What happens if the Big Ten goes to 16 teams?
Indianapolis—Yes, we are attending the Super Bowl of college basketball and tonight the story lines abound: Duke will go for its fourth national championship and its first since 2001, under Coach K against Butler. Rated rival North Carolina has cut down the nets twice (2005, 2009) since their hated rival won a title. Coach Mike Krzyzewski is in his 11th Final Four, which ties Carolina’s Dean Smith. One more for K and he passes the Dean for No. 2 on the all-time list.
Butler is playing six miles from its campus. Their playing facility, Hinkle Fieldhouse, was where the championship game in “Hoosiers” was filmed. CBS must be tempted to bring in Gene Hackman and let him walk onto the floor and measure the baskets like he did in the movie that is beloved by all hoopsters.
Understand this about Butler. This isn’t tiny Milan taking on Muncie Central for the Indiana state high school championship in 1954. Butler is really good and is well coached by a guy who looks like he should be a study hall monitor instead of a coach with an 89-14 record. They can beat Duke if they are healthy and the Blue Devils are little cold from behind the arc. We’re expecting another crowd of over 70,000 at Lucas Oil Field.
But enough about hoops. That’s tonight. I’m here today to tell you what’s going on behind the scenes of tonight’s national championship game. I am not big into hyperbole, but you need to know that two things are being discussed that could, in the next six months, could radically change the college athletics landscape as we know it.
The first, of course, is the potential expansion of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament field from 65 to 96 teams. The NCAA floated that trial balloon on Thursday and for the first time gave details about how it could work. That effort was met with criticism that turned into downright derision from fans and media. Why take one of the best sporting events in the world and risk hurting it by trying to shoe-horn another round of games into the same three-week calendar?
You already know the answer. It’s about the money. It’s always been about the money. The NCAA has three more years on its current 11-year, $6 billion contract with CBS but has the option to opt out of those years and put the tournament back up for bid. Needless to say there are other suitors, like ESPN or NBC/Comcast who might want to step up to the plate. Given the realities of the economy, all schools need more money.
Here is my prediction and that’s all it is: The tournament goes to 96 team out of pure financial necessity. The 32 team NIT, which the NCAA also controls, will go always and those teams will be folded into the big tournament. CBS retains the rights to the tournament and finds a cable partner to share in the costs and the distribution. Don’t be surprised if it’s Turner Broadcasting. Then the NCAA will have to do a lot of selling to a skeptical public and press and convince them that the event that they love so much will not be watered down with first round games that include a 9 vs. 24 seed.
I spoke to several commissioners of smaller conferences who are convinced that the vast majority of this money is not going to trickle down to them because most of those 32 extra slots in the tournament will go to teams in the BCS conferences.
The NCAA insists this is not a done deal but my conversations this week tell me the train is at the station and getting ready to move out. Everybody just needs to jump on board.
The other big topic here has a chance to completely change college football as we know it. I’ve spoken to a number of athletics directors and commissioners who are convinced that the Big Ten is positioning itself to seriously consider becoming college football first super conference by expanding to as many as 16 teams.
The Big Ten is looking at three plans: Stand pat with 11 teams, add one team (hopefully Notre Dame) or make a blockbuster move and go to 16.
“If they go to 16 and one of them is Notre Dame then we’ve got an entirely new ball game,” a conference commissioner told me confidentially.
There is pretty serious speculation that The Big Ten would look to the Big East in its big master plan. Now I don’t know which teams are involved, but Just for fun, let’s say the Big Ten asks Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Connecticut and Rutgers to join. If they said yes, the Big East would be out of the football business. I think the Catholic schools (Georgetown, Villanova, St. John’s, Marquette, Seton Hall, DePaul, Providence) in the league move on and form their own basketball conference.
What would happen to the other football playing schools in the Big East: West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, South Florida? Does the ACC take them in order to match the Big 16?
What would happened to Notre Dame? Would they be invited to join the Catholic conference for basketball? What about their other sports?
And what does the SEC do if the Big Ten throws down this gauntlet? The conference has its 15-year, $3 billion television contract in place. Does the SEC have to react to the new marketplace that has been created? The SEC and Big Ten have separated themselves financially from the rest of Division I. If the SEC stood pat would it risk watching the Big Ten with the additional dollars that would come in, pull away from the SEC?
