Check out this conference schedule proposal

[PuntBamaPunt]

The Roommate Switch | A blog for solving the SEC's schedule issue

Summary:
■Preserves the SEC’s major historic rivalries.
■Play everyone at least once every TWO years (instead of every six years per 6-1-1).
■Host every SEC school at least once every FOUR years (instead of every twelve years per 6-1-1). This gives every student/recruiting class a chance to complete a home-and-home with every conference school during their enrollment. That is important for players, students and fans.
■Offers more compelling match-ups for TV and fans, with games involving two marquee brands more often.
■Round-robin division play is maintained for SEC championship game purposes.
■Works with an 8 game schedule (or 9 games if/when needed).
■Fosters more conference cohesion, familiarity and history between the schools and fans across time.
■Strength of schedule is reasonably balanced (at least as well as 6-1-1).

Full explanation as to how it was put together is in the link. Thoughts?

 

[bamawriter]

I didn't read the whole thing, but why the fudge would Alabama play USCe every year?

 

[ukvols]

That is very similar to what I suggested for 16 teams, in the thread about the SEC rumored to one day add VT and NCSU. Only, it's formatted for the current 14 teams.


Here is my idea for 16 teams. The pod breakdown could be tweaked if different teams are added.
_______________________________________________________________________
8 conference games: 3 other teams within your pod, all 4 teams from another pod, 1 permanent opponent, and 1 preferred opponent to play against when your permanent opponent's pod rotates on.
In parentheses, the permanent opponent is first, and the preferred opponent is second.

SEC North

Tennessee (Alabama/Florida)
Virginia Tech (NCSU/Arkansas)
Kentucky (Missouri/Georgia)
Vanderbilt (Mississippi/S. Carolina)

SEC East

Florida (LSU/Tennessee)
Georgia (Auburn/Kentucky)
South Carolina (TAMU/Vanderbilt)
NC State (Virginia Tech/Miss. State)

SEC Central

Alabama (Tennessee/LSU)
Auburn (Georgia/Missouri)
Mississippi (Vanderbilt/TAMU)
Mississippi State (Arkansas/NCSU)

SEC West

LSU (Florida/Alabama)
Arkansas (Miss. State/Virginia Tech)
Texas A&M (S. Carolina/Mississippi)
Missouri (Kentucky/Auburn)

Play everyone at least 2 teams every 6 years.
Play your preferred opponent 4 times every 6 years (the 2 years when their pod rotates on and the 2 years when your permanent opponent's pod rotates on).

So, Tennessee would play Kentucky, Vandy, Va Tech, and Bama every year, and would play Florida 4 times every 6 years. We'd play everyone else 2 times every 6 years, which is more often then we're playing most of the West teams now. The lone casualties are only playing Georgia and South Carolina twice each every 6 years.I would miss the annual games with UGA and USC, but it'd be nice to get a home-and-home with the entire league every six years, keep playing teams like Bama, Vandy, and UK every year, and draw the Gators four times every six years.

If they increase to a 9-game schedule, just make everyone I listed as a "preferred" opponent an additional permanent opponent, and then another team would become the "preferred" opponent. For example, with a 9-game schedule, we could play UF every year and someone else, either UGA or USC, four times every six years instead of just twice.

Conference semifinals wouldn't even be necessary. The "Divisions" would be the pairings of the 4-team pods. So, the other half of our Division would change every two years.

 

[NeylandArmy]

Seems to me that pods c/d are pretty weak

 

[bamawriter]

It would make more sense to me if Auburn switched with Tennessee, and USCe was replaced by LSU in Pod B.