Looks like the permanent rivals has the momentum. I like it best as well. Interesting that OU and Texas are not attending these meetings when this seems like a decision we would want to be a part of.
SEC football schedule models: 9 conference games? No divisions? Fixed opponents?
By Aaron Suttles and Seth Emerson
May 17, 2022
123
There’s an official “transition timeline” the SEC developed for the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, a copy of which was obtained through a FOIA request. The first phase of that timeline is approaching and is fairly clear: “Finalize future scheduling at SEC spring meetings.”
That would be in two weeks. Of course, when you get athletic directors and presidents from 14 schools — the new guys aren’t listed as attending — it may be hard to arrive at a consensus on all these issues. But the conference has been working at it for a while, looking at around 30 different scheduling models before whittling it down, so it is possible that the full plan for 2025 and beyond is adopted at the meetings in Destin, Fla.
SEC presidents and athletic directors will be given the options. Now it’s decision-making time. Based on intel from around the conference, here’s a primer on what to expect:
Will the SEC go to nine conference games?
Probably, though it’s not certain. This is the most straightforward decision before the league, and one where everyone should arrive ready to vote on first. There could still be resistance, especially from teams that annually fight for bowl eligibility, but other priorities may win the day.
In an ideal world, the College Football Playoff would have already expanded or at least detailed the format for an expanded playoff so the athletic directors and presidents could make the decision most advantageous for the conference. That’s why SEC commissioner Greg Sankey will go to the wall protecting as many at-large berths as possible due to a potentially more difficult course through the SEC. Going to nine conference games means another loss for half the teams, which will also affect bowl eligibility.
For a multitude of reasons, the best move forward is likely nine conference games. It benefits fans with a better schedule. For the players, it helps get them around the conference with more regularity. It seems like the best plan, but that doesn’t mean everyone will be on board.
Will divisions be eliminated?
Most likely, because keeping divisions appears incompatible with the main goal of the new scheduling format: teams being able to play each other more often.
Even if the SEC went to a nine-game schedule but kept divisions, that would still mean only two cross-division games per season in an SEC with two eight-team divisions. Some teams would go seven years between trips to other conference schools, which is still better than now — Georgia has never been to Texas A&M, which joined in 2012 — but it would mean an SEC player never visiting some conference venues during their career.
If divisions are eliminated but each team is given three permanent opponents, the other six opponents (in a nine-game schedule) could be rotated to allow for each team to play each other at least twice, home and away, over a four-year period.
For that reason, it appears the conference office is expected to present to athletic directors that it’ll be a choice between keeping divisions or having scheduling variability.
What about pods, or four divisions?
Nothing can be ruled out. The pod idea has been floated for years. It’s basically four divisions of four each, but only for scheduling purposes. The SEC has actually heard the possibility of a four-division set-up, but the logistics of that make it unlikely.
One scenario that’s been floated is using four-team pods that form into rotating divisions each year, for the purpose of determining the two SEC championship game participants. Pod 1 and Pod 2 in one division in one year, then Pod 1 and Pod 3 in in one division the next year, and so on.
Again, this can’t be ruled out, but no divisions with permanent opponents seems to have more momentum.
What would permanent opponents look like?
The difference between this and pods is each team’s three permanent opponents would vary. First priority would be given to historic and geographic rivalries, trying to keep everyone as happy as possible.
Let’s say it’s three permanent opponents each. Here’s a possible lineup:
Three permanent opponents
And what if it’s four permanent opponents? A possible set-up:
If the conference does away with divisions, the tiebreaker rules come more into play to set the teams for the SEC championship game. The conference already has divisional tiebreaker rules for two-team and three-team ties. (You can see them here.)
The conference has studied multiple models across the country, and they likely wouldn’t be vastly different from the current rules. However, if divisions go away, it seems much more likely that tiebreakers would be used more frequently.
What does the decision-making process look like?
The hope is have a “consensus of the league as a whole,” as one plugged-in administrator put it. So it’s not clear if that means a simple majority vote of presidents and athletic directors, or two-thirds vote, or SEC commissioner Greg Sankey just decreeing it.
This isn’t the only item on the agenda in Destin, so ideally all the groundwork that’s been laid leads to some quick decisions. But if it gets bogged down on some decisions, the league could punt on any and all parts of it.
Still, with all the work that’s already happened behind the scenes, the chances are good that as the meetings go on that consensus emerges on the major points, if not all of them. A definite plan doesn’t have to come out of Destin, but the hope is it will.
SEC football schedule models: 9 conference games? No divisions? Fixed opponents?
By Aaron Suttles and Seth Emerson
May 17, 2022
123
There’s an official “transition timeline” the SEC developed for the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, a copy of which was obtained through a FOIA request. The first phase of that timeline is approaching and is fairly clear: “Finalize future scheduling at SEC spring meetings.”
That would be in two weeks. Of course, when you get athletic directors and presidents from 14 schools — the new guys aren’t listed as attending — it may be hard to arrive at a consensus on all these issues. But the conference has been working at it for a while, looking at around 30 different scheduling models before whittling it down, so it is possible that the full plan for 2025 and beyond is adopted at the meetings in Destin, Fla.
