B1G in discussion to eliminate divisions by 2023

Blackshirts BLVD

Blackshirts BLVD

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Big Ten in Discussions to Eliminate Divisions in Football

The Big Ten is considering eliminating conference alignments for football beginning with the 2023 season.

Iowa athletics director Gary Barta said one proposal would see the Big Ten pare down its in-conference games from nine to eight so that schools could schedule non-conference games with the ACC and Pac-12. The Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 recently formed a coalition called The Alliance to combat the SEC's upcoming addition of Texas and Oklahoma.

"We've had several conversations," Barta said, per Scott Dochterman of The Athletic. "One of the things that we're watching is whether it's related to The Alliance, which we're talking through and/or, what gives us the best opportunity to have the most success in the College Football Playoff format?

"We’re wondering if we're going to know what the format is before we have to make that decision. So, we're kind of waiting to see where that lands. But we have had active conversations about the schedule beyond 2022."

The Big Ten's media contract expires after the 2022 season, and having a plan in place soon would allow scheduling adjustments to be made with ease. The conference is currently split into East and West divisions of seven apiece. Teams play six games against divisional opponents and three games against non-divisional opponents on a rotating basis.

Eliminating one in-conference game would allow increased flexibility, particularly for teams that already have non-conference games locked in well into the future.

Within the Big Ten, the change may also help create a better balance of power. The Big Ten East has won the conference every year since the current format was adopted. Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State are near-perennial Top 25 teams, while the Big Ten West's top teams are Iowa and Wisconsin.

A rotating schedule, which would likely preserve rivalry games, could create a more accurate look at the conference's actual balance of power.
 
But it would be in the B1G’s best interest to get rid of divisions since most of the time, their two best teams will be in the East
 
Going to 8 conference games gives half the B1G teams a chance to schedule a tomato can and avoid a loss.

Big win for the conference.
 
Blackshirts BLVD said:
Big Ten in Discussions to Eliminate Divisions in Football

The Big Ten is considering eliminating conference alignments for football beginning with the 2023 season.

Iowa athletics director Gary Barta said one proposal would see the Big Ten pare down its in-conference games from nine to eight so that schools could schedule non-conference games with the ACC and Pac-12. The Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 recently formed a coalition called The Alliance to combat the SEC's upcoming addition of Texas and Oklahoma.

"We've had several conversations," Barta said, per Scott Dochterman of The Athletic. "One of the things that we're watching is whether it's related to The Alliance, which we're talking through and/or, what gives us the best opportunity to have the most success in the College Football Playoff format?

"We’re wondering if we're going to know what the format is before we have to make that decision. So, we're kind of waiting to see where that lands. But we have had active conversations about the schedule beyond 2022."

The Big Ten's media contract expires after the 2022 season, and having a plan in place soon would allow scheduling adjustments to be made with ease. The conference is currently split into East and West divisions of seven apiece. Teams play six games against divisional opponents and three games against non-divisional opponents on a rotating basis.

Eliminating one in-conference game would allow increased flexibility, particularly for teams that already have non-conference games locked in well into the future.

Within the Big Ten, the change may also help create a better balance of power. The Big Ten East has won the conference every year since the current format was adopted. Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan State are near-perennial Top 25 teams, while the Big Ten West's top teams are Iowa and Wisconsin.

A rotating schedule, which would likely preserve rivalry games, could create a more accurate look at the conference's actual balance of power.
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I love this move for a variety of reasons. But notably, it allows teams to play more often because you're not locked into playing the same divisional teams each year. Since Nebraska joined the B10 in 2011, Michigan has played Purdue exactly 2 times in a decade.....doesn't sound much like we're in the same conference. That's the same number of times we've played Western Michigan in the same span. So schedules having more autonomy to rotate teams around is a good thing.

It also solves the problem of the West literally never winning the title. Sure, those teams still might not win it but it also doesn't give them a free pass to the title game (assuming they're keeping that). The B10 could actually put the two best teams in.

I also like the idea that they're floating around of making an alliance with the Pac12 to play more OOC games cross over games.
 
Ill Allow It Spanish GIF


....but conferences have too many teams in 'em anyway.

And it'd be great if they'd use that extra date that opens up to schedule some great OOC opponents. But we all know that ain't happenin'!
 
MAIZEandBLUE09 said:
I love this move for a variety of reasons. But notably, it allows teams to play more often because you're not locked into playing the same divisional teams each year. Since Nebraska joined the B10 in 2011, Michigan has played Purdue exactly 2 times in a decade.....doesn't sound much like we're in the same conference. That's the same number of times we've played Western Michigan in the same span. So schedules having more autonomy to rotate teams around is a good thing.

