I am a proponent of going to 11 teams. I think it benefits ISU.
First, if you go to 11 teams, that means you either have to have a 8 game conference schedule or a 10 game conference schedule. That would mean, unless we were totally stupid, that we would have an 8 game conference schedule. [Mathematics means you can't have a 9 game schedule.]
It has been said that the TV partners would not like this as it reduces the inventory of Conference games. Well, not really. Currently, there are 45 Conference games [(9x10/2]. 11 teams would be 44 Conference games [(11x8)/2]. And one of the current inventory is for the Longhorn Network. Additionally, the Non-conference opportunities would increase to 44 games from the current 30 games. More opportunities for the TV partners AND the Tier 3 opportunities. Win/Win.
It is likely that they would declare that you would have to have 1 non-conference game against a p-5. Done, as we play Iowa each year.
That leaves 3 games to lighten up the schedule. It also assures us that we are able to schedule 7 home games each year.
With the proposed legislation change, we would be able to have a conference championship game [which we would also be able to do with 10] but there would be an increased likelihood that it would be between teams that had not played. Not a guarantee, of course, but a possibility.
Finding 1 school that adds value is easier than finding 2 schools that add value. I wish it would be at least on the table for discussion.
First, if you go to 11 teams, that means you either have to have a 8 game conference schedule or a 10 game conference schedule. That would mean, unless we were totally stupid, that we would have an 8 game conference schedule. [Mathematics means you can't have a 9 game schedule.]
It has been said that the TV partners would not like this as it reduces the inventory of Conference games. Well, not really. Currently, there are 45 Conference games [(9x10/2]. 11 teams would be 44 Conference games [(11x8)/2]. And one of the current inventory is for the Longhorn Network. Additionally, the Non-conference opportunities would increase to 44 games from the current 30 games. More opportunities for the TV partners AND the Tier 3 opportunities. Win/Win.
It is likely that they would declare that you would have to have 1 non-conference game against a p-5. Done, as we play Iowa each year.
That leaves 3 games to lighten up the schedule. It also assures us that we are able to schedule 7 home games each year.
With the proposed legislation change, we would be able to have a conference championship game [which we would also be able to do with 10] but there would be an increased likelihood that it would be between teams that had not played. Not a guarantee, of course, but a possibility.
Finding 1 school that adds value is easier than finding 2 schools that add value. I wish it would be at least on the table for discussion.
