How the new Pac 12 should be split

[philoponia]

First let me say welcome to the new Pac-12. I'm really glad to have you here. I wrote up an explanation of a zipper proposal for how the new Pac 12 should be split and I am trying to garner some support for it. Take a look and tell me what you think. You get to play USC every year, and you get all your regional rivals. Hope to see you in the Championship game (Go Ducks!)

Pac12Cooler.com

 

[spincity58]

I like the zipper the best as it is the only way outside of CA teams are gaurenteed to play CA teams every year and help out recruiting.

 

[jaridgray]

The zipper is the most likely scenario. I hope they stick with 8 conference games though. It gives 4 home/4 road conference games to each team and the ability to schedule 1 more OOC game. 9 games gives an imbalance to home/road giving some teams an advantage/disadvantage in a given year.

 

[Nole N Utah]

Nice job with that proposal. It makes a lot of sense. As a fan of an ACC team, I've observed that the ACC system actually works pretty well. The only drawback to it is that it has resulted in some dud, poorly attended Conference Championship Game matchups. This is not the direct fault of the system. The ACC's problem is that there are several small private schools with small alumni bases. The PAC-12 will not have that problem. Both private schools in the PAC-12 have very good football followings.

 

[trojan bill]

Actually Stanford doesn't have a big following in the sport. There is a reason why they downsized the stadium from 80,000 to 50,000. They want to play UCLA, and particularly USC every year because the So Cal schools fill up the stadium. Stanford is a prestigious school, with great overall athletics/academics. A big football following they don't have.

I am glad Utah came aboard, but the cooler suggested really would be a great deal for USC. Sorry not to sound smug, but USC in the same division with Wazzu, OSU, Stanford, ASU, and Utah? I could Coach that team to consistently winning the league 3 out of every 4 years.

That isn't smack talk, just look at the facts.

ASU: Hasn't beaten USC since 1999 when USC was saddled with horrific Coaching.

Stanford: Sure won big last year, but the academic hurdles preclude them from consistently beating USC on the field. Cal can take players of a similar ilk as USC just like UCLA (despite what those liars will say). That puts Stanford at a long term competitive disadvantage.

Oregon St: Done better against USC recently, but still haven't won in LA since 1961. The Beavers have only 10 wins in 73 meetings with USC.

Wazzu: Even worse, hard recruiting local. Cougs have only 8 wins in 68 games all time against USC.

Then newcomer UTAH.

Sorry, but your cooler makes the Division for USC a huge edge, but also it puts the highest profile program in a division with the least marketable teams on a National Level (Wazzu/OSU).

I can see a zipper, but a better suggestion is the following:

Northwest Division:

Washington St, Oregon St, Cal, UofA, UTAH, UCLA


Southewest Division:
UW, USC, Oregon, CU, Stanford, ASU


**You accomplish what you do putting the Cali public schools together North & South with the Cali Private schools in the opposite division.

You keep UW & Oregon together, Stanford USC together as longtime rivalries. You balance the Divisions better this way.

 

[heartlessute]

Hey Bill, I like that one. Utah should win that division 2 out of 4 years.

 

[trojan bill]

You gotta a point Heart. I don't think it is a smart idea if a zipper is adopted to put USC into a division that includes both Oregon State and Washington State. Even though the Beavers may well defeat USC again this year up there, annually just a bad idea over a prolonged period of time. You want USC as a markee program to be seen with the other larger names on a national level in the league.

From the zipper I had above though you could subsitute Oregon in for Oregon State into USC's division as long as you didn't also put Wazzu in. Then you would see probably even better balance.

Key if you are breaking up rivalries is to preserve some important secondary rivalries.

USC vs. Cal

Washington vs Oregon

These in particular, along with trying to leverage a CU-ASU or Utah-Arizona rivalry in an opposite division. That makes a good deal of sense.