🏈 SEC staying with 8 conf games schedule

[planomateo]

I'm disappointed big time in this.

Link

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Southeastern Conference on Sunday announced the format for future football scheduling that is a continuation of the existing format and adds a strength-of-schedule component that requires all schools to play an ACC, Big 12, Big Ten or Pac-12 opponent on an annual basis. The announcement comes after a vote of the league's institutions.

Each SEC team will continue to play eight conference football games per season, to include six games against division opponents and two games against non-division opponents. One of the non-division opponents will be a permanent annual opponent and the other non-division opponent will rotate each year.

In addition, at least one opponent from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten or Pac-12 must be scheduled by each SEC school on an annual basis beginning in 2016, with assistance from the conference office.

"This has been a thoughtful and deliberative process that has resulted in maintaining the current format and adds a provision that will bolster our collective annual non-conference schedule," said Commissioner Mike Slive. “Critical to maintaining this format is the non-conference opponent factor which gives us the added strength-of-schedule we were seeking while allowing continued scheduling flexibility for institutional preferences, and acknowledges that many of our institutions already play these opponents.

“The concept of strength-of-schedule is based on an entire 12-game schedule, a combination of both conference games together with non-conference games. Given the strength of our conference schedule supplemented by at least one major non-conference game, our teams will boast of a strong resume’ of opponents each and every year.”

The announcement is the culmination of a process that began in the spring of 2013 when the SEC presidents and chancellors committed to a review of football scheduling to be completed in time for the preparation of the 2016 football schedule with the objective of establishing a format in the best long term interests of the conference. Approval of the format came at a special joint meeting of the presidents and chancellors of each SEC institution and each conference athletic director held Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.

THE EIGHT-GAME SCHEDULE

“The existing strength of the SEC was certainly a significant factor in the decision to play eight games,” Slive said. “In fact, just last year, five of our schools comprised the top five toughest schedules in the nation according to the NCAA and nine ranked in the top 20.

“A number of our schools play annual ACC opponents, and recent history shows our schools are already playing a significant number of strong non-conference opponents across the country on a home and home basis or in neutral site games.

From 2006 through games scheduled in 2015, SEC teams will have played 132 games against schools from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-12. More than half of the SEC schools have played two or more teams from those conferences in a single season at least once during that period and several schools have done it in multiple seasons.

The decision to maintain an eight-game conference schedule allows for a number of other advantages:

• A balanced league schedule for all teams – equal home and away conference games (four home and four away); a nine-game schedule would have resulted in some teams with five home games and others with four on an annual basis

• Accommodates varying institutional non-conference scheduling philosophies

• Allows for marquee neutral site games – the popularity of neutral site games has grown in recent years, as evidenced by large crowds and significant TV ratings for those games that feature major intersectional opponents

THE PERMANENT NON-DIVISION OPPONENT

“Tradition matters in the SEC, and there is no denying that tradition was a significant factor in this decision because it protects several long-standing cross-division conference rivalries,” said Slive. “It has been a hallmark of the SEC over our history to be able to make continued progress while also maintaining traditions important to our institutions.”

The decision to maintain a permanent non-division opponent also presents other advantages:

• Creates annual cross-division rivalries that otherwise would not be annual games

• Provides each team with a traditional opponent for the final weekend of the season

The permanent non-division opponents are as listed below:

• Alabama (west) vs. Tennessee (east)
• Arkansas (west) vs. Missouri (east)
• Auburn (west) vs. Georgia (east)
• LSU (west) vs. Florida (east)
• Ole Miss (west) vs. Vanderbilt (east)
• Mississippi State (west) vs. Kentucky (east)
• Texas A&M (west) vs. South Carolina (east)

 

[PhillyGirl]

At least we keep Tennessee.

 

[planomateo]

I'd rather ditch Tennessee if it meant we'd go to 9.

Lots of belly aching coming from Baton Rogue, LSU is 7-5 against them since 2002. Prior to that, I can see why they complain...but playing Florida the last few years is an f'ing gift.

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Spurrier said he preferred a 6-0-2 model, which is eight conference games with no permanent rivals and two annually rotating cross-division opponents.

From AL.com—Read More Here...

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Joe Alleva isn't a fan of playing Florida annually.

From AL.com—Read More Here...

"I understand Alabama-Tennessee and Auburn-Georgia for the history, but that's only four schools," Alleva said. "The rest were voting in their own self-interest. They could have kept those games and the rest of us rotated. That was brought up but voted down.

"I'm not pushing for the self-interest of LSU. I'm pushing for the equity."

Florida AD Jeremy Foley previously said he's in favor of keeping LSU as an annual opponent.

