A school’s football schedule often looks vastly different from a school’s basketball schedule.
Ignore for a second the obvious differences in conference alignment and schedule length, and focus instead on conference games.
For most Wyoming high schools, conference games take up more than half of the basketball schedule. And, maybe more importantly, teams get two cracks at their conference opponents — once on the road, once at home.
What if football scheduling adapted the same approach?
A round-robin conference schedule that allowed teams two chances at their conference opponents would give teams schedules with reduced travel and increased focus on regional rivalry. It sounds odd, but it actually might work.
This idea is not completely foreign.
For 15 years, from 1960-74, the Class A Southwest schools (Star Valley, Evanston, Kemmerer, Green River and, eventually, Jackson) played a round-robin schedule where the teams played each other twice during the regular season. The Class B Southwest schools (Mountain View, Lyman, Pinedale, Big Piney and Cokeville) did the same from 1970-76. And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of schools that traditionally played each other twice during the regular season in football’s early days in the state (Cody-Powell, Lander-Riverton, Sundance-Upton and a host of others).
However, previous round-robin schedules fit into longer regular seasons, usually 10 weeks long. These days, Wyoming’s regular season fits into eight or nine weeks. That means, to fully execute a round-robin, no-byes schedule, we can’t have any more than four teams in a conference, giving schools the opportunity for six conference games and two non-conference games.
Splitting 49 11-man teams into four-team conferences turns out to be more difficult than first blush: It means either scaling back to three classifications of roughly 16 schools each or keeping four classifications but skewing to roughly 12 schools each. For our sake, we’ll stick with 12 per class — but that means three conferences per classification (except 1A 11-man and 1A six-man), which might make playoff qualifying a bit weird.
But whatever. Our focus for now is on the regular season, not the postseason.
Let’s give it a try.
When go to 12 teams and three conferences per class, some weird geographical splits appear. For example:
In 4A, it’s pretty much a given that we’ll have to separate the two Casper schools. With three schools (Gillette, Sheridan and Thunder Basin) in the northeast and three (Rock Springs, Green River and Evanston) in the southwest, we pretty much have to split the two Casper schools to make balanced conferences.
The same thing happens with the Fremont County schools Lander and Riverton in 3A. Again, pockets of three-school groupings — Pinedale, Star Valley and Jackson in the far west and Cody, Worland and Powell in the northwest — make it tough to keep Lander and Riverton together.
In 2A, we have to split neighbors Moorcroft and Newcastle — three-school pockets of Greybull, Thermopolis and Lovell in the Northwest and Glenrock, Burns and Wheatland in the southeast force us to split the northeast pairing of the Dogies and Wolves.
Meanwhile, in 1A, things get complicated because we have 13 remaining schools. Rather than two conferences of four teams apiece and one of five, I split the teams into four conferences of four, three, three and three schools. Because of that scheduling, most 1A 11-man teams had to play either three straight home games or three straight road games, something I worked to avoid in other classifications (along with having four road or home games in a five-week stretch) but couldn’t avoid for about half the schools in this conference setup.
Six-man gets to remain relatively unchanged except for conference structure.
Class 4A kept its nine-week schedule; other classifications stayed at eight weeks.
Here is a sample schedule of what Weeks 0-8 (with Zero Week for 4A only) might look like in 2018 if Wyoming adopted these basketball scheduling practices for football (note that “JOB” means JV, out-of-state or bye):
4A Northeast
Gillette: vs. Natrona; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Thunder Basin; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Sheridan; at Thunder Basin.
Sheridan: at Cheyenne South; at Natrona; vs. Cheyenne East; at Gillette; vs. Thunder Basin; at Kelly Walsh; at Thunder Basin; vs. Gillette; vs. Kelly Walsh.
Thunder Basin: at Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne South; at Cody; vs. Kelly Walsh; at Sheridan; at Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; vs. Gillette.
Kelly Walsh: vs. Green River; at Douglas; vs. Natrona; at Thunder Basin; vs. Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Gillette; vs. Thunder Basin; at Sheridan.
4A Southeast
Cheyenne East: at Rock Springs; vs. Evanston; at Sheridan; vs. Cheyenne South; at Laramie; vs. Cheyenne Central; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne South; at Cheyenne Central.
Cheyenne South: vs. Sheridan; at Thunder Basin; vs. Green River; at Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Laramie; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Laramie.
Cheyenne Central: vs. Thunder Basin; at Rock Springs; vs. Gillette; vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne South; at Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne South; at Laramie; vs. Cheyenne East.
Laramie: at Evanston; at Gillette; vs. Rock Springs; at Cheyenne Central; vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne South; at Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Cheyenne South.
4A West
Rock Springs: vs. Cheyenne East; vs. Cheyenne Central; at Laramie; vs. Evanston; at Natrona; vs. Green River; vs. Natrona; at Evanston; at Green River.
