Started By
Message
16-team SEC scheduling model(s)
Posted on 12/25/21 at 10:50 am
Posted on 12/25/21 at 10:50 am
Current 14-team/8-game model: 6 in-div + 1 cross-div fixed rival (AL-TN, AU-GA...) + 1 of 6 cross-div rotating every other year—requires 12 years to rotate all 6. That flaw needs to be resolved, but are four 4-team pods a good way? Pods make 80% of all SEC matchups rotate and sacrifice many rivalries and their big financial benefits. Maybe that's why the current 14-team/8-game model isn't already 3 fixed rivals, rotating the other 10 teams in 5 schedule slots (like pods). 
SEC 16-team structure / scheduling solution with more rivalries + more frequent rotation:
SEC--East (8): FL GA KY SC TN VU + AL AU
SEC-West (8): AR LS 0M MS TA + M0 0K TX
^This not only facilitates more SEC rivalries, it ends the need for fixed cross-div rivals, which frees a 2nd schedule slot to use for rotations.
SEC schedules = 3 non-SEC + 9 SEC games;
7 in-division + 2 of 8 cross-div rotating yearly:
4 Rotations - #1, #8 | #2, #7 | #3, #6 | #4, #5
2 E teams --- AL, VU | GA, SC | KY, FL | TN, AU
2 W teams -- LS MO | 0K MS | 0M TX | AR TA
All 8 cross-div teams rotate in 4 years, playing 2 per year once and then the home/aways flip (as often as all 12 cross-pod teams rotate).
Consistent schedule format: 7-8 homes/year; aligns rotationals; limits post-bye opponents.
Sep: non-SEC & cross-division games
Oct: in-division games & bye (mid-season)
Nov: in-division & non-SEC rivalry games
Dec: SEC Championship game
Benefits include balanced divisions, equitable schedules, more frequent cross-div rotations, and a net gain in high-value annual rivalries — AL-LS, FL-LS rotate, but added annuals include AL-GA, FL-AU & SEC-W games vs TX, OK, MO.
Facts: With four 4-team pods (or 3 fixed rivals), the SEC would play only 48 yearly games and thereby less high-value annual rivalries. But with 8-team divisions, the SEC would play 112 yearly games and thereby more high-value annual rivalries. Either option would resolve the 14-team/8-game model's 12-year rotation flaw; but pods' financial impact is negative, while divisions' financial impact is positive.
Not only do the new 8-team divisions enable more financially beneficial scheduling (twice as many high-value yearly games as pods), they also offer more intrinsic value, such as division winners earning opportunities to compete in the SEC Championship game.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
SEC 16-team structure / scheduling solution with more rivalries + more frequent rotation:
SEC--East (8): FL GA KY SC TN VU + AL AU
SEC-West (8): AR LS 0M MS TA + M0 0K TX
^This not only facilitates more SEC rivalries, it ends the need for fixed cross-div rivals, which frees a 2nd schedule slot to use for rotations.
SEC schedules = 3 non-SEC + 9 SEC games;
7 in-division + 2 of 8 cross-div rotating yearly:
4 Rotations - #1, #8 | #2, #7 | #3, #6 | #4, #5
2 E teams --- AL, VU | GA, SC | KY, FL | TN, AU
2 W teams -- LS MO | 0K MS | 0M TX | AR TA
All 8 cross-div teams rotate in 4 years, playing 2 per year once and then the home/aways flip (as often as all 12 cross-pod teams rotate).
Consistent schedule format: 7-8 homes/year; aligns rotationals; limits post-bye opponents.
Sep: non-SEC & cross-division games
Oct: in-division games & bye (mid-season)
Nov: in-division & non-SEC rivalry games
Dec: SEC Championship game
Benefits include balanced divisions, equitable schedules, more frequent cross-div rotations, and a net gain in high-value annual rivalries — AL-LS, FL-LS rotate, but added annuals include AL-GA, FL-AU & SEC-W games vs TX, OK, MO.
Facts: With four 4-team pods (or 3 fixed rivals), the SEC would play only 48 yearly games and thereby less high-value annual rivalries. But with 8-team divisions, the SEC would play 112 yearly games and thereby more high-value annual rivalries. Either option would resolve the 14-team/8-game model's 12-year rotation flaw; but pods' financial impact is negative, while divisions' financial impact is positive.
