A lot have assumed that the SEC will shift to a 9 game schedule to allow for more league play, but what if instead they were to add a bracket buster/ conference semis week. If conferences can decide what teams to make tbe championship, what is to stop a conference to add these games to the regular season. Imagine moving the valuable in conference rivalries( iron bowl, egg, texas- a&M ect)from rivalry week to the regular season, and taking over the second to last week as a bracket buster week matching up top 4 contenders to the championship, and similarly statured teams in conference. You could even match up the "pod champs" This would better spread compelling matchups throughout the season. Thoughts?

I think the SEC could dominate the rest of the college football season even more if they moved those rivalry games to earlier in the season. But there are more things involved than just TV ratings. Having your Rival on Thanksgiving week is a tradition in most of the country. In 1999, VT/UVA moved their game to the 4th game of the year. The results were not well received and the game was promptly put back on Thanksgiving break week and stayed there.

For 16 teams, you could have 4-pods and 2-semi-finals for their champions leading into the SECCG. Ideally, you just make the NCAA add another championship week but if that's impossible, you could do it your way. Have all the in-pod games finished before the final week and only count in-pod games for the championship. You'd probably need a bunch of tie-breakers though as I could easily see this going down to the 7th tie breaker.

(05-16-2022 03:36 PM)LeeNobody Wrote:  A lot have assumed that the SEC will shift to a 9 game schedule to allow for more league play, but what if instead they were to add a bracket buster/ conference semis week. If conferences can decide what teams to make tbe championship, what is to stop a conference to add these games to the regular season. Imagine moving the valuable in conference rivalries( iron bowl, egg, texas- a&M ect)from rivalry week to the regular season, and taking over the second to last week as a bracket buster week matching up top 4 contenders to the championship, and similarly statured teams in conference. You could even match up the "pod champs" This would better spread compelling matchups throughout the season. Thoughts?

How do you sell season tickets at every conference school if you don't know whether they are hosting either four or five conference games in a given season? And if you have the number of home and away games set in advance, you couldn't guarantee that the higher-ranked schools would host the semifinal games. That seems like a big problem, irrespective of the difficulty of moving the Iron Bowl or the potential that Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, or Kentucky wins a semifinal game and then gets beat by FSU, Tech, Clemson, or Lousiville during rivalry weekend.

(05-16-2022 03:36 PM)LeeNobody Wrote:  A lot have assumed that the SEC will shift to a 9 game schedule to allow for more league play, but what if instead they were to add a bracket buster/ conference semis week. If conferences can decide what teams to make tbe championship, what is to stop a conference to add these games to the regular season. Imagine moving the valuable in conference rivalries( iron bowl, egg, texas- a&M ect)from rivalry week to the regular season, and taking over the second to last week as a bracket buster week matching up top 4 contenders to the championship, and similarly statured teams in conference. You could even match up the "pod champs" This would better spread compelling matchups throughout the season. Thoughts?

I like that idea in a vacuum.

However, I'll put on my athletic director hat: If I'm running an SEC athletic department, I *need* at least 7 home games per year. This isn't a "nice to have" - it's a MUST HAVE. It's basically a sacrosanct right at this point. Anything that puts a variable factor in the scheduling in the season would disrupt that balance, especially when there's an odd number of conference games. That makes anything where you're potentially taking away a home game and exchange it for a road game (even if it's a better matchup) possibly untenable.

(05-16-2022 03:51 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(05-16-2022 03:36 PM)LeeNobody Wrote:  A lot have assumed that the SEC will shift to a 9 game schedule to allow for more league play, but what if instead they were to add a bracket buster/ conference semis week. If conferences can decide what teams to make tbe championship, what is to stop a conference to add these games to the regular season. Imagine moving the valuable in conference rivalries( iron bowl, egg, texas- a&M ect)from rivalry week to the regular season, and taking over the second to last week as a bracket buster week matching up top 4 contenders to the championship, and similarly statured teams in conference. You could even match up the "pod champs" This would better spread compelling matchups throughout the season. Thoughts?

I like that idea in a vacuum.

However, I'll put on my athletic director hat: If I'm running an SEC athletic department, I *need* at least 7 home games per year. This isn't a "nice to have" - it's a MUST HAVE. It's basically a sacrosanct right at this point. Anything that puts a variable factor in the scheduling in the season would disrupt that balance, especially when there's an odd number of conference games. That makes anything where you're potentially taking away a home game and exchange it for a road game (even if it's a better matchup) possibly untenable.

Referring to an older thread that talked about whether games were added because of NIL, I think IF the regular season were expanded to 13 regular season games, that would probably provide the best chance to incorporate a conference championship semifinal for the SEC, Big Ten, and maybe ACC/14 team Big 12.

I think conferences in thais instance would want to remain at 9 conference games and play 4 non-conference games to provide the chance for 8 home games, but could see some conferences consider 10 conference games.