Does the SEC get aggressive and pick up the phone call Texas? That’s the one school that would move the financial needle to improve the great deal the SEC already has. And if you take Texas, you have to take Texas A&M because of the politics. Does the SEC take another look at Florida State and Miami and see if those schools would be interested in leaving the ACC for a better financial deal?
I have been saying this for years: The dominoes of expansion will start tumbling when the Big Ten makes its move. If it only adds one team, even if it’s Notre Dame, then relatively little will change. But if commissioner Jim Delany wants to make a splash and go to 16, then absolutely anything is possible. If members of the Big East want to leave, they must remain in the conference for an additional 27 months after they declare. So if the Big Ten wants to take some Big East teams, they must make a decision soon in order for those teams to be in place for the 2012 football season.
Understand that there is a lot of smoke here. None of this could happen. Or all of it could. So stay tuned.
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264 comments Add your comment
Taylor
April 5th, 2010
1:48 pm
Or if the ACC were to expand, I would like to see it look like this…
ACC South – Miami, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, UNC, Duke, NC State, Wake
ACC North – Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Maryland, Boston College, Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers
Ogeechee Dawg
April 5th, 2010
1:54 pm
hawkeye – adding Notre Dame or an additional team to get 12 teams would be in your best interest – currently – the B10 enjoys splitting conference titles to keep members happy.
However – Imagine two 6 team conferences:
B10 WEST (MINN, Iowa, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Michigan, ILL)
B10 East (Penn STATE, OHIO ST, Mich ST, N’western, IND, Purdue)
Just like the SEC – IOWA would play your own division – a perm. East Opponent ( say Perdue), and rotate 2 B10 East opponentes home and home every two years – you would go throught the entired – home and home in 6 years…………………..and you could get a chance at Ohio State in the B10 Championship game!!!
Can you dig it??
crack for lindsey
April 5th, 2010
1:55 pm
Forget the Pig Pen, Tony – tell us about the Bratwurst Boys and their taxi ride. It should be easy to look into, it happened in your backyard. Maybe you could use it to fill the space you usually devote to Spikes and his eyegouge.
VolsRule
April 5th, 2010
1:59 pm
Taylor – look at the traditional power schools in the ACC – most clumped in the south – GT, FSU, MIA, Clemson, UNC – I doubt you would get the school Presidents to sign off on that. VA TECH would love that set-up!!! West VA is very good – BC can be good, PITT – about the same as BC – Rutgers – not so good.
Parker
April 5th, 2010
2:00 pm
The SEC should make the move and add Clemson, GT, Florida State and Miami.
SEC East – UF, FSU, Miami, UGA, GT, Clemson, USC, Vandy
SEC West – Bama, Auburn, UT, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Miss State, Ark, LSU
Otto
April 5th, 2010
2:02 pm
$9 mil from what NBC, the BCS, or ND and their Big East Basketball deal. Remember this about the entire picture not just football. From what I can find ~$9 mil from NBC plus ~$9mil from the Big East. So that is $18mil plus $1.3 mil from the BCS or $4.5 mil if they make the BCS. In addition they have 100% control of their image (more royalties) and do not split bowl money or special matchups such as playing in the Jerry Dome.
It looks like a wash on ND being solo vs joining the Big10 but ND will most likely be able to extend their TV contract for more money. ND will not join a conf. until the TV money stops putting them even with the Big 10.
Otto
April 5th, 2010
2:07 pm
Another thought all this talk of Pitt and Rutgers. They can only sell out their home stadiums on good years and distantly behind in TV viewrship due to being in Pro Sports towns. The Big East teams were put in the picture when JoePa made waves with the idea of expansion. However recently Big12 teams have been generating more talk. Nebraska vs. Penn St. would be a national TV draw.
Will
April 5th, 2010
2:08 pm
Has anyone given any thought to what an expanded NCAA tournament would do to scheduling? What would be the incentive for anyone to schedule any tough games?
For example, Va. Tech just missed the tournament this year. Good record but a weak schedule kept them out. If the field had been 96 instead of 65 this year, would the weak schedule have kept Va. Tech out? Certainly not.
