Then how about this . . . why not mix the playoffs with the regular season . . . that way all teams get into the playoff ladder, somewhere (as long as there Division Ia) . . . and depending on whether they win or not . . . will determine whether they keep their regular schedule . . . or continue down the ladder . . . until only two remain in the ladder.
At first the ladders remain within their respective conference until there is one clear winner based on the ladder results . . . this then breaks down to super regional semifinals . . . then quarter finals . . . and then to the final . . . see now there is no need for computer ranking or human ranking
. . . it comes down to raw abilities . . . making money less important (yet still a factor, it will never not be)