"NFL's Parity Push: How Scheduling Aims to Even the Playing Field In an effort to reduce the dominance of perennial powerhouse teams, the National Football League has implemented a scheduling strategy aimed at promoting parity among its 32 franchises. One key aspect of this approach involves strategically pairing top teams from the previous season with lower-ranked teams, while also pitting the league's worst teams against each other. This intentional matchmaking is designed to create more competitive games and increase the likelihood of upsets, ultimately bridging the gap between haves and have-nots. But does this approach truly level the playing field, or is it just a clever tactic to keep fans engaged?"
One way the NFL tries to promote parity is by managing schedules in a way that creates matchups between the best teams from one season to the next, but also as games in which the worst teams play against each other. In other words, if you finished last in your division, you are guaranteed to...