Evanston: vs. Laramie; at Cheyenne East; vs. Star Valley; at Rock Springs; vs. Green River; at Natrona; at Green River; vs. Rock Springs; vs. Natrona.
Green River: at Kelly Walsh; vs. Lander; at Cheyenne South; vs. Natrona; at Evanston; at Rock Springs; vs. Evanston; at Natrona; vs. Rock Springs.
Natrona: at Gillette; vs. Sheridan; at Kelly Walsh; at Green River; vs. Rock Springs; vs. Evanston; at Rock Springs; vs. Green River; at Evanston.
3A East
Buffalo: vs. Glenrock; at Worland; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins; vs. Douglas; vs. Rawlins; at Torrington; at Douglas.
Torrington: at JOB; vs. Wheatland; at Buffalo; vs. Douglas; at Rawlins; at Douglas; vs. Buffalo; vs. Rawlins.
Douglas: vs. Kelly Walsh; at Glenrock; vs. Rawlins; at Torrington; at Buffalo; vs. Torrington; at Rawlins; vs. Buffalo.
Rawlins: at Riverton; vs. Powell; at Douglas; vs. Buffalo; vs. Torrington; at Buffalo; vs. Douglas; at Torrington.
3A Northwest
Riverton: vs. Rawlins; at Lander; vs. Cody; at Powell; vs. Worland; vs. Powell; at Cody; at Worland.
Cody: at Jackson; vs. Thunder Basin; at Riverton; vs. Worland; at Powell; at Worland; vs. Riverton; vs. Powell.
Worland: at Star Valley; vs. Buffalo; vs. Powell; at Cody; at Riverton; vs. Cody; at Powell; vs. Riverton.
Powell: vs. Thermopolis; at Rawlins; at Worland; vs. Riverton; vs. Cody; at Riverton; vs. Worland; at Cody.
3A Southwest
Jackson: vs. Cody; at Mountain View; vs. Pinedale; at Lander; vs. Star Valley; vs. Lander; at Pinedale; at Star Valley.
Pinedale: at Kemmerer; vs. Big Piney; at Jackson; vs. Star Valley; at Lander; at Star Valley; vs. Jackson; vs. Lander.
Star Valley: vs. Worland; at Evanston; vs. Lander; at Pinedale; at Jackson; vs. Pinedale; at Lander; vs. Jackson.
Lander: at Green River; vs. Riverton; at Star Valley; vs. Jackson; vs. Pinedale; at Jackson; vs. Star Valley; at Pinedale.
2A East
Wheatland: vs. Wright; at Torrington; vs. Glenrock; at Newcastle; vs. Burns; vs. Newcastle; at Glenrock; at Burns.
Glenrock: at Buffalo; vs. Douglas; at Wheatland; vs. Burns; at Newcastle; at Burns; vs. Wheatland; vs. Newcastle.
Burns: vs. Saratoga; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Newcastle; at Glenrock; at Wheatland; vs. Glenrock; at Newcastle; vs. Wheatland.
Newcastle: vs. Southeast; at Moorcroft; at Burns; vs. Wheatland; vs. Glenrock; at Wheatland; vs. Burns; at Glenrock.
2A Northwest
Greybull: vs. Lyman; at Tongue River; vs. Thermopolis; at Moorcroft; vs. Lovell; vs. Moorcroft; at Thermopolis; at Lovell.
Thermopolis: at Powell; vs. Big Horn; at Greybull; vs. Lovell; at Moorcroft; at Lovell; vs. Greybull; vs. Moorcroft.
Lovell: at Big Horn; vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. Moorcroft; at Thermopolis; at Greybull; vs. Thermopolis; at Moorcroft; vs. Greybull.
Moorcroft: at Upton-Sundance; vs. Newcastle; at Lovell; vs. Greybull; vs. Thermopolis; at Greybull; vs. Lovell; at Thermopolis.
2A Southwest
Kemmerer: vs. Pinedale; at Cokeville; vs. Mountain View; at Lyman; vs. Big Piney; vs. Lyman; at Mountain View; at Big Piney.
Mountain View: at JOB; vs. Jackson; at Kemmerer; vs. Big Piney; at Lyman; at Big Piney; vs. Kemmerer; vs. Lyman.
Big Piney: vs. Cokeville; at Pinedale; vs. Lyman; at Mountain View; at Kemmerer; vs. Mountain View; at Lyman; vs. Kemmerer.
Lyman: at Greybull; vs. Wind River; at Big Piney; vs. Kemmerer; vs. Mountain View; at Kemmerer; vs. Big Piney; at Mountain View.
1A 11-man Northeast
Upton-Sundance: vs. Moorcroft; at Shoshoni; vs. Tongue River; at Lusk; vs. Wright; at Southeast; vs. Lusk; at Wright.
Wright: at Wheatland; vs. JOB; vs. Lusk; at Pine Bluffs; at Upton-Sundance; at Lusk; vs. Big Horn; vs. Upton-Sundance.