I guess I don’t mind an expanded field IF that means more mid-majors get in but, if it means that more 18-16 10th place so called “majors” get in, count me out.
78Lion
April 5th, 2010
2:08 pm
Tony,
If the SEC calls Texas, Texas sees the caller id is coming from a conference that could give a rat’s azz about academics and doesn’t pick up the phone. They rejected the SEC before and the academic standing of the SEC hasn’t improved since that rejection.
Otto
April 5th, 2010
2:09 pm
Ogeechee Dawg, Permanent rivals from the other division are not a given. The Big12 does not have that provision.
scXenon
April 5th, 2010
2:12 pm
Ah, the key is “big changes in the BCS” I think ….
If I were running the BigTen, I’d talk to the SEC at this point and say …
“Look, we both know that the New Year’s Bowls are really all about us anyway. So, we’ll expand to 16, and you expand to 16, and we’ll rewrite the BCS rules.
The new rules are:
Power Conferences with 16 teams get TWO automatic bids to the BCS, one for each division champ, AND can have one at-large bid as well, for a total of 3 possible BCS bids.
Power Conferences with less than 15 teams get ONE automatic bid to the BCS, and can have one at-large bid, for a total of 2 possible BCS bids.
Non-Power Conferences, regardless of conference, can have ONE bid for teams ranked 10th or better.”
For the BigTen and SEC, it sets them up to be the absolute dominant conferences, and get probably 3 bids every year. If the BigTen expands by taking the best of the BigEast and the BigXII North, and the SEC expands by taking the best of the ACC / BigEast / BigXII south, no one else will be close to those two conference.
The BigXII, if they lose 1 or 2 or more teams, will never be able to at 4 or 5 or even 6 top level schools to get the 16 level with the BigTen/SEC
The PAC10 is struggling to figure out how to add 2 teams, let alone 6, especially if the BigTen takes some BigXII teams.
The ACC would be hard pressed to get to 16 as well, and the strong basketball side of the conference would probably veto any expansion that hurts the basketball in the conference.
The BigEast could never expand to 16 teams and 20 to 24 basketball teams
That’s my vision …..
knute rockne
April 5th, 2010
2:13 pm
guys, ND’s decision is not solely based on money – I know – I’ve been there. it’s about autonomy. ND Football is a stand alone brand. it would be like Coca Cola becoming part of Kroger’s house brand. Coca Cola will ALWAYS allow Kroger, and Publix, and Ingels, and Winn-Dixie to sell their product, but they will never surrender control. OK, well “never say never” but not likely in our lifetime, well, wait a minute I am already dead. ND wants $$ as much as the next school, but what they have to gain ($) and what they have to lose (control) puts us years away from seeing ND Football in a conference (besides, the Ivy League, where they belong!).
FSU Fan
April 5th, 2010
2:15 pm
As a Florida State supporter, I would be in favor of moving to the SEC if we were to be invited. The only teams that travel their fans to our stadium are Miami, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Virginia Tech. GT and VT are in the other division so we only see them at Doak once every 5 years. UNC and UVA are ok, but again we only see them in Doak once every 5 years. The other schools hardly bring any fans (Duke, NC State, Wake, Maryland, BC). Despite our recent troubles in football, we are still drawing huge television ratings and selling out our allocated tickets when we go on the road. We are a natural fit for the SEC and would love to be in it.
Erik
April 5th, 2010
2:22 pm
Tony,
Would expanding the tournament field guarantee more money from a network (or networks)? The new watered-down tournament may not be as valuable. This plan seems like it could very easily backfire.
BAMA STAN
April 5th, 2010
2:22 pm
13 NATIONAL TITLES – 22 SEC TITLES!!!
Real Bama Stan here – Doub Coleman – you are a wise man! I agree with you and Ogeechee – 12 is the perfect number.
B10 would be wise to add Notre Dame – If ND acts arrogant – go get PITT. PITT would be a great pick up!!!
One last thing – Notre Dame is best to play – when Notre Dame is in full strength. I either want them to stay totally irrelevent – like they are now – or be a monster. If you beat them at their full strength – it makes for a great victory.
I for one would not care to play Notre Dame – unless it is for a National Title! Who cares to play them after they just got beat by Navy!!!
ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL TIDE!!!
