(07-04-2019 12:38 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote: (5) Divisionless alignment: Unlike the other scenarios, this would of course require an NCAA rule change to implement if the ACC wants to retain its CCG. However, near maximum schedule variety and minimum conference playthrough time while maintaining the most important annual matchups. Each team has 3 protected opponents (below) and alternates between half the other 10 every 2 years.
Code:
BOSTON COLLEGE Syracuse Miami-FL Pittsburgh
CLEMSON Georgia Tech Florida State NC State
DUKE Wake Forest Georgia Tech North Carolina
FLORIDA STATE Miami-FL Clemson Georgia Tech
GEORGIA TECH Clemson Duke Florida State
LOUISVILLE Pittsburgh Virginia Tech Syracuse
MIAMI-FL Florida State Boston College Virginia Tech
NC STATE North Carolina Wake Forest Clemson
NORTH CAROLINA NC State Virginia Duke
PITTSBURGH Louisville Syracuse Boston College
SYRACUSE Boston College Pittsburgh Louisville
VIRGINIA Virginia Tech North Carolina Wake Forest
VIRGINIA TECH Virginia Louisville Miami-FL
WAKE FOREST Duke NC State Virginia
Finally figured it out!!! You could use the rotating pods in order to accomplish this divisionless alignment without a rule change. The only requirements are (1) at least 2 trios of teams desiring permanent rivalries with one another AND (2) be able to pair off the remaining 8 teams in permanent rivalries. Nerdlinger's list of rivals has 1 solution that satisfies the above 2 requirements.
North: Syracuse (+BC), Pittsburgh (+BC), Louisville (+VT)
South: Georgia Tech (+Duke), Florida St (+Mia), Clemson (+NCSt)
pod A: Boston College (+Syr & Pit), Miami (+FSU & VT)
pod B: Virginia Tech (+Lou & Mia), Virginia (+UNC & WF)
pod C: Duke (+GT & WF), UNC (+UVA & NCSt)
pod D: Wake Forest (+UVA & Duke), NC State (+Clem & UNC)
4 year rotation of pods. The pods that are never in the same division (A&B and C&D) play each other when other permanent rivals are in the same division (for example: Duke will play UNC, GT, and WF annually and, although they will never be in the same division as NC State, they will still play the Wolfpack in years when Georgia Tech is in the same division).
"North" and "South" may be poor name choices with Boston College placed in the South half the time. But, if this were ever a 4 year experimentation, you'd want to set aside "Atlantic" and "Coastal" in the case where this rotation turned out to be a dud.
I may take some time later this week, reworking some of these rivalries to see if there is a more balanced, less North vs. South arrangement.