📡 UPDATE: SEC decides to remain at 8 league games in 2024 when Oklahoma & Texas join league, SEC's Greg Sankey says

[RTB X Bot]

 

[TerryP]

REC! REC! REC!

 

[Justneedme81]

Not surprised given the pushback on permeant rivalry

 

[SEC Sports]

SEC commish lends insight into football scheduling debate

SEC leaders head to Destin where Greg Sankey said they're "poised" to make a decision on future scheduling plans but said a resolution isn't required before spring meetings close Friday.

www.al.com

Ever careful with his words, Greg Sankey on the eve of a consequential SEC spring meeting toed the line Monday night on the hot topic of the week.

Meeting with a small group of reporters in the Destin hotel hosting the event, the league commissioner listed pros and cons of what could be a heated debate over playing eight or nine league football games beginning in 2024. That comes in the shadow of reporting from Sports Illustrated that involved a stop-gap measure that could push the long-delayed decision further down the road.

“We’re poised to make a decision,” Sankey said, “but time is still an asset.”

Sankey didn’t necessarily rule out a one-year eight-game schedule in 2024 as reported by SI on Monday but said they’d prefer to gavel this discussion closed after years of indecision.

“A league at the forefront of college athletics doesn’t stand still,” Sankey said. “And this is a league at the forefront of college athletics. Whether changes happen immediately is part of the careful consideration and the deep consideration. You can make arguments around both.”

Regardless, the scheduling process will be evolving with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma after this coming season, it’s just a matter of how different things will look. The current eight-game model allows every league team to face the full roster of schools in a two-year window but cut out a few core rivalry games to achieve that.

The nine-game model includes three fixed annual games with a rotation of six others -- keeping annual rivalries like Alabama-Tennessee and Auburn-Georgia intact. The eight-game model would have those games every other year with each team hosting once every four years.

But after sounding certain of this process reaching a conclusion when addressing reporters in March the SEC basketball tournament, Sankey was less certain this would be resolved by the end of the week. He noted the onboarding process during expansions in 1992 and 2012 wasn’t always smooth in terms of scheduling format.

“I don’t have a lot of angst that we have to decide,” Sankey said. “I would prefer to not continue to circle the airport with the airplane. I’d prefer to land it.”

As discussed in the SI piece, among the issues causing hesitancy with adding a ninth game are concerns with the new TV deal set to begin with ESPN in 2024. Would there be more money in the pot given the higher inventory of SEC game? That remains to be seen and could be a sticking point for those resistant to change.

While Sankey said that money wouldn’t be the primary driver of that decision-making process, he also noted there’d be more revenue from sources other than TV. Ticket income, for example, spikes from intra-conference games instead of contract games with non-Power 5 competition.

Considerations of balance and equity -- harder to define parameters -- have been part of the discussion.

“The more you play,” Sankey said, “the more equitable the conference schedule is. So if you played that out to all 12 games, your champion versus your ninth-place team or 16th-place team would have had a very narrow band of competitive disparity.”

Asked to clarify if he meant that a nine-game schedule would equate to more fairness, the commissioner’s reply was brief.

“Yes,” Sankey said.

Was that necessarily his preference? No.

“I think it would be disrespectful of me to give that information to you right now when I’m obligated to members who have to make a decision,” he said. “They’d rightfully be angry with me.”

That said, he wouldn’t be shy when it came time for the 16 university presidents to vote.

“I’ve allowed intentionally the conversation to play out without taking a position,” Sankey said. “I have made clear what I think should eventually happen inside the room.”

He cited the decision-rich summer of 2020 as an example of when he stepped in and made his position known when the league was discussing logistical elements of a football season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

It would take a simple majority of votes from SEC presidents for any model to pass when it comes time to vote and there have been close ballots before. New rules on intra-conference transfers, for example, ended with an 8-6 vote a few years back.

Now there are 16 perspectives and agendas in play. Resolution appeared to be on the horizon last year in Destin, now a year later, nothing is certain when the conference rooms at the gulf-side resort open for what could be an eventful debate.

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Doesn't surprise me at all.
Maybe they need to play 8 C-USA games and 4 conference games. Try n get bottom feeders innplayoffs

Just stupid shit

 

[TerryP]

Try n get bottom feeders innplayoffs

Just stupid shit

Finally, you're getting the picture.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Finally, you're getting the picture.

Maybe you are misunderstanding

Some sec teams want a weak schedule so they can save coaches job by getting to bowl. Maybe a CFP

Some ???? Dont want all tough permanent 3

All about what? No matter how you slice it.

Not about CFP at 12. ( which i agree is to many... wheree 4 was to few). Like Tennessee would probably draw vandy

Its BS to stay at 8 conference games. Wht even expand. If some HCs dont want the 3 permanent

Then move to 1 permanent ( some will still bitch cause others get USCe or vandy or ky or msu

But 1 would keep
Uga- Florida
Bama- AU
Msu- ole ms
Texas- ok
Tx am -lsu

The rest dont have much rivalry

 

[TerryP]

Its BS to stay at 8 conference games.

And still I've yet to see any advantage to the Alabama football team by moving to a nine game schedule; only disadvantages.

 

[Rsedge72]

And still I've yet to see any advantage to the Alabama football team by moving to a nine game schedule; only disadvantages.

Agree I’m an Alabama fan, not a “football” fan or a sec fan for that matter. Just want to see BAMA win, I’d be happy as a pig in slop if the good guys win every game by 60!!!!

