(05-11-2017 04:34 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(05-11-2017 03:52 PM)hawghiggs Wrote:  

(05-11-2017 02:05 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(05-11-2017 07:43 AM)Soobahk40050 Wrote:  

(05-11-2017 06:15 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  No one. 16 members is a balanced schedule. If the SEC adds a 9th game. Then an athlete could compete at every school in a 4 year period. That is very important. I just hope that OU gets Alabama as a cross rival.

In most 16 team scenarios with Alabama/Auburn moving East, the cross division rivalries go away. You play 7-2 and rotate everyone through either home or away in four years.

That's one reason for 15 and either divisionless or 3 divisions of 5. Play 4 in division/permanent rivals, rotate other 5 home and away and every 4 year player plays every team at home and in their stadium

18 works the same way as 15, it just provides a larger core of home & home's on an annual basis. 3 divisions breaks into better groupings than 2.

Nobody does 3 divisions for a reason. 16 is the magic number. Then we all have to find something else to talk about.

There are many great reasons for 3 divisions and to say nobody does them is not a good reason against them either. Perhaps we will have a thread on why 3 divisions is a great idea monetarily and for reasons on multiple levels of the economic perspective. How quickly we dismiss Sives comments that when realignment happens again we could be looking at very, very large conferences. 18 might well be the first step in that direction.

Three divisions enables a conference to have a playoff with itself. $$$$
Winners of each division play the highest ranked 2nd place finisher. Makes for a great 1st round. Money stays in the conference and the winners play for the championship (money also stays in the conference). $$$$$.