SPOKANE -- For the first time since the 1965 season, the Northwest League will adopt a split-season format for the upcoming 2010 season.
The Indians season will be split into halves; each 38 games apiece. The playoff structure will be expanded to a best two-of-three divisional series, which will pit the first and second half winners in each division against each other, followed by a best two-of-three league championship series. The format will give more teams the opportunity to reach the postseason.
The winner of the first half will receive the opportunity to choose the playoff schedule for the divisional round of the playoffs. The first half winning club can choose to host either game one or games two and three. The league championship series will continue on a rotating basis with game one in the East Division city and games two and three in the West Division city in 2010.
Since 1965, the winner from the East and West division has played each other in a championship series, and there has been no split-season format.
The Indians will still play the same amount of teams from each division, as they play each team in the East Division 12 times (six home, six away) and each team in the West Division 10 times (five home, five away) for a total of 76 games. This unbalanced format has been in place in the NWL since 1987.
