Home/Away Scheduling?

[TeamPats]

I know it's pretty easy to determine at the end of the year what opponents will be chosen for the Pats or any team the following year. But how do they choose who's home and who's away? Besides from the obvious inter-divisional game a piece as well as the remaining 10 having 5 home and 5 away, I don't get how they determine the rest. We play @ NE again against Indi, I continue to find this amusing year in and year out, but I was wondering if anyone here knew how this was determined.

 

[richpats]

I know it's pretty easy to determine at the end of the year what opponents will be chosen for the Pats or any team the following year. But how do they choose who's home and who's away? Besides from the obvious inter-divisional game a piece as well as the remaining 10 having 5 home and 5 away, I don't get how they determine the rest. We play @ NE again against Indi, I continue to find this amusing year in and year out, but I was wondering if anyone here knew how this was determined.

When the NFL expanded to 32 and realigned the divisions, it pre-determined 14/16 matchups for each team until 2009. This was designed to eliminate the prior scheduling anomalies that had teams not playing each other or only playing at one site.

One of the flaws, IMO, is that some teams can play at a non-division opponent two, even three years in a row. This is how we have Indy at home in 2006, b/c it was guaranteed by the scheduling rotation. If Pittsburgh had won the North, we'd be going back there AGAIN in 2006.

Here's the list of Pats' future opponents until 2009:

http://www.patriots.com/search/index.cfm?ac=searchdetail&pid=2862&pcid=43

 

[TeamPats]

Thank Richpats

I was not aware that the home and away games had also already been determined.

 

[stinkypete]

I don't consider the posibility of playing the same non-division opponent a flaw at all. It creates stronger confrence rivalries among the teams who are good year in and year out.

 

[richpats]

I don't consider the posibility of playing the same non-division opponent a flaw at all. It creates stronger confrence rivalries among the teams who are good year in and year out.

I see your point, but I was referring to the stretches of consecutive home or away games a team may have to play against their rival. I know it can work both ways but playing at a non-division opponent 3 years in a row is a bit rough (yes, even for Indy).