(05-16-2022 03:50 PM)CarlSmithCenter Wrote:  

(05-16-2022 03:36 PM)LeeNobody Wrote:  A lot have assumed that the SEC will shift to a 9 game schedule to allow for more league play, but what if instead they were to add a bracket buster/ conference semis week. If conferences can decide what teams to make tbe championship, what is to stop a conference to add these games to the regular season. Imagine moving the valuable in conference rivalries( iron bowl, egg, texas- a&M ect)from rivalry week to the regular season, and taking over the second to last week as a bracket buster week matching up top 4 contenders to the championship, and similarly statured teams in conference. You could even match up the "pod champs" This would better spread compelling matchups throughout the season. Thoughts?

How do you sell season tickets at every conference school if you don't know whether they are hosting either four or five conference games in a given season? And if you have the number of home and away games set in advance, you couldn't guarantee that the higher-ranked schools would host the semifinal games. That seems like a big problem, irrespective of the difficulty of moving the Iron Bowl or the potential that Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, or Kentucky wins a semifinal game and then gets beat by FSU, Tech, Clemson, or Lousiville during rivalry weekend.

Just use rotating pods like many suggested last summer, 2 per “division”. Division A hosts Division B on the “flex” week. A#1 hosts B#2 and A#2 hosts B#1. Two winners play in Atlanta.

As you said, relocating rivalry games would be a chore. Instead, play the flex week 2 weeks before rivalry week. You would not get strict “semifinals” but you would get good TV and a better chance of utilizing head-to-head tie-breakers.

(05-16-2022 04:19 PM)Crayton Wrote:  

(05-16-2022 03:50 PM)CarlSmithCenter Wrote:  

(05-16-2022 03:36 PM)LeeNobody Wrote:  A lot have assumed that the SEC will shift to a 9 game schedule to allow for more league play, but what if instead they were to add a bracket buster/ conference semis week. If conferences can decide what teams to make tbe championship, what is to stop a conference to add these games to the regular season. Imagine moving the valuable in conference rivalries( iron bowl, egg, texas- a&M ect)from rivalry week to the regular season, and taking over the second to last week as a bracket buster week matching up top 4 contenders to the championship, and similarly statured teams in conference. You could even match up the "pod champs" This would better spread compelling matchups throughout the season. Thoughts?

How do you sell season tickets at every conference school if you don't know whether they are hosting either four or five conference games in a given season? And if you have the number of home and away games set in advance, you couldn't guarantee that the higher-ranked schools would host the semifinal games. That seems like a big problem, irrespective of the difficulty of moving the Iron Bowl or the potential that Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, or Kentucky wins a semifinal game and then gets beat by FSU, Tech, Clemson, or Lousiville during rivalry weekend.

Just use rotating pods like many suggested last summer, 2 per “division”. Division A hosts Division B on the “flex” week. A#1 hosts B#2 and A#2 hosts B#1. Two winners play in Atlanta.

As you said, relocating rivalry games would be a chore. Instead, play the flex week 2 weeks before rivalry week. You would not get strict “semifinals” but you would get good TV and a better chance of utilizing head-to-head tie-breakers.

Bravo this brilliantly resolves the season ticket question. My solution would be to sell that tickwt seperately and get paid twice.

(05-16-2022 03:51 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(05-16-2022 03:36 PM)LeeNobody Wrote:  A lot have assumed that the SEC will shift to a 9 game schedule to allow for more league play, but what if instead they were to add a bracket buster/ conference semis week. If conferences can decide what teams to make tbe championship, what is to stop a conference to add these games to the regular season. Imagine moving the valuable in conference rivalries( iron bowl, egg, texas- a&M ect)from rivalry week to the regular season, and taking over the second to last week as a bracket buster week matching up top 4 contenders to the championship, and similarly statured teams in conference. You could even match up the "pod champs" This would better spread compelling matchups throughout the season. Thoughts?

I like that idea in a vacuum.

However, I'll put on my athletic director hat: If I'm running an SEC athletic department, I *need* at least 7 home games per year. This isn't a "nice to have" - it's a MUST HAVE. It's basically a sacrosanct right at this point. Anything that puts a variable factor in the scheduling in the season would disrupt that balance, especially when there's an odd number of conference games. That makes anything where you're potentially taking away a home game and exchange it for a road game (even if it's a better matchup) possibly untenable.

The simple fix is 12 conference games (6 home & 6 away) or 10 conference games and 2 OOC P games (6-6) with one preseason game against a G5 or smaller FCS local or regional school in late August and ticket sold in the book.

This game takes the place of Spring games, is considered an exhibition but is played as a real game would be. Now practice time before the season is concentrated leading up to the exhibition and athletes who play a second Spring Sport (baseball, track) can do so without interruption and football coaching staffs can take a small break with the family.