 

[UAgrad93]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If they want a 9 game schedule, use a 1+8 model or 2+7 model, keeping either 1 or 2 permanent rivals. Rotate thru the remainder of the conference either starting alphabetically or reverse alphabetical order.
If they want to stay at 8, then still use a 1+7 model and be done with it.
The 3+6 model doesn’t do BAMA any favors AT ALL!! In the end, it’s about the CFP and the additional from that appearance. More teams you get in means the greater revenue sharing available!!!

 

[BamaFan334]

And still I've yet to see any advantage to the Alabama football team by moving to a nine game schedule; only disadvantages.

Another conference game to have tape on as a player. More opportunities You're being selfish as a fan only looking at it from "Championship" prospective. Poll our players and see if they want Mercer or Kentucky, Middle Tennessee or Oklahoma, Chattanooga or South Carolina. These are all job interviews for our guys, and I am willing to bet they want games that mean something over a cupcake. Hmm, work this much for Austin Peay or work the same for Florida??? What do our guys have to gain by playing a cupcake? You like using risk versus reward, so all we can see in the past is that those games give the coaches ammo against guys because we tend to look sloppy and take it easy at times. I highly doubt we get praised against Louisiana Monroe like we do a game against Arkansas. They get two bye weeks now instead of the old customary one week, so I would never consider a cupcake an off week or the chance to rest players considering our starters are usually playing 3-3.5 quarters anyways.

 

[TerryP]

Another conference game to have tape on as a player. More opportunities You're being selfish as a fan only looking at it from "Championship" prospective. Poll our players and see if they want Mercer or Kentucky, Middle Tennessee or Oklahoma, Chattanooga or South Carolina. These are all job interviews for our guys, and I am willing to bet they want games that mean something over a cupcake. Hmm, work this much for Austin Peay or work the same for Florida??? What do our guys have to gain by playing a cupcake? You like using risk versus reward, so all we can see in the past is that those games give the coaches ammo against guys because we tend to look sloppy and take it easy at times. I highly doubt we get praised against Louisiana Monroe like we do a game against Arkansas. They get two bye weeks now instead of the old customary one week, so I would never consider a cupcake an off week or the chance to rest players considering our starters are usually playing 3-3.5 quarters anyways.

All that, and you still avoid the question.

 

[TerryP]

You're being selfish as a fan only looking at it from "Championship" prospective.

I'm still shaking my head that this one.

I'm being selfish because I want a team to be on a level playing field with their opponents.

How little sense does that make?

 

[BamaFan334]

I'm still shaking my head that this one.

I'm being selfish because I want a team to be on a level playing field with their opponents.

How little sense does that make?

You're looking at it from your view of being in the College Football Playoff and the easiest route to get there, not what is going to benefit the players and what they want. You say a level playing field, but the Pac-12, Big Ten and Big 12 are already playing a nine game conference schedule.

 

[BamaFan334]

All that, and you still avoid the question.

You asked how it would benefit the player, and that explains how it would. Not avoiding anything.

 

[TerryP]

You're looking at it from your view of being in the College Football Playoff and the easiest route to get there, not what is going to benefit the players and what they want. You say a level playing field, but the Pac-12, Big Ten and Big 12 are already playing a nine game conference schedule.

Nar once have I looked at this from the perspective of the CFP. Nor have I looked at these three conferences you've mentioned.

The PAC et. al. have nothing to do with the SEC schedule.

This is about having a level playing field within the conference Alabama resides.

 

[TerryP]

You asked how it would benefit the player, and that explains how it would. Not avoiding anything.

No. I did not.

I asked how the nine game conference schedule would benefit the team. You've cited a few things that take away currently held benefits; like how an eight game schedule allows freshmen to get practice for those "job interviews" you referred to earlier—four game red-shirt rule.

How does the proposed nine-game schedule benefit the Alabama football team? Since this subject came up about the permanent three ... a question still left unanswered.

 

[BamaFan334]

Nar once have I looked at this from the perspective of the CFP. Nor have I looked at these three conferences you've mentioned.

The PAC et. al. have nothing to do with the SEC schedule.

This is about having a level playing field within the conference Alabama resides.

Ahh, yes. Answer his points and he adds wording and creates a moving target. You have mentioned easier road to a Championship in our conversations, yes you have with an eight game schedule. You keep pointing to a disadvantage, but it's no more of a disadvantage for teams that are forced to play Alabama and Georgia each season as part of that extra game, because every other team is not on the same level as us from a roster or competitive standpoint. If everyone has to play a ninth game, there is zero disadvantage because you've added the same requirement to everyone, except the chance of winning is now a lot less for whomever gets Alabama as their unlucky ninth game opponent. We're already playing in the West, the more competitive division as it is, so even if they blow up divisions and go to whatever model, we were already at a disadvantage compared to Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida based off their division opponents compared to ours.

 

[BamaFan334]

No. I did not.

I asked how the nine game conference schedule would benefit the team. You've cited a few things that take away currently held benefits; like how an eight game schedule allows freshmen to get practice for those "job interviews" you referred to earlier—four game red-shirt rule.

How does the proposed nine-game schedule benefit the Alabama football team? Since this subject came up about the permanent three ... a question still left unanswered.

Benefitting the team is the same as benefitting players. They are one in the same. The four game redshirt rule, what does that have to do with any of this? They still have that opportunity. The permanent three? That's not what has been talked about or brought up, so once again, changing the script mid-story. We are better off as a team playing better competition than having to wait till Week 3 or 4 to see what we have each season. Being forced to focus each week instead of seeing those weaker opponents is far more beneficial than the mindset of being able to take a week off. You still get three out of conference cupcakes if you're Alabama if you decide that route. Georgia, Florida, South Carolina all play a power 5 out of conference rivalry game, so if anything they're the ones at a disadvantage, not Alabama.