Seems kinda strange that a player might see an in-conference team only once during a four-year career. I'm torn because having only 1 LA game/season would mean an LA trip only every other year (due to home games) and I think SoCal players like the opportunity to play in front of family and friends (plus recruitment opportunities).
Neither the Big 10 nor the ACC regions are recruiting hot beds for Cal. The states of Texas and Arizona have produced more recruits. I suppose exposure to the Big 10 / ACC regions could produce some recruits...tbd. On first blush I don't know that an annual trip to the East is in the best interest of Cal (if you weigh 300lbs a 5 hour flight can't be too comfortable & time zone change wreak havoc on the body). But given that it is going to happen I'm happy to observe what happens.
I like switching to 8 conference games and I say rip off the bandaid and make it a fair, equal rotation without accommodating all the past traditions. Each team in the conference needs to play their main rival every year but that's it. We can play the LA schools whenever they come up in the normal rotation.
I'm definitely more of a traditionalist who would prefer we play the whole Pac-8 every year, but I understand that the way things have changed have started to make that untenable.
I'm okay with dropping the USC game, but I really hope we're at least able to continue to play UCLA every year (with Stanford similarly dropping UCLA, but keeping their annual game against USC). That way we still get to keep part of the tradition alive, but we'll still have 2 cross-division games to rotate among the remaining 5 teams.
I'm curious how the Big Ten would handle dropping down to 8 conference games. They have 7 team divisions, including a protected cross-division rivalry for Indiana-Purdue. If they drop a conference game, Indiana and Purdue would be in the same position as the California schools, but with only their primary rivalry available to drop if they want to play more than 1 other cross-division team.
3 divisions
1st: Cal, furd, U$C, Fucla
2nd: Ducks, Beavers, Puppies, Cougs
3rd: Arizona, ASU, Utah, Buffs
Play each team in your division, + 5 from the other 2 divisions. One ACC and 1 Big 10, +1 "other".
OR, realign the North and South to true North and South.
North: Ducks, Beavers, puppies, Cougs, Utah, Buffs
South: Cal, furd, U$C, Fucla, Arizona, ASU
Play each team in your region, + 3 from the other region, + 1 ACC & Big10, + 1 "other"
Seems kinda strange that a player might see an in-conference team only once during a four-year career. I'm torn because having only 1 LA game/season would mean an LA trip only every other year (due to home games) and I think SoCal players like the opportunity to play in front of family and friends (plus recruitment opportunities).
This can’t come soon enough. I hope we start the 8 game conference schedule next season.
I assume this means we will have to drop playing USC and ucla every year, which I am completely okay with.
Neither the Big 10 nor the ACC regions are recruiting hot beds for Cal. The states of Texas and Arizona have produced more recruits. I suppose exposure to the Big 10 / ACC regions could produce some recruits...tbd. On first blush I don't know that an annual trip to the East is in the best interest of Cal (if you weigh 300lbs a 5 hour flight can't be too comfortable & time zone change wreak havoc on the body). But given that it is going to happen I'm happy to observe what happens.
You had me at "... while providing opportunities for Bears fans to travel and tailgate."
Dropping one conference game may help in stopping the cannibalization that occurs every year...
Whatever it takes for us to get to the Rose Bowl and then the Natty...
I like switching to 8 conference games and I say rip off the bandaid and make it a fair, equal rotation without accommodating all the past traditions. Each team in the conference needs to play their main rival every year but that's it. We can play the LA schools whenever they come up in the normal rotation.
I'm definitely more of a traditionalist who would prefer we play the whole Pac-8 every year, but I understand that the way things have changed have started to make that untenable.
I'm okay with dropping the USC game, but I really hope we're at least able to continue to play UCLA every year (with Stanford similarly dropping UCLA, but keeping their annual game against USC). That way we still get to keep part of the tradition alive, but we'll still have 2 cross-division games to rotate among the remaining 5 teams.
I'm curious how the Big Ten would handle dropping down to 8 conference games. They have 7 team divisions, including a protected cross-division rivalry for Indiana-Purdue. If they drop a conference game, Indiana and Purdue would be in the same position as the California schools, but with only their primary rivalry available to drop if they want to play more than 1 other cross-division team.