Midway through last year, we moved from an old, 12 lane house to a 24 lane house.  Our league is now 16 teams instead of 12.  What we've always done is had 2 halves, and the winners of the first half met the winners of the second half for the championship.  I'd like to see more teams have a shot, and at our meeting tonight I intend to suggest just that.  These are the options I have come up with, what do you think?  Which do you like better, and why?  Thanks!

Proposed change option 1:

•   Three 11 week thirds (10 weeks plus roll-off, championship in weeks 34-35)
•   Four team championship – 3 different “third” winners and a fourth, wild card team (Wild card team would be team w/ highest point total that did NOT win a third.)
•   A team CANNOT win more than one third, though point total at the end of season would determine seeding.  In the event a team wins more than one third, the team in second place would get a slot in the championship.  We could also elect to award some additional prize money should a team win multiple thirds.
•   Teams are seeded based on point TOTALS for the season, 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 in week 34, the winners of those matches meet in week 35 to determine the champion

Proposed change option 2:

•   Four 8 week quarters (7 weeks plus roll-off, championship in weeks 33-35)
•   Six team championship – 4 different “quarter” winners and 2 wild card teams (2 teams w/ highest point total that did not win a quarter)
•   Same as above, a team CANNOT win more than one quarter, though it does factor in seeding.  The next highest team in that quarter that did not already win gets a spot.
•   Championship would work as follows:  Teams are seeded 1-6 based on point totals, wild cards can NOT be seeded higher than 5, however.  Seeds 1 and 2 would get a bye in week 33, while 3 bowls 6, and 4 bowls 5.  Week 34 would pit seed 1 against lowest seed and seed 2 against highest seed.  Winners of those matches would meet in week 35 for the championship.

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Mr. Lebowski, this is Bill Salnicker with the Southern Cal Bowling League, and I just got a, an informal report, that a member of your team, uh, Walter Sobchak, drew a firearm during league play. If this is true of course, it contravenes a number of the league's by-laws, and article 27 of the league...

I like option 2 only without the wild card teams.

Each of the quarter winners would bowl against each other as a whole and not as separate pairs. Have the teams move to where each team will bowl 1 game against the other 3 never bowling on the same lane. I am showing all 16 teams to show the movement.
Example

Lanes   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16
Game 1   Q1   Q2   Q3   Q4   T5   T6   T7   T8   T9   T10   T11   T12   T13   T14   T15   T16
Game 2   T13   T15   T14   T16   Q1   Q3   Q2   Q4   T5   T7   T6   T8   T9   T11   T10   T12
Game 3   T9   T12   T10   T11   T13   T16   T14   T15   Q1   Q4   Q2   Q3   T5   T8   T6   T7

Q# = Quarter winners
T# = Team positions for non Q winners

I think it would be best to use a team handicap system, where the high average team in each block would be giving pins to each of the other teams.
Hypothetical numbers.
Q1 1100
Q2 1080 (20*. +16
Q3 1060 (40*. +32
Q4 1040 (60*. +48

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Another option I thought of is taking option 1 and adding divisions.  So in the 11th week roll-off for each third, the winners of the two divisions would meet to determine that third's champion.  If a team is already in the championship, the next highest team in that division would be in the roll-off.  Thoughts?
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Mr. Lebowski, this is Bill Salnicker with the Southern Cal Bowling League, and I just got a, an informal report, that a member of your team, uh, Walter Sobchak, drew a firearm during league play. If this is true of course, it contravenes a number of the league's by-laws, and article 27 of the league...