D
April 5th, 2010
2:29 pm
Have 5 super conferences and a 8 team playoff
Super conferences would be the
South
Southwest
North Midwest and West.
Each conference would have around 16 teams.
Acc would add Wv, Louis, S fla and Uconn
Sec would add Texas Tex am Missouri and another team. West would take much of the big 12 and the North would be the current big 10 plus ND and some big east schools like pitt and cuse. Midwest conf, which could be named something else would have boise, tcu byu and some other decent smaller schools.
Winner of the 5 conf gets into the playoff. Then 3 at large based on final rankings.
BigTimeTECHFan
April 5th, 2010
2:30 pm
I say just have 8 major conferences. All BCS teams play in those 8 Conf:
1. SEC
2. ACC
3. Big East
4. Big 10
5. Big 12
6. Pac 10
7. WAC
8. USA
All teams rolled into those conf, all conf must play title game($).
1st round of playoffs after tile game would be (all other teams can play in stupid bowl games):
a ACC vs SEC($)
b PAC10 vs WAC($)
c Big East vs USA($)
d Big 10 vs Big 12($)
2nd round
game a winner vs game b winner
game c winner vs game d winner
Then championship game.
Sweet never have to deal with polls again. some say 8 team playoff but I can see it harder to say who no 8 would be vs the number 9 team then it is today figuring out who no 2 is verse no 3. FORGET polls all together, no selection commitees, just play on the field.
BAMA STAN
April 5th, 2010
2:31 pm
13 NATIONAL TITLES – 22 SEC TITLES!!!
OTTO – thanks for covering my back! Imposters are a fact of life on this sight.
It’s great to debate and trade thoughts with guys like DawginLex, Otto, Ogeechee Dawg, Altamaha Dawg – and guys like Doug Coleman. These are true college football fans! Even Gator Bob!
ROLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL TIDE!!!!
BAMA STAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 5th, 2010
2:32 pm
95 National Titles – 103 SEC Titles!!!!
Ogeechee Dawg
April 5th, 2010
2:37 pm
Otto – you are correct about the B12 and permanent opponent provision. That is THEIR mistake!!!!
The B12 would be better served to look at the SEC model on payment distribution, scheduling and tie break rules!!! The SEC got it right – after some twisting and turning. For example – dropping the two team permanent opponent in favor of ONE team – alowing to rotate all the teams quicker through your schedule.
In our case – UGA kept Auburn – dropped Ole Miss – but now we get to play LSU, ALABAMA, ARKANSAS more frequently – which is they way it should be!
B12 has hurt itself – and I think they are in danger of losing Nebraske, Colorado or MO as a result of their current policy and protocols.
Laker
April 5th, 2010
2:37 pm
The Big Ten should go to 14 schools- add Nebraska, Mizzou and Kansas. That would be better than having Notre Dame in there. If they want to be an independent, let them.
The NCAA should just reorganize the whole BCS thing, make it an eight team playoff that would include the top eight ranked conference winners. You could still have bowl games, like an NIT, even though they don’t mean anything, for the other schools. Sure there would be some problems and controversies but it couldn’t be any worse than it is now.
Big B CH 99
April 5th, 2010
2:38 pm
It’s a given that if the Big 10 goes to 16, that the SEC will have to expand, they’re not gonna let the Big 10 one up them & get better TV deals. They’ll look to get teams from the ACC, I would think they’re top 4 would be GT, Clem, FSU, & Miami. Getting all 4 of those would put a strangle hold on the south where a lot of the best talent is located. All 4 of those teams fit the SEC geographically, that would lock up the S. Carolina, Florida, & GA schools. And it would completely get the Atlanta TV market. The Big 10 definitely wants to get in on the New York TV market. If the Big 10 & SEC expand, the Big 12 & Pac 10 will follow.
GATOR88
April 5th, 2010
2:46 pm
Has anyone ran this by Urban Meyer yet? He has the final say…..
Ogeechee Dawg
April 5th, 2010
2:47 pm
Big Time Tech Fan – not a bad idea – however, I would seed the tournament based on rating consensus.
For example – #1 vs #8, #2 vs #7, #3 vs #6 and #4 vs #5.
