Expanded Football Idea with Dynamic Divisions (Promotion/Relegation)

[tonyfil]

New idea for conference alignment now that SOS is such a strong part of the playoff selection. (disclaimer - idea only for football and not all sports)

Expand to a 14-team league with two divisions. (top division: Champions Division / bottom division: Loyal Division) Played with the idea adding the following teams: Florida State, Clemson, Louisville, and BYU.

Each year football teams will be ranked based on the last year conference result. Teams are ranked 1 - 14. 1-7 will play in the Champions Division / 8 - 14 will play in the Loyal Division.

• Teams play a 9 conference game schedule.
• You play all division opponents.
• Top team in Champions Div. play all division teams + best three in Loyal Division
• Bottom team in Loyal Div. play all division teams + bottom three in Champs Division
• Teams in-between will play a selection of cross-divisional games that give best strength to better ranking teams.

No Championship Game between the two divisions. The Championship game will basically be played vs. the SEC in the upcoming Champions Bowl in New Orleans matching the best team in the Big 12 vs. best SEC team (which aren't selected for the CFP).

14 teams will be ranked 1-14 based on conference wins at the end of the year. For the next year, the top 7 will go into the Champions Division and the bottom 7 teams will go to the Loyal Division.

Now if you want too much detail; Here is the conference schedule for each year based on past year conference results.

Champions Division
(conf. winner) Team 1: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Team 2: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
Team 3: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11
Team 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13
Team 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 14
Team 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 14
Team 7: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14

Loyal Division
Team 8: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 9: 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 10: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 11: 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14
Team 12: 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14
Team 13: 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Team 14: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Bottom line; rewards best teams with a strong SOS. Allows weak teams a chance for more wins and chance for promotion into better division. It would certainly be innovative and put the Big 12 at the forefront. I tend to like the idea of no in-conference championship game since divisions may be lopsided and because a strong SOS will probably do better in the CFP than a championship win. (but that is still to be seen)

 

[Die4Cy]

New idea for conference alignment now that SOS is such a strong part of the playoff selection. (disclaimer - idea only for football and not all sports)

Expand to a 14-team league with two divisions. (top division: Champions Division / bottom division: Loyal Division) Played with the idea adding the following teams: Florida State, Clemson, Louisville, and BYU.

Each year football teams will be ranked based on the last year conference result. Teams are ranked 1 - 14. 1-7 will play in the Champions Division / 8 - 14 will play in the Loyal Division.

• Teams play a 9 conference game schedule.
• You play all division opponents.
• Top team in Champions Div. play all division teams + best three in Loyal Division
• Bottom team in Loyal Div. play all division teams + bottom three in Champs Division
• Teams in-between will play a selection of cross-divisional games that give best strength to better ranking teams.

No Championship Game between the two divisions. The Championship game will basically be played vs. the SEC in the upcoming Champions Bowl in New Orleans matching the best team in the Big 12 vs. best SEC team (which aren't selected for the CFP).

14 teams will be ranked 1-14 based on conference wins at the end of the year. For the next year, the top 7 will go into the Champions Division and the bottom 7 teams will go to the Loyal Division.

Now if you want too much detail; Here is the conference schedule for each year based on past year conference results.

Champions Division
(conf. winner) Team 1: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Team 2: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
Team 3: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11
Team 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13
Team 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 14
Team 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 14
Team 7: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14

Loyal Division
Team 8: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 9: 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 10: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 11: 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14
Team 12: 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14
Team 13: 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Team 14: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Bottom line; rewards best teams with a strong SOS. Allows weak teams a chance for more wins and chance for promotion into better division. It would certainly be innovative and put the Big 12 at the forefront. I tend to like the idea of no in-conference championship game since divisions may be lopsided and because a strong SOS will probably do better in the CFP than a championship win. (but that is still to be seen)

Original idea! How would the money work out, because we both know that's what counts these days...

 

[tonyfil]

Now that the Big 12 is under equal rev. sharing I figure it would continue as such. The divisions would likely balance out so it's plausible both divisions would have similar bowl placement. I don't know enough about bowl payout but since the divisions are dynamic perhaps in the long term it would balance out. There are four more teams so it could lower payouts - but perhaps the new addition of schools plus the new arrangement could bring in new cash - who knows. It's a half-baked idea but would be intriguing in my book.

 

[tonyfil]

I've got a crystal ball... check the date stamp. 14 teams w/ dynamic divisions, all in the conversation now.

 

[Clonehomer]

New idea for conference alignment now that SOS is such a strong part of the playoff selection. (disclaimer - idea only for football and not all sports)

Expand to a 14-team league with two divisions. (top division: Champions Division / bottom division: Loyal Division) Played with the idea adding the following teams: Florida State, Clemson, Louisville, and BYU.

Each year football teams will be ranked based on the last year conference result. Teams are ranked 1 - 14. 1-7 will play in the Champions Division / 8 - 14 will play in the Loyal Division.

• Teams play a 9 conference game schedule.
• You play all division opponents.
• Top team in Champions Div. play all division teams + best three in Loyal Division
• Bottom team in Loyal Div. play all division teams + bottom three in Champs Division
• Teams in-between will play a selection of cross-divisional games that give best strength to better ranking teams.

No Championship Game between the two divisions. The Championship game will basically be played vs. the SEC in the upcoming Champions Bowl in New Orleans matching the best team in the Big 12 vs. best SEC team (which aren't selected for the CFP).

14 teams will be ranked 1-14 based on conference wins at the end of the year. For the next year, the top 7 will go into the Champions Division and the bottom 7 teams will go to the Loyal Division.

Now if you want too much detail; Here is the conference schedule for each year based on past year conference results.

Champions Division
(conf. winner) Team 1: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Team 2: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
Team 3: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11
Team 4: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13
Team 5: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 12, 14
Team 6: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 14
Team 7: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14

Loyal Division
Team 8: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 9: 1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 10: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14
Team 11: 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14
Team 12: 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14
Team 13: 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
Team 14: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Bottom line; rewards best teams with a strong SOS. Allows weak teams a chance for more wins and chance for promotion into better division. It would certainly be innovative and put the Big 12 at the forefront. I tend to like the idea of no in-conference championship game since divisions may be lopsided and because a strong SOS will probably do better in the CFP than a championship win. (but that is still to be seen)

I like dynamic conferences but I don't like dividing them 1 - 7 and 8 - 14. When your 5-7 teams struggle to make bowls while the 8-10 teams make them you're going to get some push back.

I think the best is to rework divisions every two years. Rank the league with a two year cumulative record and place the odd ranked teams in one division and the even in the other. Use two years to allow for home and away series.

I don't know how you'd handle rivals though.

 

[tonyfil]

I'm sure there are smarter ways to break divisions... I just wanted to take credit for thinking of it a year before Pollard

As far as ISU goes - I don't feel like we really have any rivals left in the Big 12 that I care enough about to protect. Our one rival is pretty much already a lock for week 2 for a good while. But you're right, I'm sure for any possibility for dynamic divisions to work some sort of way to protect UT-OU, OU-OSU, UK-KST would be pretty important.