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Divisions or Protected Rivalries?

BillBrasky4Cy said:
The Big 12 needs to look at this big picture wise. They are already going to have an asterisk next to their name with OU and UT leaving so IMO they have to be very strategic here. Forget rivalries and forget regional pods. Set this thing up so you have two balanced divisions with the opportunity to realign every few years. The new Big 12 can't afford to have a weak division.
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Which is why they shouldn't have them at all.
 
VeloClone said:
There is no need for protected rivalries. There is no Texas or OU for the RRR. There is no OU for bedlam. OU/kNU is long gone. Just set em up and go through a rotation. Missing an opponent once every 4 years or so isn't going to be the end of the world.

And I am also for going back to 8 conference games again. As long as the SEC does it without penalty we should start doing it. And when the league votes it in and announces it they should say exactly why they are doing it. Call the SEC out on the carpet about it. Say the Big 12 will automatically go back to a 9 game conference schedule as soon as all P5 leagues are doing it.
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In principal, I agree, however, I think the reason we, and other conferences went to 9 conference was to increase the value of TV contracts a decade ago. When this started, I think it was assumed that the SEC would go this route too, but as we have seen with recent TV deals, they have not been forced to do so, but are still making bank.
 
BillBrasky4Cy said:
The Big 12 needs to look at this big picture wise. They are already going to have an asterisk next to their name with OU and UT leaving so IMO they have to be very strategic here. Forget rivalries and forget regional pods. Set this thing up so you have two balanced divisions with the opportunity to realign every few years. The new Big 12 can't afford to have a weak division.
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Why would you consider there to be an asterisk? Winning the conference is still winning the conference.

And if you are worried about the perception of divisions that are not competitively balanced, why go with divisions at all? Adopt a system that allows for more flexible scheduling.
 
I am on team no divisions. I would prefer a schedule where you play at least every team every two years, that way you won't skip teams that happen to be good during a period in which you may not play them for two years straight like in the divisional Big 12. Best two teams meet for conference championship.
 
BMWallace said:
Why would you consider there to be an asterisk? Winning the conference is still winning the conference.

And if you are worried about the perception of divisions that are not competitively balanced, why go with divisions at all? Adopt a system that allows for more flexible scheduling.
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ESPN will kick the new Big 12 in the nuts as often as possible and their opinions matter. Divisions or no Divisions a team can't have a B1G West type path to a conference title. While I don't agree, the Big 12 WILL be viewed as an inferior conference to the B1G, SEC, and ACC. Follow the money...
 
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Something else I would like to see adopted for scheduling, but is somewhat dependent on the playoff expansion, is a full championship weekend schedule. By that I mean after every team plays 8 conference games, Championship Friday/Saturday has 1v2, 3v4, 5v6, 7v8, 9v10, 11v12. This could be used as a 13th game for added inventory. Additionally, if this system was more widely adopted, it could be treated as part of playoff reformatting and assist with bowl seading/selection.
 
Iowa State has been playing a home and home with K-State for over 100 straight seasons without ever missing a game. I will be so unbelievably pissed if that game stops being an annual game. I want to keep playing our old big 8 conference mates every year since we've been together since forever and are the core around which the big 12 was created. As long as Kansas and K-State are preserved (Oklahoma State too ideally), I'll be happy.

But if we do go to divisions, I'd like it to be:
North:
BYU
Kansas
K-State
Iowa State
Cincinnati
West Virginia

South:
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
TCU
Baylor
Houston
UCF
 
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PSYclone22 said:
Three Divisions

ISU
KSU
KU
WVU

Baylor
OSU
TCU
TTU

BYU
Cincinnati
Houston
UCF

Winner of division with best record gets into championship, other two winners play in a semi-final
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That'd definitely require an NCAA rule change (unless you just wait long enough for the NCAA to die out).

If that's the case, why not just to four 3 team divisions and have a 4 team conference playoff?
 
SCNCY said:
In principal, I agree, however, I think the reason we, and other conferences went to 9 conference was to increase the value of TV contracts a decade ago. When this started, I think it was assumed that the SEC would go this route too, but as we have seen with recent TV deals, they have not been forced to do so, but are still making bank.
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The full round-robin was to minimize the loss of inventory. Going back to 12 teams would allow for a reduction in conference games but still an overall increase in conference inventory.

The old 12x8 model = 48 league games
10-team round-robin = 45 league games

A 4-game non-con would also probably lead to every team trying to play 3 home games per year, which would be an additional 36 games on the TV deal, for a total of 84. Applying the one member-retained game still leaves a total of 72 available.

This fall, the total Big 12 inventory is 66 games (45 conference + 21 home non-conference). Each school gets to hold back one, so that leaves 56 games up for grabs.

So, a 12-team 8+4 model would result in up to 16 more available games (+29%) than the current 10-team 9+3 model.

A 12-team 9+3 model would be 54 conference plus 24 non-con (assuming each team plays 2 of their 3 non-con at home), minus 12 for member-retained, for a total of 66 available games.
 
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cycfan1 said:
Once OU/TX out what rivalries are there to protect in this conference?

Can't think of one can't miss rivalry in the Big 12.

ISU/KSU (somewhat recent, but all in all has been very lopsided until recent)
KSU/KU (yawn)
Baylor/TCU?
I get wanting to keep some of the Big 8 matchups... but not much rivalry to go around.
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IMO we were developing a nice rivalry with KU during the Hoiball and early Prohm years. I would love for that to become a true hoops rivalry at some point.
 
Do World Cup draw style, 3 groups of 4 teams with each group playing round Robin in first round (3 games). Top 2 move on, bottom 2 move to loser groups.

6 teams that advanced play a hexagonal. Top 2 in standings play championship Saturday.
 
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BMWallace said:
PODS!!!

View attachment 97589

8 game conference slate. Play against Pod rivals, then two of the other three pods on a rotating basis.

No Divisions. It should be #1 vs #2 every year for the CCG. If it going to be treated as a defacto playoff game, make sure the best teams are there to represent the conference.
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Just stick the red/blue and yellow/green pods together for divisions. The Texas schools and OSU would want that anyway and the pods add almost zero value above divisions.
 
I'm honestly kind of sad to see the round-robin go away. I'll fully admit it made me have a lot stronger feelings about the other 9 teams than I did about any of the old Big 12 South teams, besides maybe the two Oklahoma schools.

And I will 100% mourn the loss of the basketball home-and-homes every season.

But yeah, I think the right answer for the strength of the conference is protected rivalries or some kind of auto-realigning divisions.
 
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Divisions inevitably end up with a “stronger” and “weaker” dynamic which is stupid. Rotate the teams you don’t play each year. 2 best records in the B12 Championship. If 2 top teams got in because they didnt have to play eachother that year, all the better. They play in the championship.
 
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