Next 5 years of the NFL Schedule

[MP]

Why have I plotted out the next 5 years in our division's schedule? Why am I posting all of this? I really have no idea. Something about the current structure of the NFL is very appealing to me, mathematically speaking. It's a perfect setup! 2 conferences with 4 divs of 4 and a 16 game schedule...it comes together like clockwork and I just can't help myself.

For those who don't know how it works, here's the overview. The 16 games of any team are comprised of:
a) home and away with the 3 other division teams - 6 games
b) another division (on a 3 year rotating basis) in the same conference - 4 games
c) another division (on a 4 year rotating basis) from the other conference - 4 games
d) the previous year's same-place finishers from the other 2 same-conference divisions, alternating home and away - 2 games

For example, in 2007, the AFC North gets
a) the 6 obvious div games
b) the AFC East (NE, BUF, NYJ, MIA). Baltimore and Cincy get NE and NYJ at home, BUF and MIA away. Pittsburgh and Cleveland get the opposite. And 3 years from now when we play the AFC East again, the home and away will be swapped.
c) the NFC West (SEA, ARI, SF, STL) Same thing with the home / away structure
d) the same-place 2006 finishers from the AFC South (home) and AFC West (away).


So here are the next 5 years. Baltimore and Cincy follow the same pattern, with the home and away pairings being swapped for Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

2007
HOME
New England
NY Jets
Arizona
St. Louis
AFC South

AWAY
Buffalo
Miami
San Francisco
Seattle
AFC West



2008
HOME
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Philadelphia
Washington
AFC West

AWAY
Houston
Indianapolis
Dallas
NY Giants
AFC East



2009
HOME
Denver
Kansas City
Chicago
Detroit
AFC South

AWAY
Oakland
San Diego
Green Bay
Minnesota
AFC East


2010
HOME
Buffalo
Miami
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
AFC West

AWAY
New England
NY Jets
Atlanta
Carolina
AFC South


2011
HOME
Houston
Indianapolis
San Francisco
Seattle
AFC East

AWAY
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Arizona
St. Louis
AFC West



2012
HOME
Oakland
San Diego
Dallas
NY Giants
AFC East

AWAY
Denver
Kansas City
Philadelphia
Washington
AFC South

[AgentOrange]

Wow, you are nuts. I suppose my question is...

How can you project this so far in advance?


I thought I heard a couple people say that the Ravens schedual was harder this year because they finished in first last year. Is that not true?

Because it looks like the schedual is fixed no matter what place you come in.

[Baltimoron]

Wow, you are nuts. I suppose my question is...

How can you project this so far in advance?


I thought I heard a couple people say that the Ravens schedual was harder this year because they finished in first last year. Is that not true?

Because it looks like the schedual is fixed no matter what place you come in.

Yes, its true. Its also in the OP:



For those who don't know how it works, here's the overview. The 16 games of any team are comprised of:
a) home and away with the 3 other division teams - 6 games
b) another division (on a 3 year rotating basis) in the same conference - 4 games
c) another division (on a 4 year rotating basis) from the other conference - 4 games
d) the previous year's same-place finishers from the other 2 same-conference divisions, alternating home and away - 2 games

He posted the pre-determined 14 games a season.

[AgentOrange]

Ah, I missed that part. Thanks guys.

[PDog]

How did you figure out 2010 and beyond since the NFL only has this type of rotation pre planned until 2009? When the NFL realigned for 2002 they only did 8 years of the schedule so i'm just wondering did you just make an assumption that it will repeat in 2010?

Also I personally like the symmetry in the schedule. The NFL has done it right since 2002.

[MP]

How did you figure out 2010 and beyond since the NFL only has this type of rotation pre planned until 2009? When the NFL realigned for 2002 they only did 8 years of the schedule so i'm just wondering did you just make an assumption that it will repeat in 2010?

Also I personally like the symmetry in the schedule. The NFL has done it right since 2002.

I just carried the the current setup outwards. If it changes, I'll have to adjust. I don't think it will change though.

[ScottieBaseball]

Why have I plotted out the next 5 years in our division's schedule? Why am I posting all of this? I really have no idea. Something about the current structure of the NFL is very appealing to me, mathematically speaking. It's a perfect setup! 2 conferences with 4 divs of 4 and a 16 game schedule...it comes together like clockwork and I just can't help myself.

For those who don't know how it works, here's the overview. The 16 games of any team are comprised of:
a) home and away with the 3 other division teams - 6 games
b) another division (on a 3 year rotating basis) in the same conference - 4 games
c) another division (on a 4 year rotating basis) from the other conference - 4 games
d) the previous year's same-place finishers from the other 2 same-conference divisions, alternating home and away - 2 games

For example, in 2007, the AFC North gets
a) the 6 obvious div games
b) the AFC East (NE, BUF, NYJ, MIA). Baltimore and Cincy get NE and NYJ at home, BUF and MIA away. Pittsburgh and Cleveland get the opposite. And 3 years from now when we play the AFC East again, the home and away will be swapped.
c) the NFC West (SEA, ARI, SF, STL) Same thing with the home / away structure
d) the same-place 2006 finishers from the AFC South (home) and AFC West (away).


So here are the next 5 years. Baltimore and Cincy follow the same pattern, with the home and away pairings being swapped for Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

2007
HOME
New England
NY Jets
Arizona
St. Louis
AFC South

AWAY
Buffalo
Miami
San Francisco
Seattle
AFC West



2008
HOME
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Philadelphia
Washington
AFC West

AWAY
Houston
Indianapolis
Dallas
NY Giants
AFC East



2009
HOME
Denver
Kansas City
Chicago
Detroit
AFC South

AWAY
Oakland
San Diego
Green Bay
Minnesota
AFC East


2010
HOME
Buffalo
Miami
New Orleans
Tampa Bay
AFC West

AWAY
New England
NY Jets
Atlanta
Carolina
AFC South


2011
HOME
Houston
Indianapolis
San Francisco
Seattle
AFC East

AWAY
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Arizona
St. Louis
AFC West



2012
HOME
Oakland
San Diego
Dallas
NY Giants
AFC East

AWAY
Denver
Kansas City
Philadelphia
Washington
AFC South

I read that and I think, "Now there's a guy who needs to get out of the office, out of the house, away from the computer, and to a hockey game!"

You, my man, are both brilliant and bat-dung crazy.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Not to burst your bubble, but there is a web-site that has future NFL schedules listed for each team--

johnnyroadtrip.com

[MP]

Not to burst your bubble, but there is a web-site that has future NFL schedules listed for each team--

johnnyroadtrip.com

Hah! Naturally.

I still love the schedule's perfect symmetry! But now I'm intimately aware of just how much time I wasted... Good thing I only worked it out for our division! :)

[Pedro Cerrano]

The NBA has an almost symmetrical schedule, too. You play every team in your opposite conference twice (once at home, once away) and each team in your division four times (twice at home, twice away). The only difference is the other 10 teams not in your division but in your conference. You play each of them at least once home and once away. That works out to 66 of the 82 games. The final 16 are against the 10 teams not in your division but in your conference and I'm not quite sure how they figure out which onces are home and which are away.