With the A&M, Clemson, FSU, and Mizzou report...let's talk divisions

[Aavoxx]

It would be simple to toss A&M and Missouri in the West and Free Shoes and Clemson in the East, do some schedule tweaks, and call it a day.

However, it would be much more interesting and help pave the way to a college playoff if we broke down into 4 divisions. Well, for scheduling purposes we're going to stick with the names SEC East and West, and then break each division into smaller divisions. For example:

SEC East

Northeast: Tennessee, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Clemson
Southeast: Florida, Florida State, Georgia, South Carolina

SEC West

Midwest: Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Mississippi State
Southwest: Missouri, Texas A&M, Arkansas, LSU


So, in this setup, Tennessee would have two anchor teams. We'd play Florida every year from the Southeast, and then play Alabama every year from the SEC West. We'd also play Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Clemson every year. That's five games. We'd then rotate one of the remaining teams from the Southeast every two years for six, and then rotate a team from the Midwest and Southwest every two years for seven and eight.

The winners of each division play each other to see who wins the SEC East and West, and then those two teams play for the SEC title.

I'll try to work up a spread sheet showing how this would work and to see if anyone would lose any rivals along the way.

 

[CountVolcula]

That looks good

 

[GoBigOrangeVols]

If we are going to do four divisions:

Originally Posted by GoBigOrangeVols
My stab at four geographical divisions

aTm, LSU, Arkansas, Missouri
UGA, UT, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
Bama, Auburn, Ole Miss, MSU
SC, Clemson, FSU, UF

 

[Pulscifer]

I like that idea. Keeps the E and W overall divisions with subdivision add-ins.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[Pulscifer]

UT could very well be in the East final every year.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[gorockytop101]

There's no way we get that easy of a draw every year.

 

[sammyjoey]

If they did 4 divisions, Ole Miss, Miss St, Kentucky, and Vandy would have to be broken up

 

[Aavoxx]

Doing the schedule isn't as easy as I anticipated.

If we stuck with two divisions, and these teams actually join, I'm thinking Texas A&M and Clemson and Florida State and Missouri for anchors. I bet Missouri appreciates that.

I also don't believe Missouri would turn down the SEC, even though they're in full denial right now, after they begged the Big Ten last year.

 

[checkerboard03]

I understand wanting a conference playoff to show people that it can work. I'm not sure you need 4 divisions, though. Why not just have two 8-team divisions and them have West 1 play East 2, and East 1 play West 2, followed by a final. Subdividing teams for the purposes of postseason qualification can lead to less qualified teams getting advantages. (See SEC basketball tournament last year, compared to what the seeding would have been like without divisions.) You wouldn't want one 16-team division in football since there aren't enough games, but 2x8 is better than 4x4 in my book.

 

[NMVol]

My go:

Hilltop: UT, UGA, Vandy, Bama
Coastal: USCe, FSU, Clemson, UF
Gulf: MSU, Ole Miss, Auburn, LSU
Frontier: KY, Mizzou, Arky, A&M

 

[GoBigOrangeVols]

16 Team SEC:

EASTERN REGION

North Division:
o Kentucky
o Vanderbilt
o Tennessee
o Georgia

Coastal Division:
o Clemson
o South Carolina
o Florida
o Florida State

WESTERN REGION

Gulf Division:
o Alabama
o Auburn
o Ole Miss
o Mississippi State

Needs a name Division:
o LSU
o Texas A&M
o Arkansas
o Missouri

Scheduling: Each team plays all three teams from their division, 2 rotating teams from the other division in their REGION of the conference (EAST/WEST), 1 locked rival from the opposite REGION of the conference, and one rotating team each from the two opposite REGION divisions.

Locked Rivalries:

Alabama – Tennessee
Auburn – Georgia
Ole Miss – Vanderbilt
Miss State – Clemson
LSU – Florida
Texas A&M – FSU
Arkansas – South Carolina
Missouri – Kentucky

So the typical schedule would look like this:

Tennessee Vols schedule:

Georgia (division)
Kentucky (division)
Vanderbilt (division)
Clemson (rotating coastal)
Florida (rotating coasta)
Alabama (locked rival)
Missouri (rotating no name division)
Ole Miss (rotating gulf)

 

[VolsSportsFan]

I'd say all this talk is premature, even Gottlieb is backing off.

 

[UTK]

I like this 4 division thing.

9 conference games instead of 8 though. 3 divisional ever year. 1 locked rival from the other region (west east) 4 games, 3 from the other division, and 2 more from the other region.

UT's games...

