I'll start out by presenting some options for basketball regular season scheduling. Tourney formats and scheduling for other sports, esp football can go here too.

Regular Season Basketball Options

Option 1: 18 games, 4 pods, No Divisions

a) Teams are placed into groups of four for scheduling purposes.
b) Intrapodal, home-and-away
c) Extrapodal, once a year
d) seed tournament 16 vs 1, etc
e*) In order to create a balanced schedule, use the first intrapodal games for tie-breaking purposes only

*-optional

Podmates will play twice a year, every one else will play each other once a year on average (0,1, and 2) every three years.

Option 2: 18 or 22 games, 2 divisions.

a) Two eight team divisions
b) Intradivisional, home-and-away (14 games)
c) Extradivisional, every other year (18 game schedule) once a year (22 game schedule)
d) seed tournament S1 vs N8, etc
e*) play extradivisional first (start in December, finish in early January)
f*) use extradivisional results for tiebreaking purposes only

*-optional

Within division plays twice a year, other divisions either every other year (18 games) or once a year (22 games)
If the divisions are geographic, this option will involve the least travel.

Option 3: 18 games, 4 pods, 2 divisions

a) Four 4-team pods
b) Pair pods to form divisions, rotate 3 possible permutations annually
c) Intradivisional, home-and-away (14 games)
d) Play team in one other pod once

Podmates will play twice a year, every one else will play each other once a year on average (0,1, and 2) every three years.