[Redrum]

Stanford plays UCLA and the University of South Central every year.

Just prior to the schedule being released,  it was floated by someone in the Pac12 office that the schedule might take some getting used to AND  it was mentioned prominently that the insistence on keeping the North/South games with the LA schools intact was a major driver (impediment)  to the schedule that would be released.  That could be just bull**** to cover other motives,  but it has some validity on its face.  Balancing all schools' OOC games,  some contracted years in advance,  AND play in their division, AND keep the LA schools on the schedule is a tall order.    The only relief can come from rotating on/off inter-division games w/ LA schools and long-term of adjusting OOC games to fit the Pac-12 schedule.  This might mean that ND drops off ours eventually and that a national solution ( weeks 1-3 of the season become a national OOC "preseason").

[Redrum]

Stanford plays UCLA and the University of South Central every year.

Just prior to the schedule being released,  it was floated by someone in the Pac12 office that the schedule might take some getting used to AND  it was mentioned prominently that the insistence on keeping the North/South games with the LA schools intact was a major driver (impediment)  to the schedule that would be released.  That could be just bull**** to cover other motives,  but it has some validity on its face.  Balancing all schools' OOC games,  some contracted years in advance,  AND play in their division, AND keep the LA schools on the schedule is a tall order.    The only relief can come from rotating on/off inter-division games w/ LA schools and long-term of adjusting OOC games to fit the Pac-12 schedule.  This might mean that ND drops off ours eventually and that a national solution ( weeks 1-3 of the season become a national OOC "preseason").