RE: Expansion challenge
SEC, B1G, ACC, and PAC expand symmetrically to four 18-team conferences. This allows for a nice and tidy 4-team champs only playoff that involves all regions of the country. The expansion demolishes the B12, but with landing spots for all. 7 teams from the outside are welcomed to the club. I went with the three military academies and 4 western teams to help the PAC to get to 18 members.
Each conference is divided into three 6-team divisions. The conference revise the rules to allow for conference semifinals that determine the CCG participants (3 division champs plus one wild card in each conference). The semifinal games are played on campus at the higher seeds home field the first weekend of December and the CCGs are played at pre-determined regional neutral venues the following weekend. SEC and ACC champs meet in the Orange Bowl and B1G and PAC champs meet in the Rose Bowl. The two CFP bowl winners meet for the national championship. Same as the current calendar. With the conference championship games in early December, the bowl system otherwise stays in place.
Each conference plays a 10-game conference schedule: 5 intra-division games and 5 cross over games. Teams play 2 OOC games against other P4 teams. Each team is allowed one EXHIBITION home game against a team outside the P4. Certain locked cross-division rivalry games stay in place. Several cross-conference rivalry games remain, such as the SEC-ACC rivalries. Texas-Oklahoma is added to the list as a SEC-B1G rivalry game.
SEC:
SOUTH: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi St., Ole Miss, LSU, Texas A&M
EAST: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
WEST: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, TCU, Oklahoma St., Kansas St.
CCG - rotates between Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and AT&T Stadium in Arlington
Champion to the ORANGE Bowl in Miami
The SEC adds football king Oklahoma and decent fan bases and strong football in OSU, TCU, and KSU. The WEST division lines up well competitively with a merger of strong SWC and Big 8 programs.
2017 Conference Championship
(4)Georgia[EAST] at (1)Auburn[SOUTH]
(3)Alabama [Wild Card] at (2)Oklahoma[WEST]
ACC
ATLANTIC: Florida St., Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest, Louisville, West Virginia
COASTAL: Virginia Tech, Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, Georgia Tech, Rutgers
NORTH: Notre Dame, Syracuse, Boston College, Pitt, Miami, Navy
CCG - rotates between FEDEX Field in Maryland and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
Champion to the ORANGE Bowl in Miami
2017 Conference Championship
(4)Virginia Tech[COASTAL] at (1)Clemson[ATLANTIC]
(3)Notre Dame[Wild Card] at (2)Miami[NORTH]
The ACC lands Notre Dame as a full member. Navy makes the move possible and is a good fit with the North schools. West Virginia is a good fit with the Atlantic Division football schools and ACC basketball. Rutgers is a better fit with the AAU Coastal schools than in the B1G.
B1G
EAST: Ohio St., Michigan, Michigan St., Penn St., Maryland, Indiana
WEST: Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa
SOUTH: Texas, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Kansas, Iowa St., Army
CCG - rotates between Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and AT&T Stadium in Arlington
Champion to the ROSE Bowl in Pasadena
2017 Conference Championship
(4)Texas[SOUTH] at (1)Wisconsin[WEST]
(3)Penn St.[Wild Card] at (2)Ohio St.[EAST]
The B1G lands the Texas prize, with Texas Tech part of the price. AAU members Kansas and Iowa St. fit well with the Texas schools and old B8 and B12 mate, Nebraska. Army is a stretch here, but satisfies the whim to have all three military academies as part of the expanded P4 structure. Army wants games in Texas and can be competitive with Kansas, Iowa St., and Texas Tech. It also gets the B1G officially into the state of New York and the NYC market with a better brand than Rutgers.
PAC
NORTH: Washington, Washington St., Oregon, Oregon St., Stanford, Cal
SOUTH: USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona St., Utah, Colorado
MOUNTAIN: Boise St., BYU, Air Force, San Diego St., Baylor, Houston
CCG - rotates between Levi Stadium in Santa Clara and the new Raider Stadium in Las Vegas
Champion to the ROSE Bowl in Pasadena
2017 Conference Championship
(4)Boise St.[MOUNTAIN] at (1)USC[SOUTH]
(3)Washington[Wild Card] at (2)Stanford[NORTH]
The PAC absorbs FIVE callups. But, geography and the attraction of the SEC and B1G prevent any better expansion candidates. Air Force and BYU have brands that expand throughout and outside the PAC footprint. Boise St. has a program that can at least compete with the middle of the PAC...and is in a growing market. San Diego St. allows for sufficient games in southern California despite expansion - even when you maintain two cross over games for everyone in the USC-UCLA-Stanford-Cal contingency. Baylor remains in the P4 club. Both Baylor and Houston help to legitimately stake a PAC presence in Texas.
(This post was last modified: 01-18-2018 02:34 PM by YNot.)
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