📡 Administrators and coaches feel the SEC will land at 9 conference games with a 3-6 format when Texas and Oklahoma join

[alabama mike]

Something is going to have to be done to have more SEC teams playing each other on a more regular basis. The current rotation is horrible with only seeing some teams every 10 years or so. I hope they can get something worked out that will benefit all the teams in the conference.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

Something is going to have to be done to have more SEC teams playing each other on a more regular basis. The current rotation is horrible with only seeing some teams every 10 years or so. I hope they can get something worked out that will benefit all the teams in the conference.

Has to be 9 games to start. From there you either go with pods or just one big conference. If you have 4 pods and 9 games you get 3 teams in your pod, one full other pod, and 2 more games. That allows you to play everyone home and home at least once every 4 years. And it basically keeps the current system for the championship in place since each year 2 pods will play all teams in each pod leading to an easy division for the championship. But I expect they are going to do something else that means we will have 4 teams trying to tie break the championship game.

 

[MunchyOs]

Blow up barn game. No value to Bama in my opinion. I have posted this before. Have not seen any others align with that view. Maybe not practical due ot the politics that would be involved.

I would not be surprised to see the Iron Bowl on the chopping block once these changes begin

 

[OldPlayer]

You assume pods are the end result. I am not convinced that they aren't going to have one big conference without pods or divisions.

You and I both don’t know what they’re going to do. But, they need to find a way to maintain long-standing rivalries that are good for the conference. Alabama - Auburn; Texas - Oklahoma; Georgia - Florida; Ole Miss - Miss State. Those are easy ones just based on proximity and tradition. But what about Auburn - Georgia? Tennessee - Vandy? Tennessee - Florida? Any way you look at it, some traditional rivals will be dropped.

IMO, they will have some type of grouping. Choosing the top two teams only based on conference record is likely to invoke too many tiebreaker rules or cause too many rematches.

 

[BamaFan334]

Has to be 9 games to start. From there you either go with pods or just one big conference. If you have 4 pods and 9 games you get 3 teams in your pod, one full other pod, and 2 more games. That allows you to play everyone home and home at least once every 4 years. And it basically keeps the current system for the championship in place since each year 2 pods will play all teams in each pod leading to an easy division for the championship. But I expect they are going to do something else that means we will have 4 teams trying to tie break the championship game.

Texas is like the government, screw up everything they touch, ha ha ha ha. The SEC had a good thing until we decided to bring those asses in.

 

[MunchyOs]

It's going to be a different landscape come 2025 (or possibly sooner). I read sometime back that NO traditional rivalry is safe. Imagine no more Iron Bowl, World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, or Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. Imagine the barn, LSU, and the viles, all 3 off of our schedule. Who would be our new traditional year end rivalry game? Who would be our new 3rd Saturday in October opponent? I say let's just tell boomer sooner and hook em that they are the new kids on the block that we will play them when we play them.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

IMO, they will have some type of grouping. Choosing the top two teams only based on conference record is likely to invoke too many tiebreaker rules or cause too many rematches.

I agree. And that is precisely why I think they will screw it up badly at first. Even Pods doesn't fix that issue at all unless you make sure that scheduling ensures those pods play each other properly. I believe the old school folks who think that teams like Bama/UGA/UT have to have 4-6 games a year against their "rivals" are going to ensure it gets messed up badly. If we do go pods, then each team should only get to keep one rival. Otherwise it gets to be a mess.

Personally, I would give up Auburn to keep Tennessee and LSU any day of the week. But the statehouse would scream about that.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

It's going to be a different landscape come 2025 (or possibly sooner). I read sometime back that NO traditional rivalry is safe. Imagine no more Iron Bowl

I think that the statehouse might try to pass a law if anyone tries to touch the Iron Bowl. Both being public schools and Barner MeeMaw as governor, I could see them trying to force the issue.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Bama n AU arent going anywhere
Uga n Florida arent...
Uga and AU
Ok andTx
Tn n vandy
Ms n ms state
Bama n TN

Some things wont be stood for

 

[OldPlayer]

I agree. And that is precisely why I think they will screw it up badly at first. Even Pods doesn't fix that issue at all unless you make sure that scheduling ensures those pods play each other properly. I believe the old school folks who think that teams like Bama/UGA/UT have to have 4-6 games a year against their "rivals" are going to ensure it gets messed up badly. If we do go pods, then each team should only get to keep one rival. Otherwise it gets to be a mess.

Personally, I would give up Auburn to keep Tennessee and LSU any day of the week. But the statehouse would scream about that.

An option is:

You play the other three teams in your pod every year + you have one traditional rival outside of your pod. The other five games rotate every year.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

An option is:

You play the other three teams in your pod every year + you have one traditional rival outside of your pod. The other five games rotate every year.

