Divisions should be gone next year and I'm fine with that. I don't really see much merit in backing into a conference championship due to a weak division. Yeah, there's the chance for pulling off an upset (and more Cal football to watch) but I'd prefer the Pac get our best teams into the playoff (with the revenue sharing). I really want that Rose Bowl and/or playoff slot and finishing Top-2 (or 1st) has long been the expectation.
As for scheduling permanent rivalries, definitely UCLA and Furd. As for an annual $C game, my heart says yes but my head says HELL NO.
Gut says limit to 2 permanent rivalries so we can rotate through the other teams more frequently. But I haven't modeled this out yet. I'd have to think about which 2 teams would be suitable rivals for each and it's not super clear.
As I understand it, no one wins the North ever again, including this year. My understanding is that divisions are now gone and we only have the schedule this year (which look like divisional pairings) because it's too late to change the games. Now, CAL can't even win the North when it doesn't matter...Of course, technically the only reason we ever had these divisions is because the NCAA required divisions in order to hold a championship game. Now we get to have a championship game and schedule the regular season any way we (well, all the anti-CAL folks in conference power) want...
This makes sense and I agree. No way you retain divisions with this change. My vote for every year games would be Furd, baby bruins and $C. Rotating the others is fine with me.
I like how the ACC is approaching it. With 14 teams and an 8-game conference schedule, each team has 3 permanent rivals (who they play every year), and they rotate through the remaining 10 teams, 5 one year, and the other 5 the next.
If the Pac12 adopted a similar approach, with a 9-game conference schedule, it would mean playing 3 rivals every year, and playing the remaining teams 2 times every 3 years. With an 8-game conference schedule, each team would play the rivals every year, and they'd play the remaining teams 5 times every 8 years.
I agree. Keep the fall schedule, but cancel the (now) phony divisions. They now serve zero purpose as the upcoming Championship Game will be the two teams with the best W-L records. (I assume that is conference W-L games.)
The statement says "The current Pac-12 conference football schedule, based upon two divisions, will remain in place for the 2022 season. Scheduling scenarios for seasons beyond 2022 will continue to be reviewed."
I'm guessing they do away with the divisions in 2023. And as usual the possibility of conference expansion always exists, whenever a blue blood decides to shake things up again or another conference decides to fall apart, and this would make that an easier transition.
Yeah. Obviously this year's schedule (based on divisional alignment in place at the time it was made) can't be changed. We'll see about pods, 8 vs 9 conference games (or whatever) next year. Since Ohio State will look at this as an opportunity to upgrade their research facilities and join the PAC-14 (with the Cleveland Clinic med school as a football only institution) I will wait and see how conference games are actually scheduled. Fortunately, as a CAL fan I know there will be something to complain about at that time... but seriously, it will create opportunities for expansion or greater integration with B1G/ACC. Probably the first real indicator of future direction will be the B1G media rights. Building extra value for any the major conferences is not an easy exercise.
In the ideal world (for west coasters) we'd hook up somehow with the BiG. But we really have little to offer them wrt Benjamins. Once new TV rights gets signed, the P5 will devolve to the P2 and p3. (The former is SEC adn BiG and the latter is ACC, Big 12 adn Pac12.) Expect the P2 to have up to 2x as much in television bucks as the p3 per school.
instead of dreaming about growing to 14, we need to bend over backwards that 'SC doesn't leave and take Oregon with them.
Divisions should be gone next year and I'm fine with that. I don't really see much merit in backing into a conference championship due to a weak division. Yeah, there's the chance for pulling off an upset (and more Cal football to watch) but I'd prefer the Pac get our best teams into the playoff (with the revenue sharing). I really want that Rose Bowl and/or playoff slot and finishing Top-2 (or 1st) has long been the expectation.
As for scheduling permanent rivalries, definitely UCLA and Furd. As for an annual $C game, my heart says yes but my head says HELL NO.
