A big fix for the NFL
 

Small four-team divisions are becoming a big problem in the NFL. Sending every division winner into the playoffs with a home game is pathetic.

Simple solution: 2 8-team divisions in each league. You play every team in your division once, but the home/away team alternates every other year. Welcome to your new NFL. Winning a division still leads to top 2 playoff seeds and a first-round bye. But winning a division pennant is now a real achievement.

AFC Shula Division:
Miami
Buffalo
NY Jets
New England
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Houston
Tennessee

AFC Noll Division:
Cleveland
Pittsburg
Cincinnati
Baltimore
LA Chargers
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Denver

NFC Landry Division:
Washington
Philadelphia
Dallas
NY Giants
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
Atlanta
Carolina

NFC Walsh Division:
Minnesota
Green Bay
Detroit
Chicago
Seattle
San Francisco
Arizona
LA Rams

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

Looks interesting from a fan standpoint, but how will the owners make all that loot from playoff rounds?

What do the playoffs even look like?

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

Love the names... But RG can't have none of dat...it makes too much sense!

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

There's no chance in hell the owners would do anything to reduce the number of playoff games. That is a given. If anything I think an 18 game regular season is coming soon, and a 16 team playoff with no byes won't be far behind.

As for restructuring the league, eight divisional championships give individual fanbases more hope and is another layer of definition in the overall structure which relates to more money in marketing (NFC South Champion shirts, AFC West Champion hats, NFC East Champion huggies, etcetera). I really don't see any scenario where the NFL would move from that.

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

Actually, I misspoke on the playoff structure and forgot it was 7 teams per conference now. I'd keep the playoff structure the same, for revenue purposes and to keep the drama of clinching the #1 seed.

Here is the existing structure per conference:

• No. 1 seed (division winner; first-round bye)
• No. 2 seed (division winner)
• No. 3 seed (division winner)
• No. 4 seed (division winner)
• No. 5 seed (Wild Card team)
• No. 6 seed (Wild Card team)
• No. 7 seed (Wild Card team)

Here is my altered structure per conference with the 8-team divisions:

• No. 1 seed (division winner; first-round bye)
• No. 2 seed (division winner)
• No. 3 seed (Wild Card team)
• No. 4 seed (Wild Card team)
• No. 5 seed (Wild Card team)
• No. 6 seed (Wild Card team)
• No. 7 seed (Wild Card team)

In fact, I would argue that my proposal will make the NFL MORE money. These would be some key new annual match-ups guaranteed to happen with the 8-team divisions with big market/interest teams: Pittsburg/Kansas City, Green Bay/San Francisco, among some others. You'd also get cool new semi-regional rivalries like Miami/Jacksonville, Dallas/New Orleans.

This would also end the scheduling stupidity of divisional games clumping together - like if we have to play the Falcons twice over a course of 2-4 weeks. IMO not having repeat games will create more fan engagement.

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

The current structure works better to give fans like our the illusion that because we can contend in a weak division and might get a home playoff game we are glorious contenders for a ring. Combine the nfc south and east and that illusion begins to fade. And suddenly Bucs fans cant come in with grandeose notions that because they are division champs everyone has to go through them. Its more likely the nfl would consider two team divisions to give every bears vs lions and colts vs texans matchup major paper flag implications.

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

That's right. The NFL is a corporation built on capitalism and greed! There's absolutely no way in Hell that they take less money than they can squeeze out of the fans.

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

This is America. The whole country was built and based upon capitalism. The day we lose that completely is the day we lose the country.

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

Nothing wrong with capitalism, the greed part will bite you in the butt. Mark Cuban may have missed a bit on the timeline but I do agree his prediction will eventually come true.

Re: A big fix for the NFL
 

Here is the alternative I think is more likely for 2 team divisions so the NFL can promote more games as meaningful and more teams as relevant every year:

AFC New York:
Buffalo
NY Jets

AFC Atlantic:
Miami
New England

AFC Southeast:
Jacksonville
Houston

AFC Central:
Indianapolis
Tennessee

AFC Ohio:
Cleveland
Cincinnati

AFC Colonial:
Pittsburgh
Baltimore

AFC Southwest:
LA Chargers
Las Vegas

AFC Great Plains:
Kansas City
Denver

NFC Lone Star:
Dallas (Cowboys guaranteed a playoff game every year for ratings).

NFC East:
Washington
Philadelphia
NY Giants

NFC Gulf South:
New Orleans
Tampa Bay

NFC Southeast:
Atlanta
Carolina

NFC North:
Minnesota
Green Bay

NFC Rust Belt:
Detroit
Chicago

NFC Northwest:
Seattle
San Francisco

NFC Southwest:
Arizona
LA Rams