Not only do the new 8-team divisions enable more financially beneficial scheduling (twice as many high-value yearly games as pods), they also offer more intrinsic value, such as division winners earning opportunities to compete in the SEC Championship game.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
This post was edited on 6/2/22 at 4:44 am
14
Posted on 12/25/21 at 11:26 am to TidalSurge1
The big problem with 2 divisions like that is that you have 5 historically good teams (AL, AU, FL , GA, UTn) on 1 side and only have 1 ( LSU) on the other. True UTx and OU are typical historical good teams, but in the SEC that's unproven. Further, As woke as Austin, TX and UTx are, I wouldn't be surprised to see a de-emphasis of their football in the future, similar to what's going on in the entire PAC 12.
Posted on 12/25/21 at 11:45 am to East Coast Band
Those are imaginary problems.
FL, TN & AU aren't real strong teams. In 2021, OM won 10 games, AR & TA won 8 and MS 7. TA & TX are both recruiting well and will likely improve. OK might be better with Venables. LSU has dipped, but will likely rebound soon. AL & GA make the SEC-E stronger at the top, but overall the new E & W look pretty equal:
New SEC--E: AL, GA, FL, KY, TN, SC, AU, VU
New SEC-W: OK, TA, LS, AR, OM, MS, TX, MO
Factors such as financials, fan interest, brand, facilities, recruiting, coaching & culture affect future strength more than old history does.
If UTx is as woke as you surmise, would horns still be playing "The Eyes of Texas?" Joining the SEC shows increasing football emphasis. Fans are very anxious for Texas to be "back" and boosters are funding efforts to get there.
FL, TN & AU aren't real strong teams. In 2021, OM won 10 games, AR & TA won 8 and MS 7. TA & TX are both recruiting well and will likely improve. OK might be better with Venables. LSU has dipped, but will likely rebound soon. AL & GA make the SEC-E stronger at the top, but overall the new E & W look pretty equal:
New SEC--E: AL, GA, FL, KY, TN, SC, AU, VU
New SEC-W: OK, TA, LS, AR, OM, MS, TX, MO
Factors such as financials, fan interest, brand, facilities, recruiting, coaching & culture affect future strength more than old history does.
If UTx is as woke as you surmise, would horns still be playing "The Eyes of Texas?" Joining the SEC shows increasing football emphasis. Fans are very anxious for Texas to be "back" and boosters are funding efforts to get there.
This post was edited on 3/9/22 at 2:04 pm
Posted on 12/25/21 at 12:44 pm to TidalSurge1
More money in a 10 game conference schedule.
Probably be a 4 team pod schedule so that teams can play each other as much as possible.
The SEC and ESPN will want the big time matchups as much as possible for TV viewers. The Bama/Texas, Bama/OU Florida/Texas, Georgia/OU etc.
Some lesser rivalries will be lost for more TV money. The big rivalry games will remain. Bama/Auburn, Georgia/Auburn, Ole Miss/ Miss St etc.
Probably be a 4 team pod schedule so that teams can play each other as much as possible.
The SEC and ESPN will want the big time matchups as much as possible for TV viewers. The Bama/Texas, Bama/OU Florida/Texas, Georgia/OU etc.
Some lesser rivalries will be lost for more TV money. The big rivalry games will remain. Bama/Auburn, Georgia/Auburn, Ole Miss/ Miss St etc.
Posted on 12/25/21 at 12:47 pm to remaster916
There won't be 4-team pods or 10 SEC games. Resolving the current 12-year rotation flaw is important, but pods and 10 SEC games are not good means. Pods would make 80% of all SEC matchups rotate and sacrifice many SEC rivalries and their big financial benefits. A 10th SEC game (7th for rotations) wouldn't enable 12 cross-pods to rotate more frequently, but it would ensure another loss for 8 SEC teams. Your claim that pods support the yearly GA-AU rivalry is false.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
This post was edited on 5/25/22 at 5:21 am
Posted on 12/25/21 at 12:51 pm to TidalSurge1
The Sec network already posted the probable pods before ut and ok even accepted the invite.
Pod A: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina
Pod B: Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Pod C: LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Pod D: Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma
Here’s the proposed 9-game conference schedule format:
Play the three teams in your pod every season
Play two games against each of the other pods
Host every team at least once every four seasons
Pod A: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina
Pod B: Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Pod C: LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Pod D: Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma
Here’s the proposed 9-game conference schedule format:
Play the three teams in your pod every season
Play two games against each of the other pods
Host every team at least once every four seasons
This post was edited on 12/25/21 at 12:54 pm
Posted on 12/25/21 at 12:51 pm to Remiden
They were merely assuming and speculating. Similarly, I also advocated 9 games and (like pods) each team having 3 fixed rivals, rotating the other 12 teams in 6 schedule slots -- until it dawned on me that yearly regional rivalries are far more valuable than rotating matchups. Did they mention that those pods sacrifice many valuable yearly rivalries (AU-GA -FL, AL-GA -FL, TN-GA -FL -KY, LS-AR -TX -OK, TA-AR -TX -OK) & other yearly games (KY-AL -AU - VU, SC-AL -AU -TN -VU, AR-OM -MS & MO-OM -MS -LS -TA)? 
