re: Did Sankey Ever Explain Conference/Team Scheduling

The other issue was the new CFP and them wanting to get a feel whether more SEC teams would get in with 8 conf games vs 9.

Easier to have everyone schedule a ULM, Bowling Green, McNeese St, etc with a W rather than half your teams taking a loss on same weekend.

That and of course the TV money.

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As I explained up thread, If you have a rotation of "Partner Pods" (or whatever you want to call them) than you've eliminated the biggest issue with the divisions (schools never playing each other) and have made it about as even as possible because even if you are seen to be in a weaker Pod you are still playing all the teams in another stronger Pod +2 cross-partner games.

Pod A:
Alabama
Tenn
UK
Vandy

Pod B:
Georgia
Auburn
Florida
SC

Pod C:
Texas
OU
Mizz
Ark

Pod D:
LSU
OM
A&M
State

If you just declare that Alabama and Auburn will play each other each year either through being Partner Pods or as one of the two Cross-partner games... than each of the traditional rivalries is protected.

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Or, you just give every team 2 or 3 permanent rival games and rotate the rest like they are basically doing now.

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I remember this coming up at some point. I believe 8 v 9 games was a sticking point.

Not perfect, but similar to NFL model. How pods are grouped TBD, hopefully keeping some historical rivalries

4 pods, each with 4 teams
Nine game conference schedule / three non-conference*

Example -
Pod A plays : 3 pod teams, 4 Pod B teams, and 1 team each from Pods C and D (based on prior year finish is probably easiest).
Rotate pods each year until 4 year cycle is complete (Year 2, A plays 4 Pod Cs, and 1 each from B & D, etc.)
Teams play each school at least 1 of every 4 years.

*if the team or rival you "need" to play is not in your pod, you can always schedule as a "non-conference" game for the years you do not play

Questions likely around:
How conference champion(s) are determined (I think back to pre-1992 SEC)
Disparity with every other year 5 home / 4 away conference schedule (strength of schedule has often been questioned with previous divisions)

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Unless I misunderstand your suggestion, I think that four year cycle is a six year cyle.

A-B, C-D (two years)
A-C, B-D (two years)
A-D, B-C (two years)

My suggestion was very similar but instead of playing teams in the other two pods based on prior year finish, you have a permanent rival in each of the other three pods. That gives you six permanent games. If that can't handle all of the rivalries then nothing will.

The games would be:

3 - within your pod
4 - against your aligned pod
2 - against your permanent rival in the two remaining pods

It might be that the ninth game is a no-go. The other drawback is you only play some teams when your pod aligns with theirs - twice every six years. Twice every six years is reasonable and better than the old SEC system.

The playing teams that finished in your order is intriguing. If it were more than two games I'd say it would create too unbalanced of schedules but with just two games it could work. However, it would be harder to protect rivalries with that option.


BTW, if they ever adopted my suggestion, I would definitely behave like a real life Larry Culpepper. I've seen people repeat my suggestion (and it is possible that they independently came up with it) but doubt anyone came up with it before I did as I posted it here within a week of OU/TX announcing they would join. I say this tongue-in-cheek (to a degree) so feel free to make fun of me for it.

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But that series is insignificant compared to the ones I mentioned in the post you replied to.

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LSU being in old SWC would suck.

The UF game not bring every year fine but losing Auburn, Bama, and UF bridge too far

We would play OU, UTx, Mizzou, Aggie, Arky, MSU, and Ole Miss?

So basically 2 historically SEC teams?

It IS possible if you adjust the format. In other words, if Ga./Aub. or Tn./Ala. are in different pods, then the games amongst them MUST BE KEPT yearly. Therefore, everybody needs a perm rival in (at least) 1 other pod.
*This would also keep MSU/Ala. going.

Partially due to the fact of the ACC's demise & further conference realignment.

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Any truth to success over the last 5 years was used in part to create schedules? Kind of seems like it

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That's what they claimed...but if it's a 2 year temp. schedule, why use that format?

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*if the team or rival you "need" to play is not in your pod, you can always schedule as a "non-conference" game for the years you do not play

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WHY play a CONFERENCE rival as a "non-conf. game"?

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Also, you wouldn't hear people like Auburn bitch about their out of division perm.

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They'ld be replaced with LSU's griping.