B1G 20 team setup

[WoodburyTim]

It could all happen for a time. But the next step of the conference realignment is even more interesting. It has been written about before, but pretty soon the big boys are going to wonder why they are sharing money with schools simply because of traditional affiliation. We might end up being okay because we bring a large media market, but schools like Iowa will be kicked out soon enough. It doesn't matter if they are good or traditionally good, they simply don't bring a big media market.

 

[Mr. 131]

I haven't seen any hypothetical that doesn't create problems. This does look like a lot of fun but others have nitpicked it to hell and it's left me with the conclusion that expansion is just going to annoy me on multiple levels. College football is wild these days!

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

IMO if the conference does not go with divisions I think it makes it difficult if not impossible some years to determine the best two teams for the conference championship. You’ll have teams with equal records that played different teams with the conference needing to determine which wins and losses were better than others. Most years it probably isn’t as easy as saying Michigan and Ohio State are the best since you’ll also have a very good USC team and some years you may have a good Michigan State or Wisconsin (let’s hope not) or another added team may be very good. If they all have different schedules it makes it next to impossible without division winners.

Let's say Michigan and Ohio St are the best.

Do they just replay The Game the next week or so?

I think that kinda sucks to... they had their shot. A lot of Michigan and Ohio St fans also don't like that idea as it kinda de-emphasizes The Game.

 

[CentralGopher]

Let's say Michigan and Ohio St are the best.

Do they just replay The Game the next week or so?

I thing that kinda sucks to... they had their shot. A lot of Michigan and Ohio St fans also don't like that idea as it kinda de-emphasizes The Game.

I agree with this too. The addition of USC should help but will make it difficult to determine who the best two actually are.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I agree with this too. The addition of USC should help but will make it difficult to determine who the best two actually are.

That's why I like divisions.

They're not always fair in terms of each division being equally difficult to win, but there's no math or rules weirdness, every game is right there in front of you and etc. Win division, you're in.

 

[Some guy]

I agree with this too. The addition of USC should help but will make it difficult to determine who the best two actually are.

I don’t think it’s a given that USC just rolls everyone except Ohio state and Michigan

 

[Ope3]

Let's say Michigan and Ohio St are the best.

Do they just replay The Game the next week or so?

I think that kinda sucks to... they had their shot. A lot of Michigan and Ohio St fans also don't like that idea as it kinda de-emphasizes The Game.

Moving the Ohio St/Michigan game to October would solve that problem.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Moving the Ohio St/Michigan game to October would solve that problem.

Oh yeah that would go over well.

Let's dork with tradition because they're too good?

 

[Ope3]

Oh yeah that would go over well.

Let's dork with tradition because they're too good?

When it comes to tradition or cash which usually wins out? I thought of about two dozen involving Big 10 teams (or future) in just a couple of minutes that have been eliminated or significantly modified.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

When it comes to tradition or cash which usually wins out? I thought of about two dozen involving Big 10 teams (or future) in just a couple of minutes that have been eliminated or significantly modified.

I don't see how cash factors into it.

I also think that question is nonsensical. We could have ads on the uniforms for cash ... but we don't , so what won out?

Things change and there are limits.

 

[SomeGopherFan]

If Stanford is added, I don't see what California brings to the table. Not only are they scuffling in football, but their basketball team is currently 0-10 and losing games at home to the likes of Eastern Washington and Texas State in front of less than 1,300 fans.

Otherwise, though, the overall format seems reasonable.

 

[Ope3]

I don't see how cash factors into it.

I also think that question is nonsensical. We could have ads on the uniforms for cash ... but we don't , so what won out?

Things change and there are limits.

An October prime time game could draw more eyeballs and higher ratings as well as drive up anticipation for a potential rematch in early December.

As for the ads on uniforms for cash, that's a matter of time I suspect.

In the 70s could one ever imagine that Oklahoma and Nebraska would stop playing each other annually? Now they don't. How about Pitt vs Penn St? Gone.

Moving Michigan/Ohio State up a few weeks, not that unreasonable. I am not predicting it will be happen, but up until a few years ago I did not think USC/UCLA would ever join the Big 10. However, after Maryland and Rutgers were brought on board...I could envision a coast-to-coast conference.

Why? Money. Nothing is sacred.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

An October prime time game could draw more eyeballs and higher ratings as well as drive up anticipation for a potential rematch in early December.

As for the ads on uniforms for cash, that's a matter of time I suspect.