My concern is that a Weak Conf USA team – playing a weaker Big East team moves forward.
Otto
April 5th, 2010
2:52 pm
Ogeechee Dawg, the irony is the Big8 let the SWC in and now the Big8 teams are looking at getting out.
I have a friend that is an OU fan in OKC and he never could understand why the Big 12 let a game like OU/Neb. go on rotation.
Stan, no prob
Doug Coleman
April 5th, 2010
2:53 pm
BAMASTAN-Who or what was that imposter all about?
If that coach from Cincy (Brian Kelly) is half as good as I hear and read then we will get one insane eyepopping game between the Tide and the Domers in 2012. This guy is a mixture of Coach Saban, Urban Meyer, and Lou Holtz. He can resore the glory and put the fight back in the Irish-what a game for the NC!
I am torn as to who the greatest coach was though-hard to discount votes for the awesomeness of Coaches Bear Bryant, Bud Wilkinson, Knute Rockne,and Blake of Army. They are all in the Football Hall of Fame and Heaven for sure!
Remember 12 is the number!
Otto
April 5th, 2010
2:57 pm
Playoff. 6 teams. #1 and #2 get the 1st week off.
#3 vs #6 and #4 vs #5 with winners going on to play #1 and #2 repectively.
It keeps the regular season very special as teams will want to be in the top 2 and schedule to get the voters attention.
Top 8 will be the 6 BCS conf champs. ND with 1 loss or less. The last bid going to the best nonBCS conf champ….yawn……..
I know it is not what was proposed it the post but it what the politics and contracts will dictate. The NCAA tourney also started out for conf. champs only and look where it is.
Ogeechee Dawg
April 5th, 2010
2:58 pm
ON thought on the playoff – scre conference winners – I would rather take the top 8 ranked teams. You could have a situation where two undefeated SEC or B12 teams play for a conference title – and one of the teams get elimated. The a weak Conf. USA team with 2 or 3 losses gets into a playoff.
Go with the top ranked teams – regardless of conference affiliation – or better yet – go to a 16 team play-off – 8 conference winners – 8 at large.
HawkeyeFB
April 5th, 2010
3:00 pm
The B10 already has a better TV deal than the SEC. Their total TV revenues are larger now, and wait until ABC/ESPN has to re-up in 2015. SEC TV deal looks good now (#2 behind the B10), but they are locked into that rate through 2025. Unless deflation occurs, by 2020 the Big Ten will be doubling the SEC TV revenue.
Otto
April 5th, 2010
3:04 pm
Ogeechee Dawg, the BCS confernces have to agree to it and to insure they get their slice of the pie their team has to be in.
Dan
April 5th, 2010
3:05 pm
I would add Clemson, Georgia Tech, Miami and Florida State to form a 16 team SEC.
Sports news » Blog Archive » Today’s hypothetical Big Ten expansion scenaro: Bring on the Big 16
April 5th, 2010
3:05 pm
[...] the Rust Belt — one foot in the Mississippi, the other in the East River — is very much on the table: "I’ve spoken to a number of athletics directors and commissioners who are convinced [...]
BDawg
April 5th, 2010
3:08 pm
It’s time for ND to join a conference or not be allowed to participate in BCS bowls. They have been given special treatment for so long and now they have a perfect opportunity to join the Big Ten or Eleven. College football has survived without the Domers in a BCS bowl for many years…send the messege…join a conference or forget about a BCS bid.
Are you kidding?
April 5th, 2010
3:19 pm
HawkeyeFB, you’re full of garbage. The SEC has the better deal.
Gators04
April 5th, 2010
3:20 pm
Does anyone know where I can get a good pair of jean shorts? I like the comfort of jeans but the length of shorts since it hot in the Swamp and in Jacksonville. Thanks in advance.
Adam
April 5th, 2010
3:21 pm
What an awfully written article. His intro takes up 2/3 of the page and he doesn’t ever get to what he set out to talk about.
Not only that, he doesn’t give any justification for his rambling ideas and incoherent plans. There is no way this guy’s name can actually be Mr. Collegefootball. Good god haha…Why would the B10 do that? It IS about money, but there’s no way B10 fans want anything like that. As an alumni, I don’t want that academically. There are so many better plans, not to mention, 16 is practically unmanageable. No way another B10 member goes 5-7 years without playing Michigan or OSU. Not happening.