 

[TerryP]

I'd rather ditch Tennessee if it meant we'd go to 9.

I wanted both. I don't feel as disappointed as I thought I'd be with this addendum: In addition, at least one opponent from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten or Pac-12 must be scheduled by each SEC school on an annual basis beginning in 2016, with assistance from the conference office.

One thing that does continue: Thanksgiving weekend will provide a lot of good SEC football games.

LSU fans bitching, eh?

I'd like to see how this went down...

The Southeastern Conference on Sunday announced the format for future football scheduling that is a continuation of the existing format and adds a strength-of-schedule component that requires all schools to play an ACC, Big 12, Big Ten or Pac-12 opponent on an annual basis. The announcement comes after a vote of the league's institutions.

Did their administration vote to keep traditional, permanent opponents? If so, their fans have no room to complain. They could have voted for nine games.

 

[TerryP]

And, adding to that a bit:

I don't have the time to research it this morning. I did several months ago. As I recall, there's only been one season in the history of the SEC—since the divisional split—that the Florida game has kept LSU out of ATL. I want to say it was 2006. On the year, I may be wrong. In fact, it may have been twice.

This I do know. That game hasn't had a dramatic impact on their success in the SEC. The years they haven't made it to the SECCG it's been due to their divisional record.

 

[TerryP]

Spurrier said he preferred a 6-0-2 model, which is eight conference games with no permanent rivals and two annually rotating cross-division opponents.

From AL.com—Read More Here...

The headline reads, "Steve Spurrier takes shot at Vols when talking Alabama-Tennessee, SEC schedules."

Here's what he actually said, "I don't know what is going to happen," Spurrier told The State last week, "but the most fair way is that way. We think that's best for our school, but you know every school is different. I don't know what's going to happen. A lot of schools like their permanent opponent Mississippi State and Kentucky like each other. Ole Miss and Vandy like each other. Alabama and Tennessee like each other. I don't know why Tennessee would keep liking them though."

OK, help me out here. Is that a shot? Or, is the author trying to create views, again, by implying it's a shot.

 

[planomateo]

The coaches don't want it because its harder for them to make a run, I hate that kinda thinking.

If the SEC required another SEC game + a Big Five OOC game, that would be huge. We should have led the way to 9 game conference schedule, instead it was the Pac-12. I'm not counting the Big-XII because they didn't have a choice when they allowed Texas to run off Mizzou and TAMU.

With the new playoff here, we should be playing chess not checkers and thinking further ahead. Not to mention the ability to sell the SEC brand to advertisers in the future with a 9 + 1...huge payday there too. I'm disappointed in our ability to sell this or push it. Sounds like a bunch of scared coaches & schools to me...

 

[planomateo]

Something else worth noting...year end opponent, guess this means the Tennessee game moves to the last game of the season.

 

[TerryP]

Something else worth noting...year end opponent, guess this means the Tennessee game moves to the last game of the season.

I had to re-read that myself; I think that one falls on the author.

 

[riz]

We should be at 9 games. This is also one of the huge drawbacks when talking about "Super Conferences." What the hell good is a conference is you don't play people in the conference. I'm telling you, these suits are f'ing with my game, man.

 

[planomateo]

 

[TerryP]

@planomateo Out of those 14 losses, half of them were in seasons where their conference record was below .500.

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

A day after LSU AD Joe Alleva slams scheduling plan, Miles blasts "bias of the permanent partner."

On Sunday, LSU athletics director Joe Allevaripped the SEC's newly adopted football scheduling plan, saying conference leadership "doesn't understand the competitive advantage permanent partners give to certain institutions."

On Monday, LSU head coachLes Miles joined the fray, questioning the fairness of the 6-1-1 scheduling format, which allows for six divisional games, one permanent cross-divisional game and one rotating cross-divisional game. A new wrinkle voted in by conference presidents calls for each SEC team to play at least one non-conference opponent from the Pac-12, Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC, starting in 2016 -- something many SEC programs already regularly do.

"We play the toughest schedule in America in our conference, and then we have the bias of the permanent partner," Miles told The Baton Rouge (La.) Advocate on Monday. "We're now also being mandated to take a BCS team. The bias of the schedule continues to be disproportionate. Fundamentally fair is not something they've given great thought to."

The permanent cross-divisional opponent was kept in order to preserve cross-divisional rivalries such as Auburn-Georgia and Alabama-Tennessee. LSU's permanent cross-divisional opponent is Florida, a frequent national contender despite last season's 4-8 implosion.

"Since 2000 LSU has played Florida and Georgia 19 times and Alabama has played them eight times," Alleva said Sunday, according to NOLA.com. "That is a competitive disadvantage. There are a lot of other examples."


From AL.com—Read More Here...