Realignment (sports)
Encyclopedia
In North America
n sports, realignment occurs in sports when a league decides to change which teams are in which divisions
, usually by creating new divisions. In all of the four major North American sports leagues, all of the teams are grouped into one of two conferences, (or leagues in baseball) while each conference/league is further subdivided into divisions. Teams in the same division play each other more regularly than teams in the same conference, and much more often than teams in the other conference. Teams from the same division can form intense rivalries. The top team from a division is always guaranteed a playoff spot and guaranteed a higher seeding in the playoffs. Divisions are usually based on geography, both to minimise travel costs and to encourage regional rivalries.
Divisions are not always static. Sometimes a team may relocate to a new city, and as a result the division may become geographically skewed. For instance, when the Atlanta Thrashers
of the NHL became the Winnipeg Jets
in 2011, they would have been a team from a north-western city playing in the south-eastern conference, so the NHL engaged in realignment to keep the divisions geographically consistent. Also, divisions need to be roughly equal in size to ensure that each team has an equal chance of becoming division champion. When a league introduces a new teams in a new markets, placing them in the division best suited to their geography may result in more teams in that division, so realignment is necessary. The 1969 baseball realignment coincided with the addition of four teams, whereas its 1994 realignment creating extra divisions in both the American League
and the National League
came a year after the league added the Colorado Rockies
and Florida Marlins
. The National Football League
realigned to its current eight-division format after a series of team relocations had created geographically skewed divisions.
Sometimes a sport will favour old division rivalries over geographical consistency. The rivalries the Dallas Cowboys
of the NFL maintain with the teams of the eastern seaboard, especially the Washington Redskins
, meant they were kept in an eastern division after realignment, even though they are geographically dissimilar to their division rivals.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n sports, realignment occurs in sports when a league decides to change which teams are in which divisions
Division (sport)
In sports, a division is a group of teams who compete against each other for a championship.-League system:In sports using a league system , a division consists a group of teams who play a sport at a similar competitive level...
, usually by creating new divisions. In all of the four major North American sports leagues, all of the teams are grouped into one of two conferences, (or leagues in baseball) while each conference/league is further subdivided into divisions. Teams in the same division play each other more regularly than teams in the same conference, and much more often than teams in the other conference. Teams from the same division can form intense rivalries. The top team from a division is always guaranteed a playoff spot and guaranteed a higher seeding in the playoffs. Divisions are usually based on geography, both to minimise travel costs and to encourage regional rivalries.
Divisions are not always static. Sometimes a team may relocate to a new city, and as a result the division may become geographically skewed. For instance, when the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
of the NHL became the Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA...
in 2011, they would have been a team from a north-western city playing in the south-eastern conference, so the NHL engaged in realignment to keep the divisions geographically consistent. Also, divisions need to be roughly equal in size to ensure that each team has an equal chance of becoming division champion. When a league introduces a new teams in a new markets, placing them in the division best suited to their geography may result in more teams in that division, so realignment is necessary. The 1969 baseball realignment coincided with the addition of four teams, whereas its 1994 realignment creating extra divisions in both the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
came a year after the league added the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
and Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. The National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
realigned to its current eight-division format after a series of team relocations had created geographically skewed divisions.
Sometimes a sport will favour old division rivalries over geographical consistency. The rivalries the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
of the NFL maintain with the teams of the eastern seaboard, especially the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, meant they were kept in an eastern division after realignment, even though they are geographically dissimilar to their division rivals.