With the Big Ten and Pac-12 revealing moving to conference-only schedules, theres a good shot the other 3 Power 5 conferences will join them at some point soon. Its not Plan A, but it extremely well could save the fall college football season..
COVID-19 has altered the sporting landscape, and with expert leagues and now college conferences attempting to draw back up amid a pandemic, tweaks are underway to attempt to conserve their particular seasons. The Big Ten made the very first relocation and the Pac-12 followed match late recently on the college level, leaving the ACC, Big 12 and SEC and discussing whether they ought to follow in their steps. It appears likely, even if the quantity of video games is up in the air.
Still, the Big Ten has the preliminary blueprint for conferences to share:.
What a schedule might look like in the Power 5.
Divisional games take precedence, even for programs with cross-divisional competitors. The objective is to play at least 6 video games to correctly crown divisional champions. The Big 12 does not have to fret about this because of its lack of divisions, so rivalries will be kept.
One thing was mostly common over the last 100-plus years: the biggest conferences typically played at least six conference video games. Need to seasons be shorted to a six-game, conference-only schedule, Power 5 conferences would not just keep that custom alive but there would be a precedent for crowning divisional and/or conference champ after a six-game season.
Huge Ten.
OHIO STATE.
Rutgersat Michigan Stateat Penn StateIndianaat MarylandMichiganat IllinoisIowaNebraskaat Wisconsin * (2016 ).
* Note: Ohio State last took a trip to Wisconsin in 2016 and the video game may effectively be a sneak peek of the occurring weeks Big Ten Championship.
Cross-divisional video games in the back half of the schedule. Some competition games are played across divisional lines, but those must wait up until the 2nd half of the season to make sure there teams are more likely to a minimum of push through a six-game schedule versus divisional challengers.
A 10-game schedule with the understanding at least 6 games need to be played to crown conference and divisional champs.
Whatever the Power 5 conferences decide, rely on flexibility. A 10-game season is the ultimate objective, however trimming the schedule to 6 video games is workable before a late-fall call to delay until the spring or fall of 2021.
In other words, the decisions among the conferences management teams will not end with conference-only schedules. Adjustments will need to be made if and when the season begins.
SEC.
ALABAMA.
at Ole MissMississippi Stateat LSUat ArkansasTexas A&MA uburnat Kentucky * Georgiaat TennesseeSouth Carolina *.
* Note: Alabama last traveled to Kentucky in 2013 and last hosted South Carolina in 2009.
Pac-12.
OREGON.
Washingtonat CalStanfordat Washington Stateat Oregon StateUSCArizona Stateat Arizonaat ColoradoUtah.
ACC.
CLEMSON.
Louisvilleat Boston Collegeat Florida StateNC StateSyracuseat Wake Forestat Notre Dame * Virginiaat Georgia TechMiami.
* Note: Clemson was currently slated to travel to Notre Dame for a non-conference video game. The match remains on the schedule, however as a conference game with the Fighting Irish tapped as an honorary member of the ACC.
Huge 12.
OKLAHOMA.
Baylorat Texasat Iowa StateOklahoma StateTCUWest VirginiaKansas StateKansasTexas Techat Oklahoma State *.
* Note: Big 12 teams would have to play a challenger twice to meet the 10-game allotment. Competition games must be the repeat match if possible.
Further ideas ….
There is also the matter of Notre Dame, a Power 5 school without a conference. The ACC is open to allowing the Fighting Irish to join the conference on an interim basis, which provides 4 more unique matchups throughout a 15-team conference.
The SEC will go over several choices for scheduling in football Monday, but a conference-only schedule will include eight to 10 games, a source within the conference informs 247Sports. The idea is to set up as numerous games as possible with the goal of dipping into least 6 games (all divisional) by the end of the season (13 dates).
