For what purpose though, daalter? To prop up programs that were good at the inception of the game. We are supposed to be creating an alternate reality starting from a set point in time, not reliving that past.

yes to prop up programs that are traditional powers. I know its what if sports, but the thing like about D1 is its Texas and UCLA and UNC are the A+ teams instead of the no name nothings at D2 and D3.

Remove all of it and it'll be Jacksonville, Montana State and Belmont as the traditional powers in some world. I am one vote for thinking that a world where that has occured would not be one I want to be in.

I hear what you are saying reinsel, thus the low end caps, but honestly I shouldn't have to coach one of those schools to get the benefits of elite status if I've earned it and conversely people shouldn't reap those benefits if they haven't. Heck Duke in Phelan hasn't gotten past the first round but once in 15 seasons and only has 3 NT appearances, so at what point does Duke stop becoming relevant as an elite program? At what point do we say, in this iteration of the world Duke goes back to the mediocrity they were at before Coach K?

25	xxxxxx	19-12	7-2	8-9	4-1	7-9		35	A-	CT Champion NT (1st Round)
24	xxxxxx	18-11	10-3	7-6	1-2	10-6		48	A-	NT At-large Bid NT (1st Round)
23	xxxxxx	19-10	12-5	6-4	1-1	10-6		73	A-	PI (1st Round)
22	xxxxxx	22-12	13-2	6-8	3-2	10-6		36	A-	PI (Championship Game)
21	xxxxxx	20-11	14-4	5-6	1-1	9-7		70	B+	PI (2nd Round)
20	xxxxxx	21-10	14-4	5-5	2-1	8-8		53	B+	PI (2nd Round)
19	xxxxxx	20-10	15-5	5-4	0-1	9-7		80	B+	PI (3rd Round)
18	xxxxxx	14-13	10-6	4-6	0-1	8-8		119	B+
17	xxxxxx	18-12	10-5	7-6	1-1	9-7		65	A	PI (2nd Round)
16	xxxxxx	26-7	10-3	11-2	5-2	12-4	7	6	A-	NT At-large Bid NT (Elite 8)
15	xxxxxx	15-13	9-3	6-9	0-1	8-8		93	B	PI (1st Round)
14	xxxxxx	16-13	9-5	7-7	0-1	9-7		74	B-	PI (2nd Round)
13	xxxxxx	7-20	5-10	2-9	0-1	4-12		213	B-
12	Sim AI	13-14	11-5	2-8	0-1	7-9		152	B-
11	Sim AI	5-22	3-14	2-7	0-1	3-13		226	B

Yeah, I hear ya....its kind of a sticky wicket. On one hand, you don't want the big 6 to become nothing, on the other it sucks to be at a WCC/MVC/CUSA school, consisitently winning NT games and be at parity with a PT level Duke program.

No super easy answer. I think the general consensus is some combo of less baseline prestige and looking more seasons back. Maybe with some addition of a baseline worst prestige as well.

One of my old proposals was to keep baseline prestige, cut its value in half, and replace that 50% of baseline with seasons 5,6,7 and 8 ago.

there is a baseline "worst" prestige in D1.

Look at the elite programs; Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Michigan St... They won't drop below a B-. Others in top conferences won't drop below a C+, others a C, all the way down to the Clemson, Rutgers, Northwesterns that can drop to a C-.

And Colorado who can get to a D+ :)

I think Baylor is another that can dip to a D+

Hawaii can drop to a D+ as well.