That is another benefit of pods, they allow for protected rivalries. With the 14 team, two divisions of seven model that we currently have only IU and PU have a protected rivalry. For them:
- They play their six division-mates every year
- They play each other every year
- That accounts for seven games and only leaves two more to play the other six teams. With sixteen teams in two eight-team divisions you would need seven games just to play your division-mates. If you had a protected cross-over then you would have eight games every year and only one extra to play the other seven teams. It would take 14 years to host and travel to each of them. With Pods that isn't an issue.
In a 16-school conference with pods, you sabotage the wonderful scheduling potential by having out-of-pod protected rivalries. Horrible idea.
Looks to me like a B10 + UNC + UVA pod system has it easy with the
West - UNL, Iowa, Minn, Wisc
East - Rut, UMd, UNC, UVa
The mess is in the middle. Without protected rivalries, because we want schools to play EVERYONE else every 2 years (and home-and-home with EVERYONE every 4 years), we ensure M-OSU in a pod.
Michigan, Ohio St, ____, ______
Those 2 spots plus the last pod are made up of MSU, PSU, PU, IU, ILL, NU. Those in-state pairs will want to be annual rivals, so yes, we are left with MSU and PSU. Sorry, but that's a red-headed stepchild and the guy who showed up 75 years after the party started.
Stick the IN schools with M and OSU and the IL schools with MSU and PSU. It's not that big a deal, to be honest. It could be mapped out so that MSU plays Michigan one year and OSU the next, forever. They'll play one or the other every year. Indiana will play Nebraska and UNC and EVERYONE ELSE every other year.
It's a great system.