![]() ![]() ![]() Because you have to win your games to advance, right? You need to be in the SEC championship, possibly, with expanded playoff. "You guys need something to write about bad when you start talking about this. You have two, you have three, you have one," Smart said. When Georgia traveled to Mississippi State last season, it was its first trip to Starkville since 2010. In the past, cross-divisional teams could go long stretches without playing each other. He pointed out that, regardless of eight or nine conference games, by moving to a division-less format each team would play every opponent in the SEC twice - home and away - during a four-year period. nine conference games "the most overrated conversation there ever was." Georgia coach Kirby Smart took a different approach, calling the entire debate over eight vs. How strength of schedule is viewed would be a "critical factor" in the decision, he said. So having a balance is probably the most important thing."įlorida coach Billy Napier said he wondered about the impact scheduling would have on at-large bids in an expanded 12-team playoff in 2024 and beyond. So now I think there's more people in tune to scheduling. "My deal was always to play more SEC games because we couldn't get other people to schedule. And if we go to nine games, we'll have to unwind that," he said. "I think one of the more difficult things with going to nine games is we've tried to schedule two out-of-conference Power 5 games to try to improve our strength of schedule over the next seven, eight, nine, 10 years. But his position appeared to change recently, focusing instead on the need to play only Power 5 teams, which he said would be better for fans and improve teams' strength of schedules. It doesn't lead."Ĭoaches focused on the impact a ninth conference game would have on bowl eligibility and the ability to make the College Football Playoff.Īlabama coach Nick Saban had been an advocate for playing nine conference games in the past. Among them: competitive balance and the desire for more revenue in return for the additional conference game.Īsked about the possibility of being compensated for an extra conference game, Sankey said he believes, "Money follows. There were a number of issues causing concern among stakeholders regarding the nine-game conference schedule. Other than the obvious rivalries such as Alabama-Auburn, Georgia-Florida and Mississippi State-Ole Miss, sources told ESPN's Chris Low that a priority for the league would be preserving other long-standing rivalries such as Alabama-Tennessee, Auburn-Georgia and Texas-Texas A&M during the 2024 season. "We understand the important matchups," he said. Sankey said the eight-game schedule in 2024 will be based on "fairness and balance" and that "traditional rivalries" would be a major factor. ![]() The eight-game conference schedule discussed at this week's spring meetings features one permanent opponent and seven rotating opponents. The SEC currently plays an eight-game conference schedule - games against all six division opponents plus two cross-divisional games. In response to a question about the argument for a nine-game schedule, Sankey said Monday, "A league at the forefront of college athletics does not stand still." The proposal would have featured three permanent opponents, which would preserve long-standing rivalries, as well as six rotating opponents. Sankey had strongly hinted at his preference for a nine-game conference schedule leading up to the SEC's spring meetings in Destin, Florida, this week. Sankey said that the league will continue exploring scheduling options for 2025 and beyond. But it will be going forward in 2024 without divisions.Ĭommissioner Greg Sankey told reporters Thursday that the league has approved a temporary eight-game conference schedule for the 2024 football season when it welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the league. The SEC won't be moving to a nine-game conference schedule after all. SEC, sans divisions, going with 8-game conference slate in '24Ĭollege Football, Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ole Miss Rebels, Arkansas Razorbacks, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Longhorns, Vanderbilt Commodores, Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats, Missouri Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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