my plan for a 16 team league was to do pods

Posted on: March 29, 2021 at 15:50:10 CT

that rotated schedules + still had perm crossover. Championship game is best record in the paired pods playing each other. In a 9 game schedule, the teams in a paired pod will have a similar schedule in 7 of 9 games.

using your pods:

Since the pods are pretty geographic the crossovers will save some of the traditional rivalries or get in another geographic one that didn't make a pod. So for what you have there, UT's crossovers could be: Bama, UK, and Us or Arky. Georgia can keep auburn, etc.

How the schedules work (let's call the pods A. B, C, D)

Year 1:
The two divisions are:
A+B
C+D

The Schedule:
Play each team in your pod: 3 games
Play each team in the pod you're paired with: 4 games
Play your crossover from the other two pods: 2 games

Division winner gets to the championship game (fair schedules - you play 7 of the same teams that the other teams in your division play, only 2 games are perm crossover)

Year 2:
A+C and B+D

Year 3:
A+D and B+C

Repeat

Parity issues: Even if there is an overbalanced pod - they will be changing their schedule each year and will get to be paired with a weak pod at least every 3 years. If you have a strong pod, only 3 games are against the pod. If you have a strong crossover (like UT), only 2 of your games are disproportionate to the others in your pod/division.

Advantages:
-No semifinal games that will likely be rematches.
-Each team will face every SEC team every 3 years (currently you won't see every team for up to 6 years.)
-Division winners will have a fairly even schedule as the rest of their pod and paired pod
-keeps geographic and traditional rivalries
-flexibility in making pods as some rivalries can be kept with the crossover.