Schedule question

[BVSt.Paul]

There does not seem to be any consistency with scheduling opponents from the other division. We played Iowa this year and they are on the schedule for the next 3 consecutive years. We don't play at Minnesota until 2019. We get Wisconsin at home in 2018 but I don't see a game at Wisconsin on future schedules. Is there any system as to when we play schools from the other division?

 

[doctornick]

There is a system. It is based on a 6 year cycle and basically goes like this:

Every team is paired with a team from the other division, supposed to be based on competitive criteria. For 2016-2021, we have the following pairings:

PSU-Iowa
Michigan-Wisconsin
Ohio St-Nebraska
Michigan St-Northwestern
Rutgers-Illinois
Maryland-Minnesota
Indiana-Purdue (this inter-division one is always set)

These teams play for 6 straight years, rotating home and away (at the East school in even years, at the west school in odd years). As an aside, this is why the East teams will always be 5 home/4 away conference games in even years and 4 home/5 away conference games in odd years.

The remaining 2 inter-conference games each season rotate every year. Basically, it is Team A and @Team B in Year 1, Team C and @ Team D in year 2, Team E and @ Team F in year 3, then @Team A and Team B in year 4, @ Team C and Team D in year 5, @ Team E and Team F in year 6. So, over a 6 year cycle, you play each of those teams home and away each 1 time. They do the rotation that way so that you play each team at least once in a 3 year period meaning every player/student should experience playing each conference team during a normal college career.

So, for PSU they played Minnesota home and Purdue away in 2016. They will play Minnesota away and Purdue home in 2019. Nebraska and Northwestern are in 2017 and 2020. Wisconsin and Illinois are in 2018 and 2021.

The Big Ten hasn't officially announced schedules for 2020 and 2021 but we know which teams we'll be playing those seasons because of the pattern.

Assuming no changes to the conference and if they keep the same system in place, then in 2022-2027, we'd get a different paired team from the other division -- likely Nebraska or Wisconsin if they tried to keep the "stronger" teams playing each other more. All the pairings would shift to different teams, except Indiana/Purdue.

 

[TJ8869]

There is a system. It is based on a 6 year cycle and basically goes like this:

Every team is paired with a team from the other division, supposed to be based on competitive criteria. For 2016-2021, we have the following pairings:

PSU-Iowa
Michigan-Wisconsin
Ohio St-Nebraska
Michigan St-Northwestern
Rutgers-Illinois
Maryland-Minnesota
Indiana-Purdue (this inter-division one is always set)

These teams play for 6 straight years, rotating home and away (at the East school in even years, at the west school in odd years). As an aside, this is why the East teams will always be 5 home/4 away conference games in even years and 4 home/5 away conference games in odd years.

The remaining 2 inter-conference games each season rotate every year. Basically, it is Team A and @Team B in Year 1, Team C and @ Team D in year 2, Team E and @ Team F in year 3, then @Team A and Team B in year 4, @ Team C and Team D in year 5, @ Team E and Team F in year 6. So, over a 6 year cycle, you play each of those teams home and away each 1 time. They do the rotation that way so that you play each team at least once in a 3 year period meaning every player/student should experience playing each conference team during a normal college career.

So, for PSU they played Minnesota home and Purdue away in 2016. They will play Minnesota away and Purdue home in 2019. Nebraska and Northwestern are in 2017 and 2020. Wisconsin and Illinois are in 2018 and 2021.

The Big Ten hasn't officially announced schedules for 2020 and 2021 but we know which teams we'll be playing those seasons because of the pattern.

Assuming no changes to the conference and if they keep the same system in place, then in 2022-2027, we'd get a different paired team from the other division -- likely Nebraska or Wisconsin if they tried to keep the "stronger" teams playing each other more. All the pairings would shift to different teams, except Indiana/Purdue.

Excellent analysis. Of course, all this goes out the window in a couple years when the B1G expands again to 16 teams.

 

[TheGLOV]

Excellent analysis. Of course, all this goes out the window in a couple years when the B1G expands again to 16 teams.

But NO Notre Dame!!!!!

 

[dwiz]

But NO Notre Dame!!!!!

We already have rutgres, we don't need another team who can't reach .500 in the league. But that central indiana tv market...!

