Big 12 coaches wanted split divisions, but conference stands pat

Submitted by GoBlueinEugene on

Let's ask the coaches and see what they want... oh, I see... well, never mind!

The Big 12 announced Friday that its championship game, which returns next season, will match the top two football teams in the conference standings.
 
The conference considered going to divisions out of its round-robin format but opted against it in the end -- despite a 7-3 vote among football coaches Wednesday in favor of splitting into divisions, sources told ESPN's Brett McMurphy.
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TroyNienberg

October 28th, 2016 at 3:13 PM ^

This may be true, but I don't get why not splitting into divisions is bad.

 

I personally hate divisions, I wished the B1G would get rid of them.

 

And while I'm at it, I would take them out of the NBA, NHL, & MLB.  I want the best teams to play each other in the playof

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funkywolve

October 28th, 2016 at 4:27 PM ^

the Big 12 already plays a round robin conference schedule - every team plays everyone else.  To me that's the fairest way to determine a champion.  

However, now they are going to say after playing a round robin schedule, the top 2 teams need to play in a championship game to determine the winner.  What?  

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ESNY

October 28th, 2016 at 3:15 PM ^

Why would they want the divisions in the first place? They play a round robin schedule and divisions would just seem to potentially cause potential fuckups in the future. Unless they wanted to drop a conf game and go back to adding one more patsy to their schedule.



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Mr Miggle

October 28th, 2016 at 3:47 PM ^

to be able to claim division championships, to avoid problems with the championship game.

Would you rather have a divisional championship or a second or third place finish on your resume? It keeps more teams in the race longer too. Good for fan interest,

Remember how worried people were about us meeting OSU in back to back games? That type of scenario happens a lot more often without divisions. It would probably happen this year in a Big Ten without divisions.

Also having their top two teams meeting in the CCG probably decreases their chances of getting into the playoffs a little. Having the game at all is probably not a great idea for the playoffs. It's being added to make money.

The drawback to having a CCG is it gives their champion a chance to stumble. Ensuring they play the second place team adds to that chance. I think that outweighs the times their second place team gets in because they won. The Big XII isn't strong enough to have two teams on the cusp of getting in very often, 2014 not withstanding.

 

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Brhino

October 28th, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^

I love split divisions.  It's awesome how we get to play Rutgers every year, and Wisconsin once per coaching change (or less!).  And it's awesome how, if I want to invite my friend from Purdue to a game at the big house, I have to wait to see if they're maybe on the 2020 schedule.

 

WE HAVE NOT PLAYED PURDUE AT HOME SINCE 2011 DO THEY STILL HAVE THE GIANT DRUM I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE.

 

Granted this is as much about expanding to 14 teams as it is about split divisions, but still.

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LSAClassOf2000

October 28th, 2016 at 3:22 PM ^

Data consultants hired by the league also argued that the Big 12's previous format had diminished its chances of putting a team in the playoff.

Hold up, the Big XII needed a consultant to tell them this? I find that unnerving that they couldn't have just figured that one out by themselves. Hopefully, that's not the only thing they hung their hat on - I think there's a lot more that keeps them merely on the perimeter of and not necessarily always in the discussion frankly.

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