If the goal is home and home every 4 years that doesn't work. You play 4 teams every year so their home and home is covered in 4 years easy. That leaves 11 teams you need to play. In 4 years that is 20 games available, but you have 22 you need to play if you want home and home with everyone every 4 years.

 

[OldPlayer]

If the goal is home and home every 4 years that doesn't work. You play 4 teams every year so their home and home is covered in 4 years easy. That leaves 11 teams you need to play. In 4 years that is 20 games available, but you have 22 you need to play if you want home and home with everyone every 4 years.

For the 3 other teams in your pod + 1 traditional rival, you have a home-and-home in 2 years. You play them every year so if you’re home this year then next year you’re away (and vice versa). The home-and-home for the other 11 teams doesn’t have to be in consecutive years. It’s almost impossible to play 4 teams annually in a home-and-home, and 11 other teams in a home-and-home over 4 years in a 9-game conference schedule. Yes, you can play 5 teams (outside of your pod) in a mix of home-and-home in years 1 and 2, take the next 5 teams and play home-and-home in years 3 and 4, but then you have a remaining team (team #11) in year 5 that you haven’t played yet. How do you fill the schedule for conference games 6 through 9 (3 pod games + 1 traditional rival + 1 SEC team you didn’t play in years 1-4 + 4 other SEC teams out of 10 available that you did play in years 1-4). The odd number of teams plus the odd number of games throws a wrench into everything.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

For the 3 other teams in your pod + 1 traditional rival, you have a home-and-home in 2 years. You play them every year so if you’re home this year then next year you’re away (and vice versa). The home-and-home for the other 11 teams doesn’t have to be in consecutive years. It’s almost impossible to play 4 teams annually in a home-and-home, and 11 other teams in a home-and-home over 4 years in a 9-game conference schedule. Yes, you can play 5 teams (outside of your pod) in a mix of home-and-home in years 1 and 2, take the next 5 teams and play home-and-home in years 3 and 4, but then you have a remaining team (team #11) in year 5 that you haven’t played yet. How do you fill the schedule for conference games 6 through 9 (3 pod games + 1 traditional rival + 1 SEC team you didn’t play in years 1-4 + 4 other SEC teams out of 10 available that you did play in years 1-4). The odd number of teams plus the odd number of games throws a wrench into everything.

Easy to play everyone home and home in 4 years without a yearly rivalry game outside your pod. That's why there probably will not be one.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Easy to play everyone home and home in 4 years without a yearly rivalry game outside your pod. That's why there probably will not be one.

10 conference game schedule fixes all that....but it ain’t happening...

But i like getting rid of divisions...dont need pods...
Just have each team with 2 traditional rivals....and rotate rest

And best 2 teams play for SEC championship

Don’t even know what all this pod stuff is about

 

[252BAMA]

Blow up barn game. No value to Bama in my opinion. I have posted this before. Have not seen any others align with that view. Maybe not practical due ot the politics that would be involved.

Whether we agree or not, isn't there still a State law that requires them to play? That is why the series resumed in 1948. IMO, if the format was 1-8, the SEC would make them the Bama permanent.

 

[252BAMA]

10 conference game schedule fixes all that....but it ain’t happening...

But i like getting rid of divisions...dont need pods...
Just have each team with 2 traditional rivals....and rotate rest

And best 2 teams play for SEC championship

Don’t even know what all this pod stuff is about

2-7 doesn't work very well if at all. The second number needs to be an even number. That is why they are saying 3-6.

 

[rick4bama]

No matter how it will be done! We all will not LIKE IT!!

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

10 conference game schedule fixes all that....but it ain’t happening...

But i like getting rid of divisions...dont need pods...
Just have each team with 2 traditional rivals....and rotate rest

And best 2 teams play for SEC championship

Don’t even know what all this pod stuff is about

Works great until you have 4 who have not played each other all go undefeated. Poll ranking or flipping coins are horrible ways to decide who plays in a conference championship but that will happen at some point.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

2-7 doesn't work very well if at all. The second number needs to be an even number. That is why they are saying 3-6.

2-7 works better than the current method. In a 16 team conference with 2 yearly rivals and 9 games per year, you guarantee home and home with everyone at least every 4 years. And it puts some rotation into it since it really only takes 7 conference games in year 4 to complete the cycle. Having no divisions or properly schedule pods does create a huge issue for the SECCG though. It would be easy to see 3-4 teams being tied in record, not having played each other, and not enough common opponents to determine a tie breaker.

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

2-7 works better than the current method. In a 16 team conference with 2 yearly rivals and 9 games per year, you guarantee home and home with everyone at least every 4 years. And it puts some rotation into it since it really only takes 7 conference games in year 4 to complete the cycle. Having no divisions or properly schedule pods does create a huge issue for the SECCG though. It would be easy to see 3-4 teams being tied in record, not having played each other, and not enough common opponents to determine a tie breaker.

Biggest screw up that I envision is them coming up with some asinine formula for tie breakers.