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
This post was edited on 3/11/22 at 9:07 pm
Posted on 12/25/21 at 12:52 pm to TidalSurge1
quote:
10 SEC games.
If it were up to me, this is what I would select.
Posted on 12/25/21 at 12:55 pm to TidalSurge1
Ok, whatever you want to tell yourself.
Posted on 12/25/21 at 12:59 pm to East Coast Band
Although the sentiment makes sense, a 10th SEC game doesn't really help. It won't enable more frequent cross-div or cross-pod rotation, but it will cause 1 more loss for 8 SEC teams. The OP 9-game solution includes 2 cross-div games rotating yearly, which greatly increases rotation frequency without causing more SEC losses. 10 SEC games, without pods or divisions would enable 5 fixed opponents, rotating the other 10 in 5 schedule slots. That's pretty nice, but 8 more SEC losses is a costly tradeoff.
This post was edited on 2/7/22 at 11:05 am
Posted on 12/25/21 at 1:00 pm to TidalSurge1
quote:
There won't be 4-team Pods or 10 SEC games
Gald you know everything sir. What's the lottery numbers for this week?
Posted on 12/25/21 at 1:36 pm to remaster916
It appears you and some others are missing the key point. Resolving the current 12-year rotation flaw is pretty important, but it doesn't require pods and isn't priority-1 at any cost. The biggest financial benefits come from yearly rivary games. The new SEC-E/-W split (above) with 9 SEC games results in many more annual rivalries and rotates all 8 cross-div teams in 4 years (as frequently as all 12 cross-pods rotate). Sacrificing divisions for pods makes 80% of all SEC matchups rotate and sacrifices many lucrative yearly rivalries. Rivals AL, AU, GA, FL, TN being in the SEC-E and MO, OK, TX in the SEC-W frees a schedule slot for more rotations by ending the need for fixed cross-div rivals, and (more importantly) facilitates more annual rivaries in the SEC.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
This post was edited on 2/26/22 at 7:57 pm
Posted on 12/25/21 at 3:40 pm to East Coast Band
Don’t like divisions with that many teams. Have like three annual rivals per team and rotate everyone else.
This post was edited on 12/25/21 at 3:41 pm
Posted on 12/25/21 at 5:29 pm to Bham Bammer
I doubt the SEC will sacrifice lucrative annual rivalry games to have more rotating games.
The current 8-game schedule uses 1 slot for cross-division rivals (such as AL-TN, AU-GA), rotating the other 6 cross-div in 1 slot every other year, which requires 12 years to rotate all 6.
Fixing that 12-year rotation flaw is important, but 3 fixed rivals (w/o pods) isn't the best way to do it either. It's more flexible than pods for matching up 3 fixed opponents, but still has a negative financial impact like pods do.
The OP 2-division/9-game solution uses 2 slots & yearly rotation to play all 8 cross-div teams in only 4 years! That's as frequently as all 12 non-rivals would rotate in 6 slots, and it provides a lot more high-value yearly rivalries than 3 fixed rivals (with or w/o pods) would.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
The current 8-game schedule uses 1 slot for cross-division rivals (such as AL-TN, AU-GA), rotating the other 6 cross-div in 1 slot every other year, which requires 12 years to rotate all 6.
Fixing that 12-year rotation flaw is important, but 3 fixed rivals (w/o pods) isn't the best way to do it either. It's more flexible than pods for matching up 3 fixed opponents, but still has a negative financial impact like pods do.
The OP 2-division/9-game solution uses 2 slots & yearly rotation to play all 8 cross-div teams in only 4 years! That's as frequently as all 12 non-rivals would rotate in 6 slots, and it provides a lot more high-value yearly rivalries than 3 fixed rivals (with or w/o pods) would.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
This post was edited on 2/26/22 at 7:57 pm
Posted on 12/25/21 at 6:28 pm to TidalSurge1
How many of Alabama’s games qualify as “lucrative rivalry games” at this point?
Auburn and LSU is it.
So if you do three permanent and then rotate the others you preserve that.
