Some thoughts on Navy

[SWC75]

Without going to the effort of having to rebalance divisions every few years I think that pitting the two best teams in the ACC Championship would be ideal. In the recent past we have had FSU have to match up against inferior GT and Duke teams when a FSU-Clemson rematch would have been a much more compelling game. This year it worked out because UNC finished strong however it would have been a shame if an undefeated Clemson had to match up against a 8-4 Coastal Division winner. If Clemson had one loss sitting at #5 or #6 in the rankings and was matched against an 8-4 Miami or Pitt, that win may not be enough to vault them into the Top 4.

I would also prefer removing divisions because it's going to be a huge challenge for SU to compete every year in the ACC with 2 most likely losses on the schedule (Clemson & FSU).

You could have a 12-0 1st place team play an 8-4 second place team and have the same situation.At least with the divisions, the 8-4 team would be the champion of a division.

I still like my idea of redoing the divisions each year based on the previous year's standings. ranked the 14 teams 1 to 14 based on what they did last year and have the "odd" teams: 1-3-5-7-9-11-13 become one division the next year while the 'even' teams: 2-4-6-8-10-12-14 would be in the other division. You play the 6 teams in your division and two teams from the other division. One would be the team in the other division you haven't played in the longest time and the other would be of your, (and their choice), so rivalries could be maintained.

 

[SmilinBob]

What if the 2nd place 8-4 plays Florida, Michigan OOC and the other 4 patsies? There is no way 2 divisions is better other than cosmetics. Get the two best...period.

 

[Btstimpy]

Not only all that, but Navy needs no more than 3 or 4 Home games in Annapolis each year. Navy would play various Home games in locales other other than Annapolis. So I could see Navy playing its Home games versus FSU and Miami in Jacksonville or Tampa Bay. How about Navy versus VT in Baltimore? Navy versus UVA in Philly? Navy versus Dook or Cuse in NYC?

Navy's barnstorming could be of benefit to more than just ND. All of ACC football could benefit.

I could see Navy using the stadiums in Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia regularly. That Annapolis stadium isn't bad either, but it's 35,000 rather than twice that. Do you think that the ACC would go for the games in Florida? Maryland, Duke, and Wake Forest tried that 20 years ago playing their home games with FSU in Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville. The ACC stopped it because they didn't think it fair for FSU to play road ACC games in Florida.

Times may be different now, but we've seen that tried once before.

 

[SWC75]

What if the 2nd place 8-4 plays Florida, Michigan OOC and the other 4 patsies? There is no way 2 divisions is better other than cosmetics. Get the two best...period.

What if the winner of the other division is 8-4 because that was their OCC schedule? That's not an argument against divisions.

 

[Ozcuse]

You could have a 12-0 1st place team play an 8-4 second place team and have the same situation.At least with the divisions, the 8-4 team would be the champion of a division.

I still like my idea of redoing the divisions each year based on the previous year's standings. ranked the 14 teams 1 to 14 based on what they did last year and have the "odd" teams: 1-3-5-7-9-11-13 become one division the next year while the 'even' teams: 2-4-6-8-10-12-14 would be in the other division. You play the 6 teams in your division and two teams from the other division. One would be the team in the other division you haven't played in the longest time and the other would be of your, (and their choice), so rivalries could be maintained.

Your 1st and 2nd place scenario could be statistically possible but I see a much greater chance for allowing cream to rise to the top with no divisions. Removing divisions would also allow for much more balanced scheduling and rotation of conference opponents. Give each team 3-4 protected rivalry games (SU could be Pitt, BC, VT and/or Miami) and then rotate the other 5 so you get a chance to play everyone every 3 years.

Why have set named divisions if you're just going to redistribute teams each year? I could see some serious problems trying to balance home and away schedules with new divisional opponents each year. If you switch divisions and a team you are owed a division home game against is now in a different division and the team that replaces them is also owed a home game you're going to get screwed.

 

[atom58]

Ken Niumatalolo should keep that in mind when he talks to BYU.

The news is that he is staying at Navy:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/niumatalolo-stay-navy-considering-byu-034301953--ncaaf.html

 

[WoadBlue]

The news is that he is staying at Navy:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/niumatalolo-stay-navy-considering-byu-034301953--ncaaf.html

His decision, especially considering his devout Mormonism, very much includes Navy's possible future a step up.

 

[WoadBlue]

I could see Navy using the stadiums in Washington, Baltimore, and Philadelphia regularly. That Annapolis stadium isn't bad either, but it's 35,000 rather than twice that. Do you think that the ACC would go for the games in Florida? Maryland, Duke, and Wake Forest tried that 20 years ago playing their home games with FSU in Miami, Orlando, and Jacksonville. The ACC stopped it because they didn't think it fair for FSU to play road ACC games in Florida.

Times may be different now, but we've seen that tried once before.

'Fair' to whom?

Here is a fact: Dook, because of of its size and its alums spread across the country and the make up of Durham racially, will never have any shot to average even 40,000 per game at Wallace Wade. It is unfair to Dook football to try to force it to build its brand the same way that state schools do. Any state school must build its brand on Home games - on getting its alums and fans to its stadium in as large numbers as possible as often as possible. But that pattern forced on Dook, or Wake, dooms.

Dook football will gain more, and thus be of more value to the ACC, by playing its Home games vs., say, ND away from Wallace Wade than in it. Dook 'hosting' ND in Philly will have twice as many people in the stands as Dook vs. ND in Durham. Dook playing in Philly should get a number of its northeastern basketball fans to show up and, due to the pageantry, help it recruit the northeast better for football.

 

[Btstimpy]

'Fair' to whom?

Here is a fact: Dook, because of of its size and its alums spread across the country and the make up of Durham racially, will never have any shot to average even 40,000 per game at Wallace Wade. It is unfair to Dook football to try to force it to build its brand the same way that state schools do. Any state school must build its brand on Home games - on getting its alums and fans to its stadium in as large numbers as possible as often as possible. But that pattern forced on Dook, or Wake, dooms.

Dook football will gain more, and thus be of more value to the ACC, by playing its Home games vs., say, ND away from Wallace Wade than in it. Dook 'hosting' ND in Philly will have twice as many people in the stands as Dook vs. ND in Durham. Dook playing in Philly should get a number of its northeastern basketball fans to show up and, due to the pageantry, help it recruit the northeast better for football.

The thought at the time was that having Duke, Wake Forest, and Maryland, whom all got blown out consistently by FSU in the 90s making where the games were played irrelevant, play their home games against FSU in Florida effectively gave FSU 6 home conference games a season. That was deemed not fair to other members actually trying to compete with FSU for football championships in the Conference. Whether it made any difference is up for debate.

UVA actually was co-champion in 1995 with FSU after beating FSU. UNC came very close in 1997 to doing so as well.

Duke playing ND in Philly, Washington, or anywhere else wouldn't be as big a deal today I don't think. Or Navy playing people around the country wouldn't be a big deal either. Times are different with 15 members than with 9.