You sir, are a moron. If this guy is getting paid, please get me an application…
HawkeyeFB
April 5th, 2010
3:21 pm
Citing the latest figures available in late 2009, the ESPN report revealed these annual TV revenues:
Big Ten: $242 million
SEC : $205 million
Big 12: $78 million
ACC : $67 million
Pac-10: $58 million
Big East: $33 million
http://westvirginia.scout.com/2/948903.html
Tide Rising
April 5th, 2010
3:22 pm
16 is ludicrous and would kill any big time intersectional contests such as Penn State vs Alabama. No one is going to play a rugged 10 game conference slate, only 1 cupcake game, and then a big time intersectional opponent. And assuming it would be a 10 game conference game slate it would just about kill any chances of a big 10 team escaping undefeated and having a shot at a national title.
So they would kill 2 birds with one stone 1) big time intersectional matchups and 2) a much tougher conference slate making an undefeated season and shot at a national title game extemely difficult.
Jay-Z
April 5th, 2010
3:23 pm
The Big 10 moves as slow on expansion as they do on the football field.
Are you kidding?
April 5th, 2010
3:32 pm
HawkeyeFB,
“Citing the latest figures available in late 2009″…if those “latest” figures are from before the season, that’s not going to take into account the new contract. And even if they are from the end of the regular season, the new contract would have only been in place for 3-4 months at that point.
HawkeyeFB
April 5th, 2010
3:34 pm
Go do your own accounting wherever and however you like. The B10 has higher total TV revenues than the SEC.
UF Alum
April 5th, 2010
3:34 pm
I am one of the few Gator fans who would like to see us move to the ACC. We are the only academics first school in the SEC right now. I would rather see us aligned with schools like North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Virginia because we are making a commitment towards being a Public Ivy to go along with our push to be the flagship university of the State of Florida as designated by the legislature.
Are you kidding?
April 5th, 2010
3:37 pm
I would expect nothing less from a Big 10 fan. Can’t admit that the SEC is better than you in anything. What’s with you people?
HawkeyeFB
April 5th, 2010
3:38 pm
What should I admit? I’ve posted published figures, and you have refuted them with zero evidence. I think is a microcosm of the academic differences between the two conferences.
LOL at UF Alum!!
April 5th, 2010
3:39 pm
“We are the only academics first school in the SEC right now.”
You sir, are the reason I read this blog!!
Say no to barefoot bama blowhards
April 5th, 2010
3:39 pm
“BAMASTAN-Who or what was that imposter all about?”
Probably someone sick of that loser’s laughable tagline of 13 national titles, which counts supposed titles awarded by the AP (Alabama Press), Montgomery Rotary Club, Huntsville Webelos, and Mobile Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy.
A shame those perennial cheats backed into one this year because of a freak injury, but that’s football. At least that one is a semi-legit title.
UGA Alum
April 5th, 2010
3:40 pm
The only academics first school in the SEC…uh, no. Vandy and UGA are up there too.
Vandy – 17, Florida – 47, UGA – 58
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings
FSUFAN
April 5th, 2010
3:41 pm
This is one FSU fan who so wishes to be in the SEC West. FSU joining the ACC was a bad mistake.
Buckskin
April 5th, 2010
3:42 pm
As a Big Ten fan, my issue with aggressive expansion is how do you create the schedule and still consider yourself a conference. With 16 team conference you have to split into 2 divisions of 8 team. That means you’d obviously need to schedule 7 games vs your division foes. How do you schedule the other 5 games? Currently the Big Ten has 8 conference games (4 home – 4 away) and 4 out of conference games (3 home – 1 away). They won’t reduce the number of out of conference games because that would reduce home games and decrease revenue. So that really only allows them to schedule 1 game per year against the other division. It wouldn’t make sense to only play one game against the other division so it would be likely that they conference would just go to 7 conference games instead of 8. At that point my question would be — is it really a conference if your teams never play in the regular season?
I much prefer the SEC method of a 12 team conference. That means each team would play the other division at least once every other year and the term “conference” actually has meaning.
Are you kidding?
April 5th, 2010
3:42 pm
You published old data. Get over it.