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Effective 16 team conference schedule - Now with spreadsheet

Posted on 9/21/11 at 10:01 pm
Posted by TeamAwesome
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2011
178 posts
Posted on 9/21/11 at 10:01 pm
Talking this out with my brother, I've come up with a dynamic way to determine the conference championship game participants while allowing each member to play everyone in the conference once every 3 years and a home-and-home with every team every 5 years and play every team 3 times in any 6 year span.

Okay, hang with me here. Note that this requires a 9 game conference schedule.

What I propose is a 4 division pod system, but instead of a 3-2-2-2 schedule, I propose a 3-4-1-1. In this sytem you'll play everyone in your pod every year, and everyone else in another pod, with 1 each from the 2 remaining pods. Additionally, the pod you play against in its entirety rotates each year among the other 3 pods, and the singles from the 2 others also rotate. Here's how 1 full cycle looks:

LINK

Now the trick to this schedule is that to determine the SEC championship match up, you take the best team from each set of 2 pods that play each other entirely. This way, it's also dynamic. The SEC broke new ground with a conference championship game in 1992. It's time to renew the system of conference play once again.

*I've made a spreadsheet out of this for your viewing convenience. Also note that X, Y, and Z are just placeholders for future teams and the divisions are only suggestions.
This post was edited on 9/22/11 at 9:22 am
Posted by 870Hog
99999 posts
Member since Jul 2011
16189 posts
Posted on 9/21/11 at 10:06 pm to
fricking confusing. tl;dr.
Posted by TeamAwesome
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2011
178 posts
Posted on 9/21/11 at 10:19 pm to
quote:

fricking confusing


I know, just try extrapolating that 3rd pod, I think it's easiest to see the idea there.

For instance,you'll play everyone in pod 1, and the first team in each of the other 2 pods. then move from there.
This post was edited on 9/21/11 at 10:22 pm
Posted by The ChizMan Cometh
Tigerdroppings Legend
Member since Feb 2011
1671 posts
Posted on 9/21/11 at 10:36 pm to
It's pointless for one pod to play it's 3 games plus 4 other games from another pod.. All that really amounts to is two 8 team divisions and adding an extra conference game. What would be the point?
Posted by Alabama Slim
Team Massie
Member since Jul 2007
10666 posts
Posted on 9/21/11 at 11:02 pm to
quick, someone call Mike Slive
Posted by TeamAwesome
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2011
178 posts
Posted on 9/21/11 at 11:04 pm to
quote:

What would be the point?


The point is that this way you play the entire conference every 3 years, have a home-and-home with everyone every 5 , and dynamically rotate where the SECCG participants are drawn from.

In year 1 it would be the best record between pods 1 and 2 (since they would all play each other) vs the best record between 3 and 4 (And they'd all have played each other). Year 2 it would be winner of pod 1/3 vs 2/4 etc etc.

So you eliminate the issue of not playing everyone often enough, and get to set up a conference championship game efficiently each year without needing as many tie-breakers or an intra-conference playoff.
This post was edited on 9/21/11 at 11:05 pm
Posted by Elleshoe
Wade’s World
Member since Jun 2004
143780 posts
Posted on 9/21/11 at 11:06 pm to
quote:

Talking this out with my brother, I've come up with a dynamic way to determine the conference championship game participants while allowing each member to play everyone in the conference once every 3 years and a home-and-home with every team every 5 years and play every team 3 times in any 6 year span.

Okay, hang with me here. Note that this requires a 9 game conference schedule.

What I propose is a 4 division pod system, but instead of a 3-2-2-2 schedule, I propose a 3-4-1-1. In this sytem you'll play everyone in your pod every year, and everyone else in another pod, with 1 each from the 2 remaining pods. Additionally, the pod you play against in its entirety rotates each year among the other 3 pods, and the singles from the 2 others also rotate. Here's how 1 full cycle looks:

Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 5 Yr 6
LSU LSU LSU LSU LSU LSU
OM OM OM OM OM OM
MSt MSt MSt MSt MSt MSt
A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M A&M

Fla Fla Fla Fla Fla Fla
UG UG UG UG UG UG
UK UK UK UK UK UK
Xy Xy Xy Xy Xy Xy

BamBamBamBamBamBam
Aub Aub Aub Aub Aub Aub
Van Van Van Van Van Van
Yza Yza Yza Yza Yza Yza

Tn Tn Tn Tn Tn Tn
Ak Ak Ak Ak Ak Ak
SC SC SC SC SC SC
Za Za Za Za Za Za

Now the trick to this schedule is that to determine the SEC championship match up, you take the best team from each set of 2 pods that play each other entirely. This way, it's also dynamic. The SEC broke new ground with a conference championship game in 1992. It's time to renew the system of conference play once again.

