(09-09-2014 12:12 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(09-09-2014 07:28 AM)JRsec Wrote:  

(09-09-2014 07:19 AM)XLance Wrote:  72 is way too many schools. And even at 64, Notre Dame will remain independent in football. The ACC alignment will be 15-1. I can envision the ACC in three pods of 5, just as we might see the PAC in three pods of 6 (5-2-2, 9 game schedule). The smaller pod size for the ACC works out well because of the rotating games with Notre Dame which MIGHT go to 6 per year (2 games per pod per year). In that alignment I would still expect the ACC to keep a designated cross-over game.

You might see an alignment like:
West Virginia, Boston College, Syracuse, Pitt, Virginia Tech
Miami, Duke, Carolina, Georgia Tech, Virginia
Florida State, Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest, Louisville

If you don't expand again that works a lot better than what you have.

The legislative change to allow different conference formats and still maintain some sort of conference championship game is the "key" to any future expansion.
It was necessary to get the separation before the vote on the format change. There doesn't appear to be any opposition at this point in the P5.
Things are progressing very methodically.

I do agree the right to decide your own structure is a key to future expansion. 3 or 4 divisions solves a lot of scheduling issues, just as assuredly as no divisions might in your case. But the 3 x 5 sets up nicely for the ACC, I think. And there will not be expansion to 8 playoff schools. The reason I say that is the conference doesn't have to split the revenue if the expansion of playoffs is within the conference championship level instead of extraneous to it.