Lusk: vs. Pine Bluffs; at Southeast; at Wright; vs. Upton-Sundance; at JOB; vs. Wright; at Upton-Sundance; vs. Saratoga.
1A 11-man Southeast
Southeast: at Newcastle; vs. Lusk; at JOB; at Saratoga; vs. Pine Bluffs; vs. Upton-Sundance; vs. Saratoga; at Pine Bluffs.
Pine Bluffs: at Lusk; at Burns; vs. Saratoga; vs. Wright; at Southeast; at Saratoga; vs. JOB; vs. Southeast.
Saratoga: vs. Burns; at Wyoming Indian; at Pine Bluffs; vs. Southeast; vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. Pine Bluffs; at Southeast; at Lusk.
1A 11-man Northwest
Tongue River: at Wind River; vs. Greybull; at Upton-Sundance; at Rocky Mountain; vs. Big Horn; vs. JOB; vs. Rocky Mountain; at Big Horn.
Big Horn: vs. Lovell; at Thermopolis; vs. Rocky Mountain; vs. JOB; at Tongue River; at Rocky Mountain; at Wright; vs. Tongue River.
Rocky Mountain: vs. Shoshoni; at Lovell; at Big Horn; vs. Tongue River; at Saratoga; vs. Big Horn; at Tongue River; vs. JOB.
1A 11-man Southwest
Wind River: vs. Tongue River; at Lyman; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Cokeville; vs. Shoshoni; vs. Cokeville; at Wyoming Indian; at Shoshoni.
Wyoming Indian: at JOB; vs. Saratoga; at Wind River; vs. Shoshoni; at Cokeville; at Shoshoni; vs. Wind River; vs. Cokeville.
Shoshoni: at Rocky Mountain; vs. Upton-Sundance; vs. Cokeville; at Wyoming Indian; at Wind River; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Cokeville; vs. Wind River.
Cokeville: at Big Piney; vs. Kemmerer; at Shoshoni; vs. Wind River; vs. Wyoming Indian; at Wind River; vs. Shoshoni; at Wyoming Indian.
1A six-man Northeast
NSI: vs. Ten Sleep; at Burlington; vs. Midwest; at Kaycee; vs. Hulett; vs. Kaycee; at Midwest; at Hulett.
Midwest: at Guernsey; vs. Rock River; at NSI; vs. Hulett; at Kaycee; at Hulett; vs. NSI; vs. Kaycee.
Hulett: at Lingle; vs. Guernsey; vs. Kaycee; at Midwest; at NSI; vs. Midwest; at Kaycee; vs. NSI.
Kaycee: at Meeteetse; vs. Lingle; at Hulett; vs. NSI; vs. Midwest; at NSI; vs. Hulett; at Midwest.
1A six-man Southeast
Lingle: vs. Hulett; at Kaycee; vs. Hanna; at Rock River; vs. Guernsey; vs. Rock River; at Hanna; at Guernsey.
Hanna: at Dubois; vs. Snake River; at Lingle; vs. Guernsey; at Rock River; at Guernsey; vs. Lingle; vs. Rock River.
Guernsey: vs. Midwest; at Hulett; vs. Rock River; at Hanna; at Lingle; vs. Hanna; at Rock River; vs. Lingle.
Rock River: vs. St. Stephens; at Midwest; at Guernsey; vs. Lingle; vs. Hanna; at Lingle; vs. Guernsey; at Hanna.
1A six-man Northwest
Riverside: vs. Farson; at St. Stephens; vs. Burlington; at Ten Sleep; vs. Meeteetse; vs. Ten Sleep; at Burlington; at Meeteetse.
Burlington: at Snake River; vs. NSI; at Riverside; vs. Meeteetse; at Ten Sleep; at Meeteetse; vs. Riverside; vs. Ten Sleep.
Meeteetse: vs. Kaycee; at Farson; vs. Ten Sleep; at Burlington; at Riverside; vs. Burlington; at Ten Sleep; vs. Riverside.
Ten Sleep: at NSI; vs. Dubois; at Meeteetse; vs. Riverside; vs. Burlington; at Riverside; vs. Meeteetse; at Burlington.
1A six-man Southwest
Dubois: vs. Hanna; at Ten Sleep; vs. Farson; at Snake River; vs. St. Stephens; vs. Snake River; at Farson; at St. Stephens.
Farson: at Riverside; vs. Meeteetse; at Dubois; vs. St. Stephens; at Snake River; at St. Stephens; vs. Dubois; vs. Snake River.
St. Stephens: at Rock River; vs. Riverside; vs. Snake River; at Farson; at Dubois; vs. Farson; at Snake River; vs. Dubois.
Snake River: vs. Burlington; at Hanna; at St. Stephens; vs. Dubois; vs. Farson; at Dubois; vs. St. Stephens; at Farson.
So, what do you think? Would basketball scheduling ideas work for football? Should the round-robin schedule make a comeback?
–patrick