DomeX2 eNVy
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Changing the discussion a bit - sorry, I have to rant. . .
But to me the real question is "are these really Superconferences?" It is a great buzz term and will pull $billions in tv revenue and marketing, but I don't see how they are so great - they way they are being talked about. To me they are not so much a 16 team superconference as 2 - 8 team conferences equivalent to the Big 8, Pac 8, and SWC of the 1970s. They are smaller conferences that have a partner conference with a 'play in' game to a potential BCS bowl or playoff game. That's kinda cool, but not that great, imo.
People love to list off the incredible schedules a team would have to face, typically listing 8 of the to 10 teams in the conference, but not the bottom 6. For example, looking at the SEC, it already has an imbalance of West v East. Going to the 8+8 model, if a team has 8 conference games, that means they would have 7 divisional's and only 1 cross-division game per year. That means Florida would only play Alabama once every 8 years, while having 7 not-super-tough games to get into the championship round. They could go to 9 conference games, but still you would only see some "conference rivals" every fourth year. Is that what conferences are really about?
So not to just rant, here is a half-baked idea. I would like to see something like 4- 4 team divisions. Each team would play the teams in their division (3) every year to keep the great rivalries persisting. Then each division plays all the teams in another division (4), but that division rotates each year in a three year cycle. And then each team plays 1 game each year in the other two divisions (2) for a 9 game conference schedule. This way each team is guaranteed to play each conference team at least every third year.
The championship game would be the top two teams regardless of division. Ties could be broken via head-to-head; division; or rank (BCS or other) to give some importance to out of conference games and overall schedule. It would also prevent an average team (which might be the 5th best in the conference) coming out of a weak division getting into a championship game undeservingly.
OK, you can all call me stupid now; but I feel better
But to me the real question is "are these really Superconferences?" It is a great buzz term and will pull $billions in tv revenue and marketing, but I don't see how they are so great - they way they are being talked about. To me they are not so much a 16 team superconference as 2 - 8 team conferences equivalent to the Big 8, Pac 8, and SWC of the 1970s. They are smaller conferences that have a partner conference with a 'play in' game to a potential BCS bowl or playoff game. That's kinda cool, but not that great, imo.
People love to list off the incredible schedules a team would have to face, typically listing 8 of the to 10 teams in the conference, but not the bottom 6. For example, looking at the SEC, it already has an imbalance of West v East. Going to the 8+8 model, if a team has 8 conference games, that means they would have 7 divisional's and only 1 cross-division game per year. That means Florida would only play Alabama once every 8 years, while having 7 not-super-tough games to get into the championship round. They could go to 9 conference games, but still you would only see some "conference rivals" every fourth year. Is that what conferences are really about?
So not to just rant, here is a half-baked idea. I would like to see something like 4- 4 team divisions. Each team would play the teams in their division (3) every year to keep the great rivalries persisting. Then each division plays all the teams in another division (4), but that division rotates each year in a three year cycle. And then each team plays 1 game each year in the other two divisions (2) for a 9 game conference schedule. This way each team is guaranteed to play each conference team at least every third year.
The championship game would be the top two teams regardless of division. Ties could be broken via head-to-head; division; or rank (BCS or other) to give some importance to out of conference games and overall schedule. It would also prevent an average team (which might be the 5th best in the conference) coming out of a weak division getting into a championship game undeservingly.
OK, you can all call me stupid now; but I feel better
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