While our game compared to others of it's ilk is still viable let's face the fact that the halycon days of 58k users is never coming back. But that's ok, this is a committed community. The problem I think we are running into is the lower leagues are getting to the point of turning into bot graveyards. In addition to that I think everyone needs a little bit of a wake up call.
And boy howdy do I have a proverbial bucket of water to douse on our sleepy community.
The 16 team league 2 conference format has been fine, but it leaves a unbalanced schedule. Now one idea would be to extend the season a few weeks and do a true double round robin, but many think the season is too long as it is. Therefore I think we should move to a 12 team league format, no separate conferences and a double round robin. Now the ASG week could be scuttled butted or we could change it to a challenge format where the all stars of one league will play the all stars of another. However I would prefer the former because the all Star game is of no interest to anyone it seems, all it does is slow up the season . I know the week of the ASG there are two rounds of cup games, just move those to Monday and Thursday and the problem is solved.
Now the real issue is promotion/relegation. As it stands 5 teams go out, 4 going down and most times 1 going up. A 12 team format will require a reboot of the parameters. Here's my idea, only the top four make the playoffs, and both rounds become best of 3. The cup should be done by playoff time so the games with run Tuesday Thursday Saturday for BOTH rounds. The #11 and 12 flush out, the #5 and #6 get safe harbor and the 7-10 battle it out to stay alive. Here in the US alone this would give 4 divisions nearly full coverage and perhaps it could lead to the return of a d5 in larger countries. At the very least I think it would boost overall interest. The one drawback would be is that the season prior to the implementation of such a change would be a season of purging as no promotions would be available, but it would be a glorious bloodbath.
Now I know the schedule is fashioned like it is to allow the cup to complete in a timely manner. My solution is to start the cup literally before the season, the week of the switchover instead of a Thursday scrimmage it's your first cup match.
Now the end of the season it seems is structured like it is to allow the international competitions to complete. Well I have a great idea for dealing with that. If I am calculating this in my head correctly we will be left with a extra week. My idea is to use that week for a special series of user sponsored tournaments played under private league provisions (no effect on GS etc) but with one difference, anyone can be invited to compete, supporter or non supporter. The catch? The user who sponsors a tourney will pay a true premium to do so, let's say $100. I'm sure there are 10 guys on discord alone who would pony up ten bucks each for a tourney. And make these BIG tourney's, like 64 teams, you could do games Monday Tuesday Wednesday, leave Thursday for scrimmages, then Friday Saturday and Sunday. Some competitions would be in time higher profile, I could see a NCAA,NIT pecking order develop. I think people would go nuts for this, for many this would be more "prestigious" than promoting. Plus it would help relieve that end of season blah period.
In the end these changes would be game changers, I personally think it would be awesome.
Last edited by Coach Lambini at 11/15/2018 6:28:49 PM