The Big 12 and ACC should seriously consider merging and moving to 16 teams (with 4 team pod divisions). This would give the Big 12 a much needed Championship game, make us the first conference to 16 teams (and keep other conferences from getting the teams we are considering), help maintain existing rivalries, and possibly create new rivalries. In this setup, every year teams would play all the teams from their pod and 1 team in the same West or East division (but other pod division). For example, Georgia Tech would play Florida State, Miami, and Clemson every year from the SE (pod 3). In addition, Georgia Tech would have to play the same "rivalry" team from the NE (pod 4) every year and this would be Pittsburg.
If a team is in one of the EAST pods (SE or NE), they would play either a SW (pod 1) or NW (pod 2) every other year. For example, Georgia Tech would play all of the teams in the SW (pod 1) division in year 1 and all of the teams in the NW (pod 2) in year 2. At the end of the year, the winner of the SW (pod 1) vs SE (pod 3) division would play the winner of the NW (pod 2) vs NE (pod 4) division. The next year this would change to the winner of the SW (pod 1) vs NE (pod 4) division and the winner of the NW (pod 2) vs SE (pod 3) division because of the rotating pods each year. I'd love to hear some discussion on this idea.
BIG 16 WEST[/B]
POD 1 (SW) [/B]
1) OU
2) Oklahoma State
3) TCU
4) Texas Tech
POD 2 (NW)[/B]
1) Texas
2) Kansas State
3) Baylor
4) Kansas
NOTES[/B]
1) one cross pod WEST Division rivalry game (to be played in Sept every year preferably at a neutral site)
Example: (#1 SW) OU vs (#1 NW) UT - played in Dallas, (#2 SW) OSU vs (#2 NW) KSU - played in Kansas City, (#3 SW) TCU vs (#3 NW) Baylor - played in Houston, (#4 SW) TT vs (#4 NW) KU - played in Albuquerque
2) intra pod rivalry game (Thanksgiving weekend with 3 games on Thursday, 2 on Friday, and 3 on Sat)
Example: OU vs OSU, TCU vs TT, Texas vs Baylor, Kansas State vs Kansas
BIG 16 EAST[/B]
POD 3 (SE)
1) Florida State
2) Miami
3) Georgia Tech
4) Clemson
POD 4 (NE) [/B]
1) West Virginia
2) North Carolina
3) Pittsburgh
4) Louisville
NOTES
1) one cross pod EAST Division rivalry game (to be played in Sept every year preferably at a neutral site)
Example: (#1 SE) FSU vs (#1 NE) WVU - played in Atlanta, (#2 SE) Miami vs (#2 NE) North Carolina - played in Birmingham, (#3 SE) GT vs (#3 NE) Pitt - played in Washington DC, (#4 SE) Clemson vs (#4 NE) Louisville - played in Indianapolis
2) intra pod rivalry game (Thanksgiving weekend with 3 games on Thursday, 2 on Friday, and 3 on Sat)
Example: FSU vs Miami, GT vs Clemson, WVU vs NC, Louisville vs Pitt
If a team is in one of the EAST pods (SE or NE), they would play either a SW (pod 1) or NW (pod 2) every other year. For example, Georgia Tech would play all of the teams in the SW (pod 1) division in year 1 and all of the teams in the NW (pod 2) in year 2. At the end of the year, the winner of the SW (pod 1) vs SE (pod 3) division would play the winner of the NW (pod 2) vs NE (pod 4) division. The next year this would change to the winner of the SW (pod 1) vs NE (pod 4) division and the winner of the NW (pod 2) vs SE (pod 3) division because of the rotating pods each year. I'd love to hear some discussion on this idea.
BIG 16 WEST[/B]
POD 1 (SW) [/B]
1) OU
2) Oklahoma State
3) TCU
4) Texas Tech
POD 2 (NW)[/B]
1) Texas
2) Kansas State
3) Baylor
4) Kansas
NOTES[/B]
1) one cross pod WEST Division rivalry game (to be played in Sept every year preferably at a neutral site)
Example: (#1 SW) OU vs (#1 NW) UT - played in Dallas, (#2 SW) OSU vs (#2 NW) KSU - played in Kansas City, (#3 SW) TCU vs (#3 NW) Baylor - played in Houston, (#4 SW) TT vs (#4 NW) KU - played in Albuquerque
2) intra pod rivalry game (Thanksgiving weekend with 3 games on Thursday, 2 on Friday, and 3 on Sat)
Example: OU vs OSU, TCU vs TT, Texas vs Baylor, Kansas State vs Kansas
BIG 16 EAST[/B]
POD 3 (SE)
1) Florida State
2) Miami
3) Georgia Tech
4) Clemson
POD 4 (NE) [/B]
1) West Virginia
2) North Carolina
3) Pittsburgh
4) Louisville
NOTES
1) one cross pod EAST Division rivalry game (to be played in Sept every year preferably at a neutral site)
Example: (#1 SE) FSU vs (#1 NE) WVU - played in Atlanta, (#2 SE) Miami vs (#2 NE) North Carolina - played in Birmingham, (#3 SE) GT vs (#3 NE) Pitt - played in Washington DC, (#4 SE) Clemson vs (#4 NE) Louisville - played in Indianapolis
2) intra pod rivalry game (Thanksgiving weekend with 3 games on Thursday, 2 on Friday, and 3 on Sat)
Example: FSU vs Miami, GT vs Clemson, WVU vs NC, Louisville vs Pitt
