Last season, the top three scoring teams were the (r)EvoLUtion, Battery, and Colliders. Cool story, except they were all in the same division. In 2014, these same three teams were all in the top-4 in scoring, and the Battery missed the playoffs despite going 9-4.
The idea of realignment came about, and Matt Giorgianni floated an awesome Promotion/Relegation system to model the Premier League in soccer. I was intrigued, because if I’m going to play in the toughest division every year, then there should be some perks to it, right? I mean, it’s not really fair that the Chitons get to run roughshod over the bums in his division every year.
Many ideas for format were discussed, and I have attempted to codify them here based on the feedback they received.
Division Alignment & Scheduling
Please understand that I hate the names of these divisions and I want you guys to give me something better. These divisions are based on the last three years of scoring, and I think they look about right.
Gold – Krakens,(r)EvoLUtion, Colliders, Pirates
Silver – Chitons, Battery, Banthas, Marauders
Bronze – Gridiron Gang, Silvertips, Dream Team, Hawks
Jesus, I could clean up in that Bronze division.
At any rate, the new schedule has everyone playing 9 games in their division and 2 in each of the remaining divisions. It’s going to be a slugfest in division.
Promotion/Relegation
The last place team in the Gold division would be relegated to the Silver division. They would be replaced by the top team in the Silver division. The last place team of the Silver division would be relegated to the Bronze division, and would be replaced by the best team in the Bronze division.
Playoff Perks
Gold – 3 teams make it.
Silver – 2 teams make it.
Bronze – 1 team makes it.
I would suggest that we make it easy every year by seeding this way (it also recognizes that playing tougher competition should result in a higher seed:)
#1 seed – Gold 1st place
#2 seed – Gold 2nd place
#3 seed – Gold 3rd place
#4 seed – Silver 1st place
#5 seed – Silver 2nd place
#6 seed – Bronze 1st place
Salary Cap Perks
In the Premier League in soccer, clubs get more money to spend when they’re in the top division. It should be so in our league as well.
Gold – $400 salary cap
Silver – $375 salary cap
Bronze – $350 salary cap (current level for all teams.)
Salary cap increases would start for the 2018 season.
Franchise Tag Perks
We could also give roster management advantages to those top teams (we should definitely incentivize playing in the top division – if it’s super hard, then why wouldn’t you want to just play in the middle division against lesser competition and take your chances in the playoffs? Or, in a more extreme example, clean up against the lowest division and try to win a title that way?)
Gold – 2 offensive franchise tags, 2 defensive franchise tags
Silver – 1 offensive franchise tag, 1 defensive franchise tag, 1 bonus franchise tag (either offense or defense)
Bronze – 1 offensive franchise tag, 1 defensive franchise tag (current system)
Franchise tag perks would start for the 2018 season
Draft Format
Gold and Silver teams will have a financial advantage over the lowest division, making it harder for the lowest division teams to lure free agents. We need to give them some type of capital in order to compete and improve their situation. That capital should be draft capital. Owners will have to be cap-savvy and hit on draft picks to rise through the ranks to the top division. I suggested the salary cap increases as you earn your way into the top leagues, Tom suggested the extra franchise tags, and to make up for the perks, Adam offered the idea that the top draft picks will go to the lower divisions. I believe the framework that he presented is really good, because it discourages tanking in all three divisions.
