RE: NY8 model
In my mind, which as many will attest often works in strange ways, I imagine the Big 12 and the PAC resolving some of their internal conflicts by following the example of Notre Dame vis a vis the ACC.
I could see Texas going independent in football if the Big 12 would give them the following deal. In exchange for the B12 providing a home for all their other sports, Texas would agree to play five games a year against B12 opponents - Oklahoma every year in the RRR plus the other 8 schools every other year. Texas would be eligible to fill any B12 bowl tie in except for a New Years tie in.
In the PAC, both USC and Stanford go indy in football, and agree to play 6 games against PAC opponents: Cal and UCLA every year, plus one each from the four pairs of Washington/Washington St; Oregon/Oregon State; Arizona/Arizona St; and Utah/Colorado.
Now the ranks of the football indies include Notre Dame, BYU, Texas, Stanford and USC, all of whom agree to a scheduling pact in which they play each other every year.
Notre Dame's annual schedule includes USC, Stanford, Texas, BYU, Navy and 5 ACC opponents.
Texas' schedule includes USC, Stanford, Notre Dame, BYU, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and 4 B12 opponents.
USC and Stanford's annual schedules include Notre Dame, Texas, BYU, California, UCLA, 4 PAC opponents and each other.
BYU has no conference tie-in, so their annual schedule only includes Notre Dame, Texas, Stanford, USC, Utah, Boise State and 3-4 P5 opponents TBD.
If this were to come to pass, I would modify my proposal. Treating indies as a quasi-conference and deeming its "champion" to be the highest ranked team among its ten members, I would have an 8 team championship tournament that includes the 8 highest ranked of the 11 champions, with no at large entries. That ranking would be determined by a separate poll of the AP voters who would only rank those 11 teams.
The NY4, the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls, would be filled by the 8 highest ranked teams not in the playoff. The placement of those 8 teams could be subject first to contractual arrangements between the bowls and the conferences. For example, the Rose could be assured of their choice of PAC and B1G teams if they are in the at large field. The Sugar could do likewise with the SEC and B12, and the Orange with the ACC.
Bottom line: All 11 conference champions have a path to the Tournament of Champions, with 3 of them being left out each year based on their performance.
(This post was last modified: 01-11-2021 08:41 AM by ken d.)
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