"Bowl-eligibility" could be modified greatly with the advent of a 16 team playoff as could the entire "Bowl System".not scheduling games in advance = don't want to have to re-do the schedules when the B1G adds more teams.
I have a hard time believing they'll go to a 10-game conference schedule. some teams need those 3 non-conf games to be bowl-eligible.
Not necessarily, they could essentially set up a set of rules for the scheduling tied to the previous years conference rankings, travel distances, etc that could still avoid any favoritism or politics while still being year to year.I get some of the complications with adding new teams.
But year to year schedules is a setup for politics and infighting ...
Yepnot scheduling games in advance = don't want to have to re-do the schedules when the B1G adds more teams.
If TV demands the additional inventory, then TV gets what TV wants.I have a hard time believing they'll go to a 10-game conference schedule. some teams need those 3 non-conf games to be bowl-eligible.
If the big ten leaves the ncaa the rules will changenot scheduling games in advance = don't want to have to re-do the schedules when the B1G adds more teams.
I have a hard time believing they'll go to a 10-game conference schedule. some teams need those 3 non-conf games to be bowl-eligible.
With no divisions 8 or 10 is much fairer. Or you have teams competing to be top 2 in the conference and half the teams have fewer home games than the other half.One minor thing with 9 vs 10, is that 10 gets you an even 5 home/5 away each year. Not that big of a deal, but does even it out.
It does make rotating evenly among the remaining teams (not locked in) a bit harder (if talking 5 years or less).
With 16 teams and 10 conf games, you can do:
0 annual locked-in, 10 remaining games = rotate remaining 15 teams every 3 years
With 18 teams and 10 conf games, you can do:
0 annual locked-in, 10 remaining games = rotate remaining 18 teams every 5 years
3 annual locked-in, 7 remaining games = rotate remaining 14 teams every 2 years
With 20 teams and 10 conf games, you can do:
1 annual locked-in, 9 remaining games = rotate remaining 18 teams every 2 years
And in the big ten…rivalries important enough to have 5 locks for everyone.Had not thought about 5-5-5 format, that does certainly work as well.
Yeah. I don’t think MN would vote yes on a system with less than 2 locks. I think that’s true of Michigan (Michigan state and Michigan)Obviously for Minnesota, we just cannot accept a system giving less than Wisc and Iowa both locked in every year.
I think the numbers make more sense for 4 or 5 locked opponents than 1-2At 20 conf teams, you could have 4 locked-in and play the remaining 15 teams twice in 5 years. (6 remaining games per year * 5 years = 30 games)
Great point.One down side to having 10 conference games is its highly likely that with rare exceptions, the days of Big Ten non-conference road games would be a thing of the past. Each team would get five home conference games, and most schools rely on seven home games for revenue, so the likelihood of road games in the NC would not be very appealing for most. Time will tell, but road trips to Boulder, Starkville, or Chapel Hill would go the way of the Dodo if this happens.
What if they go to 13 games? I feel like everything is on the table now.One down side to having 10 conference games is its highly likely that with rare exceptions, the days of Big Ten non-conference road games would be a thing of the past. Each team would get five home conference games, and most schools rely on seven home games for revenue, so the likelihood of road games in the NC would not be very appealing for most. Time will tell, but road trips to Boulder, Starkville, or Chapel Hill would go the way of the Dodo if this happens.
Nice list. Illini would want NW protected, and Purdue vs Indiana is a pretty big one as well. Can't really think of a big second one for either.The teams that will favor at least 2 locked in games:
Minnesota (Iowa, Wisconsin)
Iowa (Minnesota, Wisconsin)
Wisconsin (Minnesota, Iowa)
Michigan (OSU, MSU)
Michigan St (Michigan, PSU)
OSU (Michigan, PSU)
Penn St (OSU, MSU)
In fact, Nebraska would probably favor 3 (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa).
That’s true but there will be road games to Los Angeles, oregon, boulder potentiallyOne down side to having 10 conference games is its highly likely that with rare exceptions, the days of Big Ten non-conference road games would be a thing of the past. Each team would get five home conference games, and most schools rely on seven home games for revenue, so the likelihood of road games in the NC would not be very appealing for most. Time will tell, but road trips to Boulder, Starkville, or Chapel Hill would go the way of the Dodo if this happens.
I see the end of divisionsI think the addition of two western quasi-powers gives East/West new life.
We'll see where future expansion goes, but it's a decent bet they just slide Purdue east and put USC and UCLA in the West as it stands.