly they should put it back to 500 miles.

It will likely head in the other direction.