OT: ACC should have divisions

[Fredact]

With 15 teams and an absurdly unbalanced schedule the regular season ACC championship is meaningless; and while they tried to create rivalries with the fixed home and home series they are relatively meaningless as they are just another game on the schedule with nothing differentiating them.

I think they should go to three 5-Team divisions as follows:

Play everyone in your own division home and away. That’s 8 games. Play the teams in one of the other divisions on the road, and the teams in the other at home (alternate each year). That’s 10 more games for the total of 18. So you’d still play every team each year, but the ones you play twice are really meaningful.

This would create a reason for those rivalry games, and with everyone in each division playing the same schedule, real meaning and interest in winning the division. As a side benefit, having three teams raise a banner is not a bad thing for the fans.

Come the ACC tournament, the division winners would all be guaranteed a double bye. Giving even more incentive to winning the division.

And if folks think a five-team division is too small, 4-Team ones work fine in the NFL.

The divisions could be set up in any number of ways, but the most geographical arrangement might be:

Carolina Division
Duke
UNC
N.C. St
Wake
Clemson

Northern Division
BC
Cuse
Pitt
UVA
Va Tech

Western Division
Notre Dame
Louisville
Ga Tech
Fla St
Miami

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

It would probably be better for the lower half of the league but I don't think the top half really care so...

 

[CrazyPaco]

With 15 teams and an absurdly unbalanced schedule the regular season ACC championship is meaningless; and while they tried to create rivalries with the fixed home and home series they are relatively meaningless as they are just another game on the schedule with nothing differentiating them.

I think they should go to three 5-Team divisions as follows:

Play everyone in your own division home and away. That’s 8 games. Play the teams in one of the other divisions on the road, and the teams in the other at home (alternate each year). That’s 10 more games for the total of 18. So you’d still play every team each year, but the ones you play twice are really meaningful.

This would create a reason for those rivalry games, and with everyone in each division playing the same schedule, real meaning and interest in winning the division. As a side benefit, having three teams raise a banner is not a bad thing for the fans.

Come the ACC tournament, the division winners would all be guaranteed a double bye. Giving even more incentive to winning the division.

And if folks think a five-team division is too small, 4-Team ones work fine in the NFL.

The divisions could be set up in any number of ways, but the most geographical arrangement might be:

Carolina Division
Duke
UNC
N.C. St
Wake
Clemson

Northern Division
BC
Cuse
Pitt
UVA
Va Tech

Western Division
Notre Dame
Louisville
Ga Tech
Fla St
Miami

Everyone wants Duke and UNC on their yearly schedule, or some other team, particularly the original ACC members. Too many competing desires for scheduling. It is a problem inherent with a conference with over 9 or 10 members. It is also a reason why the Big East ditched divisions as well.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

No.

It will be better with the 20 game schedule.

Play 6 teams twice
8 teams once

Get rid of most "protected rivalries" like Pitt/Lou, ND/GT, VT/BC, etc so you play the other teams more often

 

[Fredact]

Everyone wants Duke and UNC on their yearly schedule, or some other team, particularly the original ACC members. Too many competing desires for scheduling. It is a problem inherent with a conference with over 9 or 10 members. It is also a reason why the Big East ditched divisions as well.

The Big East problem was that teams didn’t play some teams at all in some seasons.

 

[Fredact]

No.

It will be better with the 20 game schedule.

Play 6 teams twice
8 teams once

Get rid of most "protected rivalries" like Pitt/Lou, ND/GT, VT/BC, etc so you play the other teams more often

Doesn’t fix anything really. Teams will still win or lose the title based mostly on the schedule they had that season.