1.01 – Lottery among Bronze Division 2nd place, 3rd place, and 4th place
1.02 – Lottery among Bronze Division 2nd place, 3rd place, and 4th place
1.03 – Lottery among Bronze Division 2nd place, 3rd place, and 4th place
1.04 – Bronze division winner (conceivably the Immersion Champion)
1.05 – Silver division 4th place
1.06 – Silver division 3rd place
1.07 – Silver division 2nd place (conceivably the Immersion Champion)
1.08 – Silver division winner (conceivably the Immersion Champion)
1.09 – Gold division 4th place
1.10 – 1.12 – Reverse order of playoff finish (same as current system; 1.12 could conceivably be the Immersion Champion)
Finishing last in the Gold Division earns you the 9th pick and relegation (costing you cap space and a franchise tag opportunity) whether you’re 9-4 or 2-11. Sure, you can tank to get the 5th pick instead of the 6th pick in the Silver Division…and then you get relegated, lose cap space, and lose a franchise tag. In the Bronze Division, positions 2-4 all represent the league’s weakest teams, so why not hold a lottery for the first three picks to ensure that there’s absolutely no incentive to tank? Plus, I think we could have fun with the lottery. Bring back the old lottery videos. With slick production values. Commentary. Champagne celebrations.
Anyway, I’m always impressed with the creative minds in this league. I think your ideas are going to make this league even more fun (and I wasn’t sure that was possible.) And to be quite honest, I’m a little bit worried I might finish in last place in my tough, tough division. I’m really looking forward to the challenge of staying, but if I get relegated I want to go back and do the training montage that Little Mac does in Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out and come back with a vengeance (you won’t beat me again, Piston Honda!)
What I really like about this framework is that there are definite advantages to moving up (beyond bragging rights,) yet there are paths to success even if you’re in the lowest division.
Now we just need division names. Maybe you guys can present your ideas in the comments (as well as any other ideas you think might be good to incorporate.)
Booya.
© 2017, Josh Hammond. All rights reserved.
These are exciting changes.
I have reservations with the salary cap perks. This will certainly make it difficult for the Bronze league in blind bidding and trades. $50 is a pretty highly coveted player. What about Gold $370, Silver $360, Bronze $350?
I like the ease of the extra $25 per division. Yours are too low, I think. We could probably split the difference though.
$350, $370, $390?
$350, $365, $380?
These are probably fine, but just don’t have the same ring to them.
Bad-Ass, Amateur, and Powder Puff?
I agree with playoff seeding. It should be a difficult road to win from division “C”.
I still don’t know about the salary advantages–just doesn’t feel right. I think the other perks might be okay though.
I’m not in love with how the draft picks are awarded. I’m okay with top 3 being a lottery, but I still favor what I proposed earlier. But I think I could live with it as you proposed. At least it would make trades involving picks more clear (i.e., no more Adam getting the 1.01 because some team didn’t realize they would suck)
I think that’s what’s good about relegation. If you’re in the last division, you can stop pretending you’re one player away from a title and start holding on to draft picks so you can rebuild.
Thinking more about your comment, Enright, and I think the theory behind the draft picks is this: if you’re in the top division, what do you get for your troubles (harder schedule, etc?) More cap room and franchise tag glory. Theoretically, it would be much easier to win in a lower division, so we want to discourage tanking. Hence, the 9th draft pick. Sure, the farm teams on the bottom get a chance to draft the top talent, but you can just sign them away after 3 years when they are good (and you have more money.) This is what happens in soccer.
I know some people are balking at the perks of being in the top league, but it gives squads something to shoot for (to Matt’s earlier point, something to play for if not the championship, which only goes to one team per year.) If you can get promoted, then boom, you’re already in better financial shape. And like Tom said, you’re in the same boat as the people you’re competing with directly.
I guess I’m OK with most of these suggestions. Your immediate “competition” will have the same salary cap as you, so the regular season (i.e. the battle be promoted/avoid relegation) is fair–the salary cap differences would just make a championship by a 2nd or 3rd division team even sweeter.
Exactly. And honestly, the salary cap difference is like the MAJOR feature of the Premier League. They can buy all the best players because they have more money.
The more I think about all these changes, the more I like them and think it works (even the 350-375-400 cap.)
Any thoughts about league expansion to 15 and making the divisions 5 deep?
Haha, I wouldn’t be opposed to this, but it’s actually pretty difficult to find owners that are as hardcore as us. Especially 3 at once.