Add two teams. Everyone plays each other twice in a 62 game season. It's still 24 more games per team than the Premier League, without counting the NBA playoffs and the tournament play in soccer/ football.
Add Seattle and Vegas. To the Western Conference.
Move one of Minnesota, Memphis, or New Orleans to the Eastern Conference (whichever makes the most sense logistically).
Cut division alignment and just have conference alignment (that’s pretty much how they display standings now anyway).
Scheduling option #1:
Cut the regular season from 82 to 77 games.
Each team plays 3 games against the other 15 conference opponents (45 games). 3 games makes for an easy head-to-head tiebreaker. Home court advantage rotates every season.
Each team plays 2 games against the 16 non-conference opponents, just as it is now (32 games).
There’s your 77 games, which also helps cut down on needing to play back-to-back games.
Scheduling option #2:
An alternative plan is a 76-game schedule.
Each team plays the other 15 conference opponents 4x (60 games) and the 16 non-conference opponents only once (16 games) with home court rotating every season.
Scheduling option #3:
Align each conference into 4 divisions of 4 teams.
Each team plays their 3 division opponents 4x (12 games).
Each team plays the remaining 12 conference (non-divisional) opponents 3x (36 games). Home court rotates each season.
Each team plays 2 games against the 16 teams non-conference opponents, just as it is now (32 games).
That’s a total of 80 games and only a reduction of 2 regular season games.
Scheduling option #4:
Align each conference into 2 divisions of 8.
Each team plays their 7 division opponents 4x (28 games).
Each team plays the remaining 8 conference (non-divisional) opponents 3x (24 games). Home court rotates each season.
Each team plays 2 games against the 16 teams non-conference opponents, just as it is now (32 games).
That’s a total of 84 games and only an addition of 2 regular season games.