SEC presidents and athletic directors will be given the options. Now it’s decision-making time. Based on intel from around the conference, here’s a primer on what to expect:
Will the SEC go to nine conference games?
Probably, though it’s not certain. This is the most straightforward decision before the league, and one where everyone should arrive ready to vote on first. There could still be resistance, especially from teams that annually fight for bowl eligibility, but other priorities may win the day.
In an ideal world, the College Football Playoff would have already expanded or at least detailed the format for an expanded playoff so the athletic directors and presidents could make the decision most advantageous for the conference. That’s why SEC commissioner Greg Sankey will go to the wall protecting as many at-large berths as possible due to a potentially more difficult course through the SEC. Going to nine conference games means another loss for half the teams, which will also affect bowl eligibility.
For a multitude of reasons, the best move forward is likely nine conference games. It benefits fans with a better schedule. For the players, it helps get them around the conference with more regularity. It seems like the best plan, but that doesn’t mean everyone will be on board.
Will divisions be eliminated?
Most likely, because keeping divisions appears incompatible with the main goal of the new scheduling format: teams being able to play each other more often.
Even if the SEC went to a nine-game schedule but kept divisions, that would still mean only two cross-division games per season in an SEC with two eight-team divisions. Some teams would go seven years between trips to other conference schools, which is still better than now — Georgia has never been to Texas A&M, which joined in 2012 — but it would mean an SEC player never visiting some conference venues during their career.
If divisions are eliminated but each team is given three permanent opponents, the other six opponents (in a nine-game schedule) could be rotated to allow for each team to play each other at least twice, home and away, over a four-year period.
For that reason, it appears the conference office is expected to present to athletic directors that it’ll be a choice between keeping divisions or having scheduling variability.
What about pods, or four divisions?
Nothing can be ruled out. The pod idea has been floated for years. It’s basically four divisions of four each, but only for scheduling purposes. The SEC has actually heard the possibility of a four-division set-up, but the logistics of that make it unlikely.
One scenario that’s been floated is using four-team pods that form into rotating divisions each year, for the purpose of determining the two SEC championship game participants. Pod 1 and Pod 2 in one division in one year, then Pod 1 and Pod 3 in in one division the next year, and so on.
Again, this can’t be ruled out, but no divisions with permanent opponents seems to have more momentum.
What would permanent opponents look like?
The difference between this and pods is each team’s three permanent opponents would vary. First priority would be given to historic and geographic rivalries, trying to keep everyone as happy as possible.
Let’s say it’s three permanent opponents each. Here’s a possible lineup:
Three permanent opponents
- Alabama: Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State
- Arkansas: Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas
- Auburn: Georgia, Florida, Alabama
- Florida: Georgia, Auburn, LSU
- Georgia: Auburn, Florida, South Carolina
- Kentucky: Vanderbilt, Tennessee, South Carolina
- LSU: Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida
- Mississippi State: Ole Miss, Alabama, South Carolina
- Missouri: Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma
- Oklahoma: Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri
- Ole Miss: Mississippi State, Arkansas, LSU
- South Carolina: Georgia, Mississippi State, Kentucky
- Tennessee: Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt
- Texas: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arkansas
- Texas A&M: Texas, Oklahoma, LSU
- Vanderbilt: Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri
And what if it’s four permanent opponents? A possible set-up:
- Alabama: Auburn, Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU
- Arkansas: Ole Miss, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M
- Auburn: Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss
- Florida: Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Vanderbilt
- Georgia: Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee
- Kentucky: Vanderbilt, Tennessee, South Carolina, Mississippi State
- LSU: Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Florida, Alabama
- Mississippi State: Ole Miss, Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky
- Missouri: Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Texas
- Oklahoma: Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri, South Carolina
- Ole Miss: Mississippi State, Arkansas, LSU, Auburn
- South Carolina: Georgia, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Oklahoma
- Tennessee: Alabama, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Georgia
- Texas: Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri
- Texas A&M: Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Arkansas
- Vanderbilt: Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Florida
If the conference does away with divisions, the tiebreaker rules come more into play to set the teams for the SEC championship game. The conference already has divisional tiebreaker rules for two-team and three-team ties. (You can see them here.)
The conference has studied multiple models across the country, and they likely wouldn’t be vastly different from the current rules. However, if divisions go away, it seems much more likely that tiebreakers would be used more frequently.
What does the decision-making process look like?
The hope is have a “consensus of the league as a whole,” as one plugged-in administrator put it. So it’s not clear if that means a simple majority vote of presidents and athletic directors, or two-thirds vote, or SEC commissioner Greg Sankey just decreeing it.
This isn’t the only item on the agenda in Destin, so ideally all the groundwork that’s been laid leads to some quick decisions. But if it gets bogged down on some decisions, the league could punt on any and all parts of it.
Still, with all the work that’s already happened behind the scenes, the chances are good that as the meetings go on that consensus emerges on the major points, if not all of them. A definite plan doesn’t have to come out of Destin, but the hope is it will.
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