RE: Finebaum caller asks a good question today....
If the rules were changed to allow conference semi-finals, why in the world wouldn't the SEC do this? The SEC would own all of the rights and $$$$ to the SEC semi-finals and championship, which essentially becomes a defacto part of the CFP - as the SEC champion is almost guaranteed a spot in the CFP. (Or it perhaps the SEC champ, in fact, gets the guaranteed spot!).
This is the way for the power conferences to control more of the money - because they don't have to share SEC playoff money with the G5 like they do the CFP money.
Regarding the ideal number, I still stand by 18. This gives you the ability to have a conference playoff that allows for a wild card. And it will be very easy for the second best team in the conference to be a divisional runner-up. You have to include the wild card in any semi-final championship. Also, 18 allows for everyone to play more often than in the 20-game scenario. With 18, you have to go to at least 9 conference games.
Play 5 against your division and then rotate 4 among the other 12. Play everyone at least once in 3 years - although you might need to protect some cross-division games, like Alabama-Tennessee, Auburn-Georgia, Texas-A&M. Also, you can stack the schedules to make sure that every gets a marquee cross-division home game each year.
EAST: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
SOUTH: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, LSU, Texas A&M
WEST: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma State
With 18 schools, you have like 125 games of inventory, with a bunch of marquee matchups. SEC would basically add the Big 12 contract value (or at least 75% of it) to the SEC pot. You likely also have another couple games of inventory each week for the SECN. (although, how do you involve the LHN?).
With Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and OSU, SEC basketball gets a nice bump. With Texas and Kansas, you add a couple of AAU institutions to bolster the SEC academic profile.
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