Will the SEC remain at 14 teams? (one last offseason topic)

WARNING: this is a conference realignment thread

Expanding from 12 to 14 teams created a terrible cross-division environment imo. They'll never turn back, however expanding again to 16 teams could correct some initial expansion issues.

At 16 teams (I'll leave who those 2 teams would be up for debate), the SEC could move to a college/NFL hybrid schedule. Split the East and West into 4 divisions, with 4 teams in each, and move to a 9 game conference schedule (like most other power 5 conferences already).

Games 1-3: each team would play the other 3 teams in their own division (easy)

Games 4-7: on a 3 year rotation, each division would play one other division as a group (like the NFL)

Games 8-9: Keeping the "traditional rivalry" proponents happy, each team would have 3 cross-division permanent opponents (1 in each of division). Each team would play their 2 permanent opponents from the 2 divisions that are "off-rotation."

SEC Championship: The 2 winners of the cross-division matches would advance to the SEC Championship (this is unique as the potential teams playing would constantly rotate).



Example:

Divisions A, B, C, and D (NW, NE, SW, SE)

LSU would be in Division C and be team 1 (C1) (A1, B1, and D1 would be LSU's permanent opponents)

Year 1: Division C would play Division D (C/D) and Division A would play division B (A/B). C1 (LSU) would play teams C2, C3, C4, D1, D2, D3, D4, A1, and B1, The C/D winner would play the A/B winner in the SEC Championship

Year 2: A/C vs B/D. LSU would play C2, C3, C4, D1, A1, A2, A3, A4, and B1

Year 3: A/D vs B/C. LSU would play C2, C3, C4, D1, A1, B1, B2, B3, and B4

Year 4: rotation year 1 repeat.




This would cut the time of playing every team in half. LSU would play the other 15 teams at least once every 3 years and have an away game at each school at least once every 6 years.


((I have no idea if this actually makes sense but thought of it a couple years ago and am finally sharing it.))