Meanwhile, the Pac-12 appears destined for a delayed start to the season. Compulsory workouts were set up to start Monday, however those are on hold indefinitely. FBS members agreed in June a six-week acclimation duration (two weeks of workouts and a four-week preseason camp) was required to effectively get ready for the season. The Pac-12 may have currently postponed the start of its season by at least one week if that stays the case. The six-week acclimation duration for those playing in Week 1 begins July 24 with meetings and walk-throughs. Preseason camps are tentatively arranged to start Aug. 7.
Expand the College Football Playoff to 8 groups for one season. Without any big-time, non-conference games (Ohio State at Oregon, Alabama vs. USC, and so on), it will be more difficult than ever to appropriately judge an SEC team versus a Pac-12 group or a Big Ten group against an ACC group. Power 5 champs receive an automated bid and 2 more Power 5 groups get invites. The leading Group of 5 school is likewise invited to the playoff. Think of it as an early test of what a broadened playoff could look like in the future, but without any promise it will continue since of the scenarios this year.
The eight groups selected for the playoff needs to play at one site in late December through early January. Gamers will not have classwork throughout the winter break, allowing them to travel to one city, where they will remain up to three weeks quarantined from the world to ensure the playoff is carried out.
Divisional video games in the very first half of the schedule. A 10-game schedule shortened to six games provides an undeniable divisional champion if the season is interrupted (and it likewise offers a chance for the season to be completed in the spring if 6 video games are completely played in the fall). An undeniable divisional champion is of course essential for championship game purposes, which are a huge golden goose..
A 10-game schedule with no bye weeks. If dates are postponed due to COVID-19 outbreaks, this permits for video games to be rescheduled.
Versatility amongst conferences and television networks to play video games Tuesday through Saturdays, with some video games moving with one- to two-week notifications. Games would prevent the NFLs schedule.
Conference-only schedules provide the Power 5 conferences and other FBS members flexibility to schedule and, likewise, the ability to enforce universal protocols across its campuses and athletics departments. Non-conference video games would make complex the procedure, with different conferences with various screening, quarantine and seclusion standards also attempting to settle on dates that offer little-to-no-flexibility if post ponement is required.
Scheduling within conferences will take some time, but its not hard. In reality, the workout will supply conference workplaces opportunities to set up dream matches in the conference we would not have otherwise seen in 2020.
The conferences have at least 13 dates to play an optimum of 10 video games. That number of readily available dates might be extended to 14 if the College Football Playoff and its FBS members concur to reduced preparation work if conference champion video games set for the first week of December are postponed one week.
When is the cut-off date for a season in the coronavirus period? A six-game schedule would need the season to begin in late October. There are 9 Saturdays integrated in October and November, meaning Oct. 24 or Oct. 31 are the most recent Saturdays in which a fall season might begin.
What we might likewise see is a spread of video games throughout the week, with games spread across Tuesday through Saturday. This allows conferences to work with TV networks to provide as lots of live events possible without much overlapping. This will enable larger scores, more advertisement earnings and, once again, more flexibility in scheduling. Plus, the idea of playing weeknight games is simpler if youre not anticipating fans in the stands. Games might conceivably move from a Tuesday to Thursday night need to a huge Thursday night video game be canceled one week prior to kickoff. Again, the dance might be challenging, however its manageable– and perhaps even a need to squeeze as much money out of the games to keep some athletic departments afloat.
247Sports recommendations theorized from discussions at conference offices:.
A 10-game schedule shortened to 6 video games offers an undisputed divisional champ if the season is cut short (and it likewise provides an opportunity for the season to be finished in the spring if six games are completely played in the fall). The conferences have at least 13 dates to play an optimum of 10 video games. That number of readily available dates could be extended to 14 if the College Football Playoff and its FBS members concur to reduced preparation work if conference championship games set for the first week of December are postponed one week. What we may also see is a spread of video games throughout the week, with games spread out across Tuesday through Saturday. One thing was primarily typical over the last 100-plus years: the biggest conferences usually played at least six conference games.