UT vs OOC
UT vs Vanderbilt
UT vs OOC
UT vs Florida
UT vs Georiga
UT vs. Texas A@M
UT vs. Alabama
UT vs. OOC
UT vs. Clemson
UT vs. Mississippi State
UT vs. Kentucky
UT vs. South Carolina

 

[TrueOrange]

I'd say all this talk is premature, even Gottlieb is backing off.

he should; he overly jumped the gun trying to be the first one by reporting, what in truth was speculation

 

[Pepe_Silvia]

Very premature.

 

[UTCVol]

Northeast: Tennessee, Kentucky, Clemson, South Carolina
Southeast: Florida, FSU, UGA, Vanderbilt
Deep South: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss St
West: LSU, A&M, Arkansas, Missouri

I'd set the conference schedule so that you play the three teams from your division, one permanent rival from each other division, and then one rotating opponent from each other division.

UT schedule:
1. OOC
2. OOC
3. Florida (SE permanent rival)
4. Ole Miss (DS rotating opponent)
5. Georgia (SE rotating opponent)
6. Texas A&M (West permanent rival)
7. Alabama (DS permanent rival)
8. Missouri (West rotating opponent)
9. South Carolina (NE division rival)
10. OOC
11. Clemson (NE division rival)
12. Kentucky (NE division rival)

 

[UTK]

Northeast: Tennessee, Kentucky, Clemson, South Carolina
Southeast: Florida, FSU, UGA, Vanderbilt
Deep South: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss St
West: LSU, A&M, Arkansas, Missouri

I'd set the conference schedule so that you play the three teams from your division, one permanent rival from each other division, and then one rotating opponent from each other division.

UT schedule:
1. OOC
2. OOC
3. Florida (SE permanent rival)
4. Ole Miss (DS rotating opponent)
5. Georgia (SE rotating opponent)
6. LSU (West permanent rival)
7. Alabama (DS permanent rival)
8. Missouri (West rotating opponent)
9. South Carolina (NE division rival)
10. OOC
11. Clemson (NE division rival)
12. Kentucky (NE division rival)

Your divisions are the best. I like it. But I don't think an East team should have 2 permanent rivals. We should have Bama and thats it.

 

[hallowed_hill]

I'm ok with running with this speculation a little bit. But come on people, a football-driven realignment in a football conference will not result in Vandy and UK in the same 4-team division. Stop it. Not going to happen. Ever.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[UTK]

I'm ok with running with this speculation a little bit. But come on people, a football-driven realignment in a football conference will not result in Vandy and UK in the same 4-team division. Stop it. Not going to happen. Ever.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

Read the one above. Its perfect. UK and Vandy are not in the same division either.

 

[knucklehead_vol]

Northeast: Tennessee, Kentucky, Clemson, South Carolina
Southeast: Florida, FSU, UGA, Vanderbilt
Deep South: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss St
West: LSU, A&M, Arkansas, Missouri

I'd set the conference schedule so that you play the three teams from your division, one permanent rival from each other division, and then one rotating opponent from each other division.

UT schedule:
1. OOC
2. OOC
3. Florida (SE permanent rival)
4. Ole Miss (DS rotating opponent)
5. Georgia (SE rotating opponent)
6. Texas A&M (West permanent rival)
7. Alabama (DS permanent rival)
8. Missouri (West rotating opponent)
9. South Carolina (NE division rival)
10. OOC
11. Clemson (NE division rival)
12. Kentucky (NE division rival)

I like...

 

[hallowed_hill]

Read the one above. Its perfect. UK and Vandy are not in the same division either.

Yep. I definitely agree that it's the best breakdown.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[ukvols]

I like the break up of Vandy and UK, but we have to play Vandy every year. That game has a lot of tradition and is an in-state rivalry, even if it is one-sided.

 

[TrueOrange]

I like the break up of Vandy and UK, but we have to play Vandy every year. That game has a lot of tradition and is an in-state rivalry, even if it is one-sided.

You act like the UK game doesn't

 

[ukvols]

You act like the UK game doesn't

I was wondering if somebody would interpret my post as a suggestion that UK and Vandy be swapped in that scenario. Actually, I just think Vandy would need to be locked in as a team we always play, just like Bama. I like the 4-team group (with UK and not Vandy) that the other poster drew up for us. I just think the UT-Vandy game must still continue.

 

[VolNExile]

I understand wanting a conference playoff to show people that it can work. I'm not sure you need 4 divisions, though. Why not just have two 8-team divisions and them have West 1 play East 2, and East 1 play West 2, followed by a final. Subdividing teams for the purposes of postseason qualification can lead to less qualified teams getting advantages. (See SEC basketball tournament last year, compared to what the seeding would have been like without divisions.) You wouldn't want one 16-team division in football since there aren't enough games, but 2x8 is better than 4x4 in my book.

I like this for playoff purposes, however a 2-division conference would wind up being structured.