It's actually 45 seasons since the sainted John Hayden Fry rode his stallion into Kinnick.
Iowa cannot financially compete long term. The portal and the NIL have allowed the BB schools to simply wipe out the opposition through financial mercantilism. College football will collapse to about 32 teams and half will make the playoffs. Iowa will not be one of those teams.
I agree that this is coming down to 32 teams. Probably two conferences of 16 teams and mirrors the NFL model. It's pretty easy to figure out the first 18 to 20. After that it's a crap shoot. Iowa can't support two teams in the model. This a quick list:
2024 B1G - OSU, MI, PSU, NE, USC, WA, OR, UCLA - After those 7 you have the maybe WI, MSU
2024 SEC - FL, GA, AL, LSU, TX, OK, TX A&M, MISS - After those 8 you have maybe Aub, So Car, Mo
2024 ACC - Clemson, N Car, FSU, - After those 3 you have maybe Pitt, VA Tech, GA Tech
2024 XII - Utah, Arizona, BYU, WV - After those 4 you have maybe Ok St, AZ State
Independents -Notre Dame
This was a quick guess of 32 teams.