Gut says limit to 2 permanent rivalries so we can rotate through the other teams more frequently. But I haven't modeled this out yet. I'd have to think about which 2 teams would be suitable rivals for each and it's not super clear.
As I understand it, no one wins the North ever again, including this year. My understanding is that divisions are now gone and we only have the schedule this year (which look like divisional pairings) because it's too late to change the games. Now, CAL can't even win the North when it doesn't matter...Of course, technically the only reason we ever had these divisions is because the NCAA required divisions in order to hold a championship game. Now we get to have a championship game and schedule the regular season any way we (well, all the anti-CAL folks in conference power) want...
This makes sense and I agree. No way you retain divisions with this change. My vote for every year games would be Furd, baby bruins and $C. Rotating the others is fine with me.
I like how the ACC is approaching it. With 14 teams and an 8-game conference schedule, each team has 3 permanent rivals (who they play every year), and they rotate through the remaining 10 teams, 5 one year, and the other 5 the next.
If the Pac12 adopted a similar approach, with a 9-game conference schedule, it would mean playing 3 rivals every year, and playing the remaining teams 2 times every 3 years. With an 8-game conference schedule, each team would play the rivals every year, and they'd play the remaining teams 5 times every 8 years.
This means we are destined to win the North. Honestly I’ve never seen a more “because Cal” sign in my life.
KING IN THE NORTH!
Translation: They are expecting USC and Utah to be the best teams in the conference this season and don't want the divisional races to mess that up.
An improvement for sure. But then watch the bears win the north and not make the championship game.
- Mr Goldenone
This is exactly what will happen.
This makes more sense and should depict the "best team". I like it. Larry McCormick
I kinda like it too, Larry McCormick.
Gene, you are obviously a very smart man. Go Bears.
It's good but also sort of dumb if you're still leaving the divisions in place.
The right decision that I'm sure will bite us at some point, because that's what being a Cal fan is all about.
I am sure Cal will have no problem beating whoever they play in the Championship game. Go Bears!
I like this!
Kinda like Life and their pro rugby team
I live in Eugene. I would be extremely pissed if I don’t get a Cal Oregon game every year.
It’s more of a personal want. I enjoy watching the game with my friends who are all Oregon fans.
I agree. Keep the fall schedule, but cancel the (now) phony divisions. They now serve zero purpose as the upcoming Championship Game will be the two teams with the best W-L records. (I assume that is conference W-L games.)
The statement says "The current Pac-12 conference football schedule, based upon two divisions, will remain in place for the 2022 season. Scheduling scenarios for seasons beyond 2022 will continue to be reviewed."
I'm guessing they do away with the divisions in 2023. And as usual the possibility of conference expansion always exists, whenever a blue blood decides to shake things up again or another conference decides to fall apart, and this would make that an easier transition.
Yeah. Obviously this year's schedule (based on divisional alignment in place at the time it was made) can't be changed. We'll see about pods, 8 vs 9 conference games (or whatever) next year. Since Ohio State will look at this as an opportunity to upgrade their research facilities and join the PAC-14 (with the Cleveland Clinic med school as a football only institution) I will wait and see how conference games are actually scheduled. Fortunately, as a CAL fan I know there will be something to complain about at that time... but seriously, it will create opportunities for expansion or greater integration with B1G/ACC. Probably the first real indicator of future direction will be the B1G media rights. Building extra value for any the major conferences is not an easy exercise.
Cleveland Clinic Football, I like that.
In the ideal world (for west coasters) we'd hook up somehow with the BiG. But we really have little to offer them wrt Benjamins. Once new TV rights gets signed, the P5 will devolve to the P2 and p3. (The former is SEC adn BiG and the latter is ACC, Big 12 adn Pac12.) Expect the P2 to have up to 2x as much in television bucks as the p3 per school.
instead of dreaming about growing to 14, we need to bend over backwards that 'SC doesn't leave and take Oregon with them.