Changing the Format for Most American Sports Leagues from a Conference System to a League Standing System

Changing the Format for Most American Sports Leagues from a Conference System to a League Standing System

            Most major American team sports leagues are divided into conferences or smaller leagues and divisions.  The MLB is divided between the National and American leagues, the NFL between the NFC and the AFC, the NBA between the Eastern and Western conferences, the NHL between Eastern and Western Conferences, and the MLS between the Eastern and Western conferences.  The conference system with divisions is a fine way of determining a playoff bracket with the primary goal of regional representation in the playoffs, but does ensure the best performing teams, during the regular season, play in the playoffs.  Disparities in conferences or divisions can lead deserving teams to be left out of the playoffs and to deny fans watching the best teams in the playoffs.  If the ultimate goal is for the best teams to play in the playoffs, I believe the MLB, NHL, NBA, and the MLS should adopt a league table system ranked by win-loss records in a somewhat similar fashion as the English Premier League, in order to determine seeding in the playoffs.  The higher ranked teams will earn higher seeds.  For example, if a playoff included 10 teams, the top ten teams in the league table standings would be included in the playoffs and seeding done according to their rank, very similar to seeding a tennis tournament.  The MLB, NHL, NBA, and MLS have the ability to adopt a league table system.  The NFL does not have the ability to adopt a league table system due primarily to the nature of play of American Football and limited number of games.  Conferences and divisions can still be maintained in a league system to provide awards and promote regional rivalries, but they should not be utilized for determining qualification and seeding in the playoffs.

            The current conference system provides for great regional representation, with at least one team from each geographic region making the playoffs.  Many years the system of regional representation coincides with the inclusion of the best teams in the playoffs, but too often it does not.  The 2014 NBA playoffs were entertaining but the best teams did not all play in the playoffs.  Much commentary has been placed on the disparity in depth and quality between the Eastern and Western conferences in the NBA, with the Western conference generally considered much stronger.  This disparity in conference strength gives an advantage to teams qualifying for the playoffs in the Eastern conference.  It is generally considered that there were several teams who barely missed the playoffs in the Western conference that would have made the playoffs if they were playing in the Eastern conference.  So there were several teams that played in the NBA playoffs despite other better teams missing the playoffs.  For a fan of pure basketball, one would want to see the best teams playing each other.  Also if one is a fan of a team that was one of the best teams in a league, but was denied entry to the playoffs because they were in the wrong conference, one would be upset.  In order to correct these problems, I advocate adopting a league table system for determining the playoffs.

            A league table system would work similarly to the league table employed by the English Premier League but with a few differences.  Instead of a points based system, the league table would simply use win-loss records.  In the case of a tie in rank, existing tie breaking criteria would be used to break any tie in record.  In order for the league records to be used in rankings, each team in a given sports league must play each team in the league an equal number of times.  In practice this will usually result in each team playing each team twice or more.  Regional rivalries can still be utilized in a league table system through conferences.  Conferences and conference records will not be used to determine post season rankings, but they can be utilized in determining regional supremacy.  So one can still label this team or that team the best team in the northeast or whatever region.   A special trophy or regional award can be given to the winner of each division or conference.  Regional rivalries can still be maintained under the league table system.

            Unlike the other major North American sports leagues, the NFL will not be able to utilize a league table system.  The physical nature of American football which destroys the bodies of its players in ways no other major sport does combined with the number of teams in the league make each team playing each other impractical.  Even if there were no repeat opponents and all preseason games were turned into actual season games, there would still not be enough games for each NFL team to play each team.  The NFL is unsuited for a league table system.        

            Moving towards a league table system would be the best way to ensure the best teams make it to the playoffs each year.  It is a more fair system that rewards performance in the regular season regardless of regional affiliation.  The best teams make the playoffs.  For fans of each sport, being able to watch the best teams play is a reward in and of itself.