It also solves the problem of the West literally never winning the title. Sure, those teams still might not win it but it also doesn't give them a free pass to the title game (assuming they're keeping that). The B10 could actually put the two best teams in.

I also like the idea that they're floating around of making an alliance with the Pac12 to play more OOC games cross over games.
Click to expand...
In regards to the conference play, that is the B1Gs own dumbass set up they had. Just like why we have been in for 10 years and played Ohio St like 8 times, but Indiana only 2 lol. I wish they would pick up a couple teams and just go to like a conference pod system. Then you could be in pods of 4, playing 3 and rotate A and B years playing 2 teams from each pod totaling 9 conference games. Then they could introduce their own B1G playoff with a 4 team tournament with the top 4 pod teams.

And I don't look at the west not winning as a problem. I think you will have more problems if it were to turn out to be Ohio St and Michigan or Penn st in the title game every year. The west has their chance, Ohio st, penn st, and Michigan recruit at a higher level and it shows. The west could still win, nebraska showed last year by keeping it close against all the east good teams, it isn't all about recruiting, but I'm sure it helps.
 
MAIZEandBLUE09 said:
I also like the idea that they're floating around of making an alliance with the Pac12 to play more OOC games cross over games.
Click to expand...
IIRC, the two conferences tried scheduling something like this a few years ago and it fizzled. Don't recall why it did.
 
Blackshirts BLVD said:
In regards to the conference play, that is the B1Gs own dumbass set up they had. Just like why we have been in for 10 years and played Ohio St like 8 times, but Indiana only 2 lol. I wish they would pick up a couple teams and just go to like a conference pod system. Then you could be in pods of 4, playing 3 and rotate A and B years playing 2 teams from each pod totaling 9 conference games. Then they could introduce their own B1G playoff with a 4 team tournament with the top 4 pod teams.

And I don't look at the west not winning as a problem. I think you will have more problems if it were to turn out to be Ohio St and Michigan or Penn st in the title game every year. The west has their chance, Ohio st, penn st, and Michigan recruit at a higher level and it shows. The west could still win, nebraska showed last year by keeping it close against all the east good teams, it isn't all about recruiting, but I'm sure it helps.
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Well, the B10's problem is that the best two teams most years are often in the East. So they're looking at it from that perspective.
 
Something something "Texas fux everything up again" something belch
 
Deep Creek said:
IIRC, the two conferences tried scheduling something like this a few years ago and it fizzled. Don't recall why it did.
Click to expand...
Both of them too scared of COVID?
 
MAIZEandBLUE09 said:
I love this move for a variety of reasons. But notably, it allows teams to play more often because you're not locked into playing the same divisional teams each year. Since Nebraska joined the B10 in 2011, Michigan has played Purdue exactly 2 times in a decade.....doesn't sound much like we're in the same conference. That's the same number of times we've played Western Michigan in the same span. So schedules having more autonomy to rotate teams around is a good thing.

It also solves the problem of the West literally never winning the title. Sure, those teams still might not win it but it also doesn't give them a free pass to the title game (assuming they're keeping that). The B10 could actually put the two best teams in.

I also like the idea that they're floating around of making an alliance with the Pac12 to play more OOC games cross over games.
Click to expand...
You don’t accomplish playing teams more often by reducing your in conference game schedule. For example, the SEC is thinking about going to nine games so that we play people more often. Going from nine games to eight games means you will play teams less often.
 
WhosYourDawggy said:
You don’t accomplish playing teams more often by reducing your in conference game schedule. For example, the SEC is thinking about going to nine games so that we play people more often. Going from nine games to eight games means you will play teams less often.
Click to expand...
You play less teams every year in conference, but end up playing a larger variety of teams over the span of a few years.
 
MAIZEandBLUE09 said:
Well, the B10's problem is that the best two teams most years are often in the East. So they're looking at it from that perspective.
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If that is what they believe, then they haven't been paying attention to CFB. Given that the B1G is lead by Kevin Warren... that could be true.

The problem is the lack of parity. Adding a playoff and allowing 2 SEC teams in with 5 power conferences, regardless of 'deserving' is something that not many outside of the SEC care to see. Likewise, if you remove divisions and only Ohio St and Penn St seem to make the B1G championship, you are going to see a decline in interest.

But that is my opinion. But none of it will be fixed by the B1G alone, recruiting has to be addressed.
 
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