Blazefan
Years ago
Revised 10 Team Schedule
Despite the NBL now reduced to 10 teams, I believe they're still talking about a 30 game season.
While playing each of the other nine teams, three times gets 27 games, where do the other 3 games come from?
My suggestion would be to break the League into two conferences. Each team plays all teams in their opposite conference three times (for 15 games) as well as all teams in their own conference four times (for 16 games), to give a total of 31 games.
To maximise attendance (and reduce travel costs which seems to be a bigger issue now), keep local rivalry teams in the same conference such as Snakes/Crocs, Sydney/Hawks, Tigers/Dragons. To minimise the longest road trips, keep the Wildcats and Breakers in separate conferences. Perhaps something like this:
Loggins conference - Snakes, Crocs, Sydney, Hawks, Breakers
Gaze conference - Wildcats, 36ers, Tigers, Dragons, Blaze
While these line ups (and conference names) probably need some work, I think the formula would work.
Then again, is it just a case a sucking in a disjointed 30 game schedule for one season before they come up with the new structure in 09/10.