(08-31-2017 02:25 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(08-31-2017 01:57 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-31-2017 01:37 PM)YNot Wrote:  

(08-28-2017 12:03 PM)AllTideUp Wrote:  

(08-28-2017 07:25 AM)XLance Wrote:  15 is very workable with 5 team pods and 9 conference games. You could play every team in your conference home and away every two years.

I understand. The problem is when you schedule those games. You have to fit those 9 games and 3 more non-conference games into a 13 week window. The 14th week is for the CCG.

At least one team has to be off every week which will create some interesting problems as far as when you play those non-conference games and who's available on the calendar to play.

Ultimately it would limit schedule flexibility so any extra cash saved by not splitting the pie a 16th way is probably not worth the hassle in my opinion.

If it saves the network tens of millions of dollars per year, I could absolutely see the 15-team conference scenario. With 3 divisions and conference championship semi-finals, it actually allows cross-division conference mates to play each other more often and creates more money for the conference.

Timing and scheduling with 15 is not hard. Don't over think it. Three 5-team divisions works extremely efficiently for scheduling. Remember, the MWC had 9 teams and the B1G had 11 teams for years.

The solution? Don't cram all OOC games into the same three weeks and occasionally give a bye week to more than one team at a time.

I understand your point, but it's actually not as simple as that.

Other conferences have made it work with smaller numbers, I get that, but the key is they had smaller numbers and fewer conference games.

When you have an odd number then at least 1 team must be off from playing a conference game in any given week. If you start with 9 weeks for conference games then obviously there aren't enough weeks to go around. The simple solution to that is to expand the conference schedule to stretch over the 13 weeks allotted for the regular season schedule...devoting the 14th to the CCG.

Better, but not real great. What it does is limit the weeks available for non-conference games especially rivals because you've got to squeeze 9 league games in for 15 separate teams. And God forbid everyone go to 15 because every league will be in the same predicament which will further limit when teams are available to play those non-conference games.

And what about conference semis? That extra game has got to go somewhere and if you've broken everything into 3 divisions then it's absolutely necessary.

I'm not saying it can't be done mathematically. I'm saying it's very difficult because the numbers really start to hamper schedule flexibility which is already tight when it comes to football anyway. If the NCAA votes to add at least a couple of weeks to the season then maybe it becomes more feasible. Even then, it won't be easy to schedule games.

Even numbers are easier to work with anyway and I think in the end the money will be there.

Some time ago OmniOrange had worked up a schedule for a 15 team ACC. Worked like a charm. (he now goes by the name of OrangeDude)

But did he account for who would be available to play in non-conference? And ultimately when those games would have to be played?

Also...the conference semi-final?