Who Are The 8 Players You Would Protect from An Expansion Draft?

[SkenfromLMF]

Dude I think this expansion plus the in-season tournament has the opportunity to eliminate or at least significantly diminish the conference concept...

Scheduling:
Every team plays each team twice - 62 games
Each team plays their division twice more - 6

Play in tournament pool games in 8 team pods: each with 2 division winners through 4th place from each division (the previous year) and play each other twice - 14 games.

Easy example
Pacific pod - winners from NW & Pacific, 2nd place from MW & SW; 3rd place Central & Great Lakes; 4th place from ATL & SE

Midwest Pod - 1st from MW & SW; 2nd from Central & GL; 3rd from ATL & SE; 4th from NW & Pac

Central Pod: 1st - Cent & GL; 2nd - ATL & SE; 3rd - PAC & NW; 4th - MW & SW

Atlantic Pod: 1st ATL & SE; 2nd PAC & NW; 3rd SW & MW; 4th C & GL

In-Season tournament semi-finals: 4 Pool winners - games do not count toward standings, but count as tie-breakers.


Since there are no conference games you could justify taking the top 16 teams in the league with a play in for the 13-16 slots that includes: 13, 16, 17, & 20 on one side of the bracket; 14, 15, 18, & 19 on the other.