Here's the breakdown:
6 games vs. teams in their division (6x4=24)
4 games vs. teams from other two divisions in the conference (4x10=40)
1-2 games vs. each team from the other conference (18 games against 15 teams)
24+40+18=82
Each team plays 41 home games and 41 away games each season.
The best 8 teams in each conference make the playoffs. 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, etc. The winner of each conference plays each other in the Stanley Cup Final. The winner of that is the winner if the NHL that year.
In any given season an nfl team plays every team in its division twice. Then the schedule of who else they play, within their conference, is on a cycle. Every year it alternates to a different division. Then the team also play one of the four divisions from the other conference. Now they have 14 games. The remaining two games are played against one team from the remaining two divisions in their conference based on schedule. And that's 16.
Any given team will play every opposite conference team twice, and then they play ten in-conference teams four times (included in those ten is every team in that teams division) then then play the remaining four teams three times,(two from eachof the in-conference other division teams reamaining)
4 games against each other in its own division 3 or 4 games against each other in its own conference 2 games against each team in the other conference 41 games home and 41 games away
Win your division or make it in the wildcard. If you have a by round you beat 2 other teams in your conference and if you don't you beat 3 teams in your conference and the winner of the other conference.
The NFL schedules aren't made until after the Super Bowl each season. However because of the current schedule format you can know who any team will play for 14 of their games for any particular year into the future. Each NFL team will have 2 games each versus their three division opponents, so that is six games you will know every year. Each division will play one entire division from the other conference, they will play each division from the other conference every four years. Each division will play an entire division within their own conference, meaning every team will play each division from their own conference every three years. The last two teams you will have to play are the other teams in your conference who finished in the same place in their division as you did in yours. I will use the former champion Pittsburgh Steelers to show an example. Here is who they played in 2010: Their own division : 2 games vs. the Ravens, 2 games vs the Bengals, 2 games vs the Browns The AFC North plays the NFC North this year so they will play: Vikings, Packers, Bears, Lions The AFC North plays the AFC West this year so they will play : Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos and Raiders this year. The Steelers finished 1st last season so they will face the other two teams who finished first in their divisions in the AFC last year : Titans and Dolphins
SIUe began the transition to NCAA Division I in 2007. Here is a breakdown for you. 2007-2008: exploratory year: SIUE commits to Division I, accepts membership in the Ohio Valley Conference, plays final year against division II schedule. 2008-2009: plays a mixed schedule of D-I, D-II, D-III, NAIA games. 2009-2010: Full Division I schedule as D-I Independent 2010-2011: Fastracked sports, men's soccer begins play in Missouri Valley Conference as a fully certified member as does softball in the OVC. Other sports remain Independent. 2011-2012: First year all sports (besides soccer in the MVC and wrestling (still Independent, but accepted into the SoCon for 2012-2013) compete against a full OVC schedule. 2012-2013: FULLY CERTIFIED DIVISION I PROGRAM ELIGIBLE FOR POSTSEASON PLAY!!
8 teams in each of the 2 conferences make the playoffs. Each conference has 3 divisions. Only the division winners are assured playoff spots. The other 5 spots in each conference go to the remaining teams with the best records. The final faceoff is the eastern conference champion against the western conference champion
A maximum of 4 since there are eight divisions in the League and each team plays the other teams within their division twice and each team within a division of a Conference plays each team within a division of the other Conference.
Quoted from cbs sportsline press release May 2001. ....Another plus for most of the owners is the new scheduling format, under which every team will meet every other at least once in four years. There will be six home-and-home divisional games; four against teams in another division within a conference; and four more against a division in the other conference on a rotating basis. The final two games will be against conference teams based on the previous year's standings -- first against first, second against second, and so on.
Quoted from cbs sportsline press release May 2001. ....Another plus for most of the owners is the new scheduling format, under which every team will meet every other at least once in four years. There will be six home-and-home divisional games; four against teams in another division within a conference; and four more against a division in the other conference on a rotating basis. The final two games will be against conference teams based on the previous year's standings -- first against first, second against second, and so on.
It depends on the division and conference. Teams in the same division play each other more often, followed by teams in the same conference, and then they may play teams in the other conference only once or twice per year. I think they play 6 games against each team in their division and I don't think there is a set number for any other teams, but the NHL is looking to make it more consistant.
Playoff berths are awarded according to conference ranking, not records. The top six seeds in each conference make the playoffs, no matter what their records are. That includes the four division winners and two wild card teams (the non-division winners with the two best records). In theory, it's possible to not win a single game and still make the playoffs! Every team in a division would have to go 0-10-6, with every team tying every other team in the division and losing all their games outside the division. Strength of schedule would be the first tiebreaker to kick in to determine a division winner.