In the 70s could one ever imagine that Oklahoma and Nebraska would stop playing each other annually? Now they don't. How about Pitt vs Penn St? Gone.

Moving Michigan/Ohio State up a few weeks, not that unreasonable. I am not predicting it will be happen, but up until a few years ago I did not think USC/UCLA would ever join the Big 10. However, after Maryland and Rutgers were brought on board...I could envision a coast-to-coast conference.

Why? Money. Nothing is sacred.

I don't think they're moving The Game and I doubt either school would like it either ... so no idea what that tangent is supposed to prove.

 

[Ope3]

I don't think they're moving The Game and I doubt either school would like it either ... so no idea what that tangent is supposed to prove.

Paying them/Big 10 enough might get Ohio St & Michigan to like it (or dislike it less).

Also they might not be thrilled with playing each other back-to-back either, enough to move it and start a new tradition.

You said it yourself in Post #33 that "it kinda de-emphasizes The Game". This is just a possible solution.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

Paying them/Big 10 enough might get Ohio St & Michigan to like it (or dislike it less).

Also they might not be thrilled with playing each other back-to-back either, enough to move it and start a new tradition.

You said it yourself in Post #33 that "it kinda de-emphasizes The Game". This is just a possible solution.

I doubt it, including the possibility that moving it to October would make more money...

That's not how TV contracts work.

 

[Ope3]

I doubt it, including the possibility that moving it to October would make more money...

That's not how TV contracts work.

Probably first week of November would make more sense, sweeps. Possible that baseball would be done. Could also be the next TV contract.

Maybe the first time there is a rematch both games will have boffo ratings and there will not be a need to change. Who knows? But if one of the games tank, then not hard to fathom an adjustment of some sort will be made.

 

[mngolf]

As said before, no schools are leaving or getting kicked out of the B1G. Other than Notre Dame any one joining will be an AAU member and add tv's to up the contract. Current members don't want a smaller piece of the pie. Their abilities at sports don't matter, don't care about basketball. And I'll add that they will fit into this type of pod system. They will come from PAC, ACC, and possibly SEC. no where else. ACC members won't happen until closer to their contract ending.

 

[MNfootballfan]

Just an idea on divisions:
East: Penn State, Notre Dame, Purdue, Maryland, Rutgers
- According to the 2022 Sargarin Rankings this group finished with an average ranking of 43

Central: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Northwestern
- According to the 2022 Sargarin Rankings this group finished with an average ranking of 50

Midwest: Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska
- According to the 2022 Sargarin Rankings this group finished with an average ranking of 35

West: Washington, USC, UCLA, California, Stanford
- According to the 2022 Sargarin Rankings this group finished with an average ranking of 40.4

Quick 4 team playoff to determine a conference champ - Take a non-conference game out of the schedule and I thought it would be cool to play semi finals the week after Thanksgiving. The remaining schools could play an SEC school to create the Big Ten/SEC challenge similar to the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in basketball. I know, I know... I'm living in a fantasy world.

Seriously, though, I am not sure how to make the divisions equal. Truth is, they will never be equal because Ohio State and Michigan need to be in the same division and over the course of all of our lifetimes these are generally have been the two best teams in the Big Ten.

 

[Replacement Gopher]

Current 16 teams plus:
Washington- already happening
Stanford
Cal

And Notre Dame

4 divisions:

East
Maryland
Rutgers
Penn State
Norte Dame
Indiana

Central
Michigan
Ohio State
MSU
Purdue
Northwestern

Midwest
Gophers
Wisconsin
Iowa
Nebraska
Illinois

Pacific
USC
UCLA
Washington
Stanford
Cal

Each year you play your division and the entirety of another division for 9 conference games.
Inter division games change every year like the NFL.

4 division champions play east and west championships to get to the B1G championship!

No Futball regulation required. Play every team in BiG within 3 year window.

What you think?

Would rather have two ten-team divisions with relegation/promotion.

 

[WAGopher]

I don't think WV would meet academic standards. Kind of like what happened with Missouri.

Missouri is an AAU member, so how do their academics get in the way of being admitted to the B1G? When Nebraska was invited, they were a big football fish and AAU member. Now they are neither.

West Virginia is not AAU, so a no go there. All the west coast schools in the discussion are AAU members.

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

Current 16 teams plus:
Washington- already happening
Stanford
Cal

And Notre Dame

4 divisions:

East
Maryland
Rutgers
Penn State
Norte Dame
Indiana

Central
Michigan
Ohio State
MSU
Purdue
Northwestern

Midwest
Gophers
Wisconsin
Iowa
Nebraska
Illinois

Pacific
USC
UCLA
Washington
Stanford
Cal

Each year you play your division and the entirety of another division for 9 conference games.
Inter division games change every year like the NFL.

4 division champions play east and west championships to get to the B1G championship!

No Futball regulation required. Play every team in BiG within 3 year window.

What you think?

Probably the best alignment for an illogical conference. Imagine how much Greta T will carp about the CO2 being pumped into the air when the Pac teams play the East teams.
What would make sense would be for the NCAA for create eight, eight-team geaographically sensible conferences then play a standard eight team tourney to name a national champion.

Each team would then have five regular season games each year to schedule whatever teams they can get that earn both the most money since that's the purpose of college football today.

 

[Xerxes_]

Current 16 teams plus:
Washington- already happening
Stanford
Cal

And Notre Dame

4 divisions:

East
Maryland
Rutgers
Penn State
Norte Dame
Indiana

Central
Michigan
Ohio State
MSU
Purdue
Northwestern

Midwest
Gophers
Wisconsin
Iowa
Nebraska
Illinois

Pacific
USC
UCLA
Washington
Stanford
Cal

Each year you play your division and the entirety of another division for 9 conference games.
Inter division games change every year like the NFL.

4 division champions play east and west championships to get to the B1G championship!

No Futball regulation required. Play every team in BiG within 3 year window.

What you think?

I'm sure Michigan & Ohio State will be thrilled to see the TV money split up into 4 more pieces. The only 1 of your 4 teams that add value to the conference is ND.

 

[stocker08]

This is the exact setup that I've been preaching for a while now. I think you could even take it a step further....and have the two cross divisions merge standings for that year in able to allow two champions from the same pod.

 

[Some guy]

I'm sure Michigan & Ohio State will be thrilled to see the TV money split up into 4 more pieces. The only 1 of your 4 teams that add value to the conference is ND.

That’s what I see as the problem.
Honestly the best case scenario might be UCLA to back out.
Only 15 way split.

West:
USC
Nebraska
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin

Central
Michigan
Michigan state
Ohio state
Illinois
Northwestern

East
Purdue
Indiana
Maryland
Rutgers
Penn state

You play your 4 in your division. You play 5 from the other groups. You pair teams for scheduling balance. (If you get Ohio state you don’t get USC, if you get Rutgers you don’t get northwestern etc)

 

[WAGopher]

Would rather have two ten-team divisions with relegation/promotion.

How about 2 divisions that are realigned every year? Basically, rank all 20 teams by conference record with tie breakers if needed, and then divi them all up with odd ranking numbers in one division and even in the other. For the most part you would play everyone else in your division unless you have a protected rival in the other group, which could be addressed when assigning teams to divisions.

What I like about this is everyone’s strength of schedule will be similar, making conference championship games easier to select and eligibility for the playoffs better defined.

 

[Some guy]

This is the exact setup that I've been preaching for a while now. I think you could even take it a step further....and have the two cross divisions merge standings for that year in able to allow two champions from the same pod.

Except for the fact there aren’t 4 teams that add enough revenue to enhance the pie enough to justify any other piece being taken out

 

[howeda7]

Current 16 teams plus:
Washington- already happening
Stanford
Cal

And Notre Dame

4 divisions:

East
Maryland
Rutgers
Penn State
Norte Dame
Indiana

Central
Michigan
Ohio State
MSU
Purdue
Northwestern

Midwest
Gophers
Wisconsin
Iowa
Nebraska
Illinois

Pacific
USC
UCLA
Washington
Stanford
Cal

Each year you play your division and the entirety of another division for 9 conference games.
Inter division games change every year like the NFL.

4 division champions play east and west championships to get to the B1G championship!

No Futball regulation required. Play every team in BiG within 3 year window.

What you think?

Northwestern and Purdue would be petitioning the Big 12 ASAP.

 

[Some guy]

Northwestern and Purdue would be petitioning the Big 12 ASAP.

They get to beat up on a dog Michigan state team

 

[howeda7]

If Michigan and OSU are willing to be split up, swapping Illinois and Michigan would make sense.

 

[stocker08]

Except for the fact there aren’t 4 teams that add enough revenue to enhance the pie enough to justify any other piece being taken out

I simply meant if/when the Big Ten expands to 20. I'd prefer to stay at 16....but 20 seems inevitable.