1971 Schedule

As announced in the league meetings, the 1971 season would see the NAAF expand its schedule from 12 games per team to 14 games per team. Each team will play 8 games against their own division and 6 between the other two divisions. Each team will play a rival team 2 times (home and home). The rivals remain the same as last season. Then, each team will play 2 of the remaining 4 divisional teams 2 times (home and home), and then the final two teams they will play once (1 home and 1 on the road). 

As for the 6 interdivisional games, each team will play 3 games against each division. The standings from the previous season determine the opponents that each team plays this season. 1st, 3rd, and 5th place finishers (within their division) will be grouped together and play each other, and then 2nd, 4th, and 6th place finishers will be grouped together and play each other. So for example, the Raiders finished 1st in the East, they have Minnesota (1st), Winnipeg (3rd), and Regina (5th) from the West Division, and then Buffalo (1st), Indiana (3rd), and Toronto (5th) from the Central Division. As for where the games are played, each division will “host” another division. This season, East hosts Central, Central hosts West, and West hosts East. This means all the East teams will host their games against the Central and so on. However, the team that you finished in the same place as in the other division, so Buffalo and Minnesota from the example before, will have the host flipped. That way there is a more balanced travel schedule for most teams. 

So to continue the example, here is the Long Island Raiders' list of opponents.

Division Rival
VS. Halifax
@ Halifax

Remaining Divisional Games
VS. Boston
@ Boston
VS. Montreal
@ Montreal
VS. Ottawa
@ Providence

Against West Division
VS. Minnesota *
@ Winnipeg
@ Regina

Against Central Division
@ Buffalo *
VS. Indiana
VS. Toronto

“*” - indicates the game that is “flipped”.

I hope this makes sense, and intrigues those who have an enjoyment of schedule formulas

As for the full schedule, here are some other notes. With the expanded schedule, the season is now 15 weeks long. The season will begin on June 24, 1971, and conclude on October 24, 1971, with the 53rd McCallister Cup in Providence, RI. Bye weeks will happen in Weeks 8, 9, and 10. Each week a division will get the week off, the order of which is determined by the final finishing place from the previous season. The division with the highest finisher will go last and the rest in reverse order. 

Now for some important dates and games. As mentioned the season will begin on June 24, 1971, with the Long Island Raiders hosting the Boston Independents. In week 2, Canada Day will feature two matchups this season, with the London Tigers hosting the Edmonton Rangers, before the Ottawa Royals host the Toronto Steelheads. The 4th of July will also have two games, featuring Indiana heading up to Buffalo and Boston welcoming Pittsburgh. Rivalry week will occur in Week 6, as usual with Buffalo and London’s rematch the next week. Labour Day will have two matchups in week 11, with the battle of Alberta kicking off the show in Edmonton, and then the usual battle between Indiana and Louisville later in the day. The season will conclude on October 2, 1971, with all games occurring on the same day. As of now, Ottawa and Long Island are scheduled as the season finale, but the game could be changed if there is a more suitable game for the later slot. 

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Here is a look at each team's individual schedules as well: