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B1G Scheduling - Protected Rivals

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ScarletArrow's picture
October 16, 2022 at 1:59pm
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This is a supplemental post to one already created on about B1G scheduling

I am an Athletic subscriber - and Scott Dochterman created a chart similar to this with his own proposal of protected rivals.  I took my own stab at it below.

Protect Rivals
Team Rival Rival Rival
Nebraska Iowa Minnesota  
Iowa Nebraska Wisconsin  
Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa  
Wisconsin Minnesota Nebraska  
Northwestern Illinois    
Illinois Northwestern    
Purdue Indiana    
Indiana Purdue    
Ohio State Michigan UCLA  
Michigan Ohio State USC  
Michigan State Penn State    
Penn State Michigan State Maryland  
Maryland Rutgers Penn State  
Rutgers Maryland    
UCLA USC Ohio State  
USC UCLA Michigan  

A few observations and thoughts:

  1.   Not all teams have the same number of rivals.
  2.   Not all rivalries are equal in stature.  Some are less so because they are so lopsided (Michigan v. Minnesota) and others because they are manufactured (Michigan State v. Penn State).
  3.   New rivalries are not necessarily bad rivalries (Nebraska v Iowa and Michigan State v Penn State).
  4.   Each team's primary rival is easily determined.  The red-headed step-child appears to be Penn State which can't decide if it wants anyone to be a rival, Ohio State, or some other program.
  5.   Each team's secondary rival is not so easily determined.  Some don't have one (Rutgers), others have multiple teams that want to be their rival (Michigan -> Michigan State, Minnesota), others are disputed (Ohio State v. Penn State).
  6.   There are only a few teams that have a 3rd or 4th rival - the quartet in #9 below and Michigan. 
  7. Scott Dochterman proposes a 3rd rivalry that rotates opponents every 4 years.  This seems extraneous and unnecessary.
  8.   Everyone will want to be in on the LA sweepstakes with USC & UCLA, but I think that is going to be reserved for the teams that can create the biggest TV ratings.  This is why I am sacrificing the Paul Bunyan trophy for a annual Michigan + USC matchup and our "rivalry" (which isn't) with Penn State for UCLA.
  9.  I followed Scott Dochterman's suggestion with the quartet of Nebraska / Iowa / Minnesota / Wisconsin with one exception.
  10.   You can't create a round robin between these 4 because the pod is too large and conflicts with other scheduling goals.
  11.   The rivalry columns that are blank can be filled in with nearly any team.  Consideration should be given to competitive balance, historical match ups, and variety.
  12.   Obviously, the whole thing goes out the window with further expansion.

This is a forum post from a site member. It does not represent the views of Eleven Warriors unless otherwise noted.

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