 

[Cosmos]

There is a system. It is based on a 6 year cycle and basically goes like this:

Every team is paired with a team from the other division, supposed to be based on competitive criteria. For 2016-2021, we have the following pairings:

PSU-Iowa
Michigan-Wisconsin
Ohio St-Nebraska
Michigan St-Northwestern
Rutgers-Illinois
Maryland-Minnesota
Indiana-Purdue (this inter-division one is always set)

These teams play for 6 straight years, rotating home and away (at the East school in even years, at the west school in odd years). As an aside, this is why the East teams will always be 5 home/4 away conference games in even years and 4 home/5 away conference games in odd years.

The remaining 2 inter-conference games each season rotate every year. Basically, it is Team A and @Team B in Year 1, Team C and @ Team D in year 2, Team E and @ Team F in year 3, then @Team A and Team B in year 4, @ Team C and Team D in year 5, @ Team E and Team F in year 6. So, over a 6 year cycle, you play each of those teams home and away each 1 time. They do the rotation that way so that you play each team at least once in a 3 year period meaning every player/student should experience playing each conference team during a normal college career.

So, for PSU they played Minnesota home and Purdue away in 2016. They will play Minnesota away and Purdue home in 2019. Nebraska and Northwestern are in 2017 and 2020. Wisconsin and Illinois are in 2018 and 2021.

The Big Ten hasn't officially announced schedules for 2020 and 2021 but we know which teams we'll be playing those seasons because of the pattern.

Assuming no changes to the conference and if they keep the same system in place, then in 2022-2027, we'd get a different paired team from the other division -- likely Nebraska or Wisconsin if they tried to keep the "stronger" teams playing each other more. All the pairings would shift to different teams, except Indiana/Purdue.

Brought to you by the same conference which originally named the divisions "Legends" and "Leaders." JHC, what's with this six years crap! Rotate them every two years.

 

[TJ8869]

Brought to you by the same conference which originally named the divisions "Legends" and "Leaders." JHC, what's with this six years crap! Rotate them every two years.

Legends and Leaders was pretty lame, but I don't have any problem with the schedule setup. If you do 2-year cycles then there will be at least one conference team that you don't play at all for four consecutive years. As doctornick pointed out, this setup ensures that players who stay at least 3 years will get to play each conference opponent at least once.

The other thing it indirectly does is prevent any team from getting the same really hard or really easy crossover schedule two years in a row. For example, if a West team plays Rutgers, Indiana, and Maryland one year then they aren't going to get those same three teams the next year. And if someone gets stuck with Penn State, Ohio State, and Michigan one year then they won't have to run the same gauntlet the next year.

Overall I think it's a pretty good plan.

 

[LemonEars]

There is a system. It is based on a 6 year cycle and basically goes like this:

Every team is paired with a team from the other division, supposed to be based on competitive criteria. For 2016-2021, we have the following pairings:

PSU-Iowa
Michigan-Wisconsin
Ohio St-Nebraska
Michigan St-Northwestern
Rutgers-Illinois
Maryland-Minnesota
Indiana-Purdue (this inter-division one is always set)

These teams play for 6 straight years, rotating home and away (at the East school in even years, at the west school in odd years). As an aside, this is why the East teams will always be 5 home/4 away conference games in even years and 4 home/5 away conference games in odd years.

The remaining 2 inter-conference games each season rotate every year. Basically, it is Team A and @Team B in Year 1, Team C and @ Team D in year 2, Team E and @ Team F in year 3, then @Team A and Team B in year 4, @ Team C and Team D in year 5, @ Team E and Team F in year 6. So, over a 6 year cycle, you play each of those teams home and away each 1 time. They do the rotation that way so that you play each team at least once in a 3 year period meaning every player/student should experience playing each conference team during a normal college career.

So, for PSU they played Minnesota home and Purdue away in 2016. They will play Minnesota away and Purdue home in 2019. Nebraska and Northwestern are in 2017 and 2020. Wisconsin and Illinois are in 2018 and 2021.

The Big Ten hasn't officially announced schedules for 2020 and 2021 but we know which teams we'll be playing those seasons because of the pattern.

Assuming no changes to the conference and if they keep the same system in place, then in 2022-2027, we'd get a different paired team from the other division -- likely Nebraska or Wisconsin if they tried to keep the "stronger" teams playing each other more. All the pairings would shift to different teams, except Indiana/Purdue.

Good job. No wonder you are the doctor! I always wondered how this worked.