All good ideas on the internet come from Reddit, didn’t you know that? Well, that may not always be true, but a scheduling idea from Reddit user AdvancedCFB has started making the rounds—and for good reason. It’s a great idea.
Here’s a link to the post so you can check out the graphic and the discussion for yourself.
The Premise
The conference needs to get to eight conference games, but there are currently only eight teams in the league.
Option 1
Each team plays a home-and-home series against another school, similar to what we did with Oregon State last year.
Personally, I think home-and-home series are pretty fun—if the matchup is between relatively equal competition. There’s no clearer way to compare coaching staffs than seeing who makes better adjustments the second time around.
Option 2 (The AdvancedCFB Solution)
Rather than everyone playing a home-and-home series, the conference leaves the final week of the regular season as a “Flex Week.” No games are scheduled ahead of time.
Instead, the conference turns that week into a mini playoff:
The top four teams play in tournament-style matchups: 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3, with the winners advancing to the conference championship the following week.
The remaining four teams play consolation games, with the 5 seed hosting the 8 seed and the 6 seed hosting the 7 seed—games that are largely low-stakes but still meaningful for pride and development.
Why This Works
It’s fun. Plain and simple. This format keeps more teams in the mix late into the season and increases the likelihood that the team playing the best football actually wins the conference.
Momentum matters. A conference champion would likely have to beat two quality opponents in the final two weeks, which could help bolster a CFP résumé in certain years.
It’s made for TV. Everyone loves playoff-style or elimination games. This format would create three postseason-style games instead of just the single conference championship we currently have.
Rivalries need stakes. With a brand-new conference and unfamiliar opponents, the hardest thing to manufacture is rivalry. Those only come from repeated, high-stakes matchups. This system would immediately create tension, familiarity, and—let’s be honest—some healthy disdain between fan bases, which is exactly what the new Pac-12 needs.
Why This Doesn’t Work
The logistics get tricky.
Not knowing whether you’ll have a home game until a week in advance is tough—especially for ticket sales, travel planning, and fan turnout. This is particularly true for the 5 vs. 8 and 6 vs. 7 matchups.
The first year that the #1 seed loses to the #4 seed, or the #2 seed loses to the #3 seed, there will be immediate pushback from those universities, arguing that the format devalues the regular season. That is a very fair argument—and one that, to be honest, I don’t really have a rebuttal for when it comes to those future fan bases, players, and coaches.
It’s easy to say, “It’s an elimination game—Martin Stadium would be packed!” But in reality, asking fans to plan a Pullman trip on short notice—after trailers have been winterized and vacation days have already been used—makes for a challenging turnaround.
Final Thought
I’m sure this isn’t something the powers that be are seriously considering, but I’m 100% on board with the idea. Who says only the CFP gets to have a playoff?
As the new Pac-12 looks to establish national relevance, the fastest way to do that is to be different—to try things no one else is doing. Unique ideas draw eyeballs, eyeballs bring money, and money builds long-term fan interest.
Make it happen, leaders.