Nobody cares about Bama vs Ole Miss, Miss State, Arkansas. Even A&M is iffy.
Auburn and LSU is it.
So if you do three permanent and then rotate the others you preserve that.
Nobody cares about Bama vs Ole Miss, Miss State, Arkansas. Even A&M is iffy.
Posted on 12/25/21 at 6:32 pm to Remiden
The pods is what I am hoping for. I don't like the idea of forcing SEC originals to the east so outcasts from the BIG12 can take over a section of our conference
Posted on 12/25/21 at 6:53 pm to TidalSurge1
I think the pods would be the best way to go and what I think they will do. How they do it will be whether it works or not in the end to give us the best football and if based on financial I think the biggest financial return.
If pods were to happen this wold be the best format
Pod A: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina
Pod B: Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Pod C: LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Pod D: Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma
You would still have UF/UGA, UA/AU, UA/UT, OM/MSU, LSU/aTm, Ark/Mizzou, UT/OU. The only big ones in there out would AU/UGA and LSU/UF.
How I would like to see it play wold be like this which I know it would not.
POD B: Always play the other 3 in our pod.
POD A: Play Florida & South Carolina
POD C: Play LSU & MSU
POD D: Play Texas & Mizzou
Play those 6 for a Home & Away series for two years.
POD A: Play UGA & Kentucky
POD C: Play aTm & Ole Miss
POD D: Play OU & Ark
Play those 6 for a Home & Away series for two years.
Rinse and repeat so that you are guaranteed to play everyone in the SEC 16 every 2 years.
Schedule 9 SEC games which allows team that have instate/nonconference games to be played, other P5 games, and if needed a G5 in there. But would give most the flexibility of scheduling 3 other games.
With playoff expansion looming I would love see us go to an 11 game schedule and the top four teams(#1 in each pod) play in a semi final match up for the SECCG. It should guarantee that the top teams for the most part would play each other even if not on the cross pod schedule the current rotation.
The money and ratings for that would greatly increase.
If pods were to happen this wold be the best format
Pod A: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina
Pod B: Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
Pod C: LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Pod D: Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma
You would still have UF/UGA, UA/AU, UA/UT, OM/MSU, LSU/aTm, Ark/Mizzou, UT/OU. The only big ones in there out would AU/UGA and LSU/UF.
How I would like to see it play wold be like this which I know it would not.
POD B: Always play the other 3 in our pod.
POD A: Play Florida & South Carolina
POD C: Play LSU & MSU
POD D: Play Texas & Mizzou
Play those 6 for a Home & Away series for two years.
POD A: Play UGA & Kentucky
POD C: Play aTm & Ole Miss
POD D: Play OU & Ark
Play those 6 for a Home & Away series for two years.
Rinse and repeat so that you are guaranteed to play everyone in the SEC 16 every 2 years.
Schedule 9 SEC games which allows team that have instate/nonconference games to be played, other P5 games, and if needed a G5 in there. But would give most the flexibility of scheduling 3 other games.
With playoff expansion looming I would love see us go to an 11 game schedule and the top four teams(#1 in each pod) play in a semi final match up for the SECCG. It should guarantee that the top teams for the most part would play each other even if not on the cross pod schedule the current rotation.
The money and ratings for that would greatly increase.
Posted on 12/25/21 at 7:22 pm to Bham Bammer
quote:
How many of Alabama’s games qualify as “lucrative rivalry games” at this point?
Auburn and LSU is it.
So if you do three permanent and then rotate the others you preserve that.
It's not about only preserving a few current yearly rivalries, but growing annual rivalries and financial benefits. Surely AL-GA, AL-FL and AU-FL played yearly will quickly become valued rivaries. So will many SEC-W teams' yearly games vs OK & TX. They aren't joining just for shits and giggles. It's being done to boost the SEC's domain and revenues.
quote:
Nobody cares about Bama vs Ole Miss, Miss State, Arkansas. Even A&M is iffy.
"Nobody cares" is exaggeration, but AL vs FL, KY, SC & VU will adequately replace those.
Note: The NCAA requires conferences with 12 or more teams to have 2 divisions.
This post was edited on 5/17/22 at 7:29 am
Posted on 12/25/21 at 7:29 pm to TidalSurge1
If the playoffs are expanded, I truly believe that we will do away with the Championship game.
Posted on 12/25/21 at 7:50 pm to TidalSurge1
I don’t think Alabama, UGA , UF , Auburn , and UT in the East and LSU , OU, and Texas in the West would make for balanced divisions.
Page 1 of 9
Latest Alabama News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News