Sounds very middle school-esque, but also sounds really fun. It'll get tons of coverage and interest, that's for sure.
Here's the idea, assuming that there are 8 teams that make the playoffs:
- Teams 1 gets to choose from teams 5-8. Team 2 picks from the remaining 3, and team 3 from the remaining two, and the last team goes to team #4
- The 8th place team might not necessarily be the best matchup for #1, so they get to pick
- Team #3 kind of has the option to help themselves or screw over team #4 - i.e. get them the farthest opponent so that they have to travel more.
- It makes positioning more important - i.e. even if we've qualified for the playoffs, we want to guarantee a better place
- It gives the last weeks of the season a little more intrigue - it's not just about who's in, but speculating who they might play.
- The betting aspect would be interesting as well.