*I know the formatting isn't perfect, but I hope you can see what I'm going for here. Also, Xy, Yza, and Za are just placeholders for future teams.




Posted by TeamAwesome
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2011
178 posts
Posted on 9/21/11 at 11:17 pm to
As an example, LSU's hypothetical SEC schedule in year 1 would be:

Pod 1 (LSU's pod):
Ole Miss
Miss St.
A&M

Pod 2:
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Team Xy

Pod 3:
Alabama

Pod 4:
Tennessee

For year one, to make the SECCG, LSU needs the best conference record between Pods 1 and 2, and would play the team with the best conference record between pods 3 and 4.

In year 2, LSU would play pod 3 entirely, so:

Ole Miss
Miss St
A&M

Georgia

Alabama
Auburn
Vandy
Team Yza

Arkansas

SECCG matches best teams between pods 1/3 vs 2/4 etc etc

Can anyone else see where I'm going, or do I need to make a spreadsheet?
Posted by BamaGradinTn
Murfreesboro
Member since Dec 2008
28669 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 1:14 am to
So, if I understand the OP's system correctly, Alabama would no longer play either LSU nor Tennessee every year? Uhhh...no thanks.
This post was edited on 9/22/11 at 1:15 am
Posted by tiger 56
Severn, MD
Member since Dec 2003
1711 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 5:15 am to
An interesting approach but 9 conference games means some teams play 5 home conference games and others play only 4 home conference games in a year.
Posted by TeamAwesome
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2011
178 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 6:49 am to
quote:

Alabama would no longer play either LSU nor Tennessee every year?


The pods I used are only examples. Alabama could certainly be in Tennesee's or LSU's division depending on how it all shook out.

quote:

An interesting approach but 9 conference games means some teams play 5 home conference games and others play only 4 home conference games in a year.


This is true, and an issue, but if you have a 16 team conference, there are always going to be some issues.
This post was edited on 9/22/11 at 6:52 am
Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6919 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 9:21 am to
Edit the subject line to say something like "Updated with Spreadsheet link" or something so people will come take a look. It was kind of confusing before but the Google doc makes it way better
Posted by TeamAwesome
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2011
178 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 9:22 am to
Done, now it should make more sense for everyone.
This post was edited on 9/22/11 at 9:23 am
Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6919 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 9:22 am to
haha. guess you did it while I was typing that
Posted by TeamAwesome
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2011
178 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 9:23 am to
Yeah I did haha
Posted by Geecubed
The Eventual St. George
Member since Apr 2011
425 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 11:15 am to
This makes a ton of sense. Granted, as a poster already said, this makes the schedule look like an 8-team division. But, the caveat is that the four teams in the other pod rotate every year.

I really like this idea. now we just need to get quality competition in those other three teams.
Posted by Boh
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2009
12361 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 11:20 am to
quote:


Posted by Boh
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2009
12361 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 11:20 am to
quote:

fricking confusing


quote:

Arkansas fan

lulz
Posted by 10888bge
H-Town
Member since Aug 2011
8421 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 11:28 am to
according to your spread sheet, which is impressive, we, LSU will have off years with Bama Aurburn and florida. IMO LSU playing those three yearly is what makes the SEC CG so important and meaningful. When the NCG comes about for LSU and they see we didn't play: Fla, Bama or Aub. how does that effect our chances to get the invite. Samne argument can be made for the other teams.
Posted by TeamAwesome
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2011
178 posts
Posted on 9/22/11 at 12:43 pm to
quote:

LSU will have off years with Bama Aurburn and florida.


Yeah in my current setup, LSU would miss all 3 in some years. Those divisions are only examples, though. And still, to get to the NCG you'd need to win the SECCG, which would ensure you'd play a very strong team.

Ideally, the 4 divisions would be roughly equally weighted, and the 2 singles could also be balanced if done right.
This post was edited on 9/22/11 at 12:45 pm
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