(12-19-2014 11:02 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 03:35 PM)Eichorst Wrote:  Would the league move back to 8 conference games, freeing up a nonconference slot? Or does the league need the TV inventory that only 9 conference games would provide?

FYi--Comference inventory is restricted to games played in the home games played by conference members. The reality is a 9 game Comference schedule actually REDUCES tv inventory. Why? Because most power conference teams have as many as 3 home games in a 4 game OOC so the Confernce could have more teams at home on any given weekend during OOC play.

It's a situation where one size does not fit all. One thing to remember is that conference games are worth far, far more, because they are predictable. The only games you can sell to a network are conference games, and readily predictable OOC games (such as long standing rivalries such as Florida/FSU or USC/Notre Dame, or something like the ND/ACC contract). So the fact that Ohio State may play Oklahoma OOC two years from now (and vice versa) really cannot be included in a TV contract, but the SEC can include 4 OOC against ACC schools (every other year) since they are likely to continue. This is why the Big Ten and PAC 12 had originally signed that OOC deal, and why conferences have those basketball challenges. They are contractual and thus they can be paid on them.

But even past that, you have to balance quantity and quality. For example, in a larger conference, while on the field results may not be favorable (i.e. there are many reasons why some teams would not like this), playing nine conference games would likely be most beneficial TV wise because it expands the readily predictable valuable conference game numbers, and while it sheds some lesser games, there is still plenty of inventory to go around and fill timeslots. However if you are a 10 team conference, while the 9 conference games does help increase the number of valuable games, it does decrease the total inventory of games, to the point that there is not quite enough to go around. That is where you have to compare and contrast and see what works best. For the Big 12, I would bet they probably would have preferred 8 conference games to open up another OOC, and give the conference a few more games, but they HAD to go 9 to make up for the lack of a CCG in their minds.

They ought to go to 12 and just deal with it.

BYU and Cincinatti, come on down.

(12-18-2014 05:10 PM)ken d Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 04:37 PM)goofus Wrote:  

(12-18-2014 03:35 PM)Eichorst Wrote:  Would the league move back to 8 conference games, freeing up a nonconference slot? Or does the league need the TV inventory that only 9 conference games would provide?

If they ever go to 11 teams, they would have to decide to 8 conference games or 10, since exactly 9 games each is impossible for an 11-team conference.

But hey if they wanted to go 8 games + ccg they could do that now in a way.

just schedule 8 games by thanksgiving weekend and let the final week be flexible scheduling. Have 5 tentative games scheduled, but make it flexible.

With 10 schools, you need the inventory of 9 league games. But your flex schedule works. In the first 13 weeks, have everybody play their three OOC opponents plus 8 conference games. In week 14, you set up a conference semifinal, matching the four teams with the best conference records. Then you pair up the remaining 6 teams to finish their 12 game schedule, giving the odd home game to the three with the best league records. In week 15, you now have a conference final with the 2 semifinal winners.

By not exceeding the 12 game regular season limit, you get what none of the larger conferences have - a four team conference playoff, for big bucks - and your eventual champion has added two quality wins on its resume. And you still don't have to slice the TV and bowl pie in smaller pieces.

I was not suggesting semi-finals. Just that the last week of a 12 game regular season have flexible scheduling so you could kind of have something like a CCG the final week of the season. All with no rule change necessary.

(12-19-2014 12:53 PM)jgkojak Wrote:  They ought to go to 12 and just deal with it.

BYU and Cincinatti, come on down.

Fresno State/SDSU if 12 then BYU/Cincy if 14.