A permanent switch to the 10-game SEC schedule would be awesome, but there's only 1 way it ever happens
Somewhere between talking about quarantines and myocarditis the last month, it hit me. I’m sure it hit you, too.
The 10-game SEC schedule is going to be incredible entertainment.
Say goodbye to Cupcake Week and say hello to 25% more SEC football. What’s not to love?
If we come out of this bizarre year getting more SEC football than ever, that’s a major win. The SEC’s Nov. 14 slate combined with Masters Weekend has potential to the a sports TV day that, dare I say, might top opening weekend of March Madness. Seriously. It could be that good.
The question that many people probably wondered about as the 10-game schedule was released in its entirety Monday night was simple — why can’t we do this every year?
That answer isn’t complicated when you understand that everything the SEC does from a scheduling standpoint is about creating the best possible path to win a national championship. That’s why the league only plays 8 conference games while the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 all play 9 conference games (the ACC plays 8).
That philosophy, in non-pandemic times, works. It’s not a coincidence that the SEC and ACC sent its conference champion to the Playoff every season of its 6-year history. The SEC believes it has a tougher 8-game conference schedule than the Big Ten, Big 12 or Pac-12 playing an extra conference game, and who’s to say that’s wrong? The SEC’s 7 Playoff teams went 8-0 in nonconference games vs. Power 5 teams with an average margin of victory of 20.8 points.
In post-pandemic times, the only way the SEC would ever go to a 10-game conference schedule is if every other Power 5 league did it. And to be honest, even then, I’m not 100% certain that the SEC would make the push.
Go back to 2016 when the Big Ten went from an 8-game conference schedule to a 9-game conference schedule. I say this all the time, so apologies if you’ve heard it before. The Big Ten, which joined the Big 12 and Pac-12 with the 9-game conference schedule, expected the rest of the Power 5 to follow suit. That didn’t happen. What instead happened was more of a divide than ever among the Power 5 leagues (that proved to be somewhat prophetic).
While the Big Ten boasted annually about its challenging schedule and competitive product to sell to fans, the SEC stood pat and essentially dared the College Football Playoff selection committee to hold that against the league. That didn’t happen, either.
So why then, would any other league step forward to add more conference games again?
That’s the holdup.
There is, however, a potential silver lining to this pandemic season that could ultimately force this scenario to happen. I hate that this even crossed my mind, but it’s reality. If Group of 5/FCS programs get cut left and right without getting these 7-figure paydays from Power 5 teams for nonconference games in 2020, well, that future scheduling pool could change. It’s hard to justify those matchups representing 1/3 or 1/4 of the schedule if there are fewer and fewer Group of 5/FCS programs to strike deals with.
Don’t consider that my way of saying I hope those programs fold. I don’t. It’s been brutal these past few months to see somewhat regular news about non-revenue programs being cut at schools of all levels.
But a 10-game conference schedule for any Power 5 league in a post-pandemic world would take a unanimous opinion from the Power 5 leaders. Rare that is these days.
It seems like it would take them taking a look around and going, “hey, what if we gave this idea a whirl?” TV packages would certainly be more valuable. The idea of having 1 nonconference game against a Power 5 team and only 1 against a Group of 5/FCS team would certainly be a more valuable commodity, especially at a time when universities could be looking for ways to financially dig their way out of a post-pandemic world.
This is still ultimately going to take, in some way, other Power 5 commissioners talking Greg Sankey and SEC athletic directors into doing this. The spike in potential TV revenue would have to outweigh the loss of at least 1 home game.
In an average year with an 8-game conference schedule, SEC teams get at least 7 home games (4 in conference play and at least 3 in nonconference play) with potential for 8 based on the Power 5 nonconference matchup. In an average year with a 10-game conference schedule with 1 nonconference Power 5 foe and 1 Group of 5/FCS foe, SEC teams would only get a minimum of 6 home games and potential for 7 based on the nonconference matchup.
Again, that’s why this isn’t simply “a 10-game conference schedule is more entertaining the SEC should totally make that the plan moving forward.” It’s not as if SEC leaders had the same sort of realization the last few months. There’s a reason this hasn’t happened yet. And if I was betting on it today, I wouldn’t bet on it ever happening after 2020.
The selection committee hasn’t put forth any sort of legislation demanding that Power 5 teams must play “X” amount of conference games. SEC football is going to consume this region of the country no matter how many conference games the league plays. It’s not like Sankey is going to schedule a meeting with the league’s athletic directors and say “did you guys see the response we got from that schedule announcement? We’ve gotta do that more often!”
Nope. The SEC struck the perfect balance, which was in motion before the Playoff era when the league won 7 consecutive national titles. That fueled the push from the BCS to the Playoff system. The fact that the SEC has half of the Playoff era national championships along with such a dominant track record from its elite teams in nonconference play justifies why the conference (along with the ACC) doesn’t get blowback from the selection committee for only playing 8 league games while the majority of the Power 5 plays 9.
If there’s a push to the 10-game conference schedule, it won’t come from the SEC.
Enjoy it while it lasts. It’ll take a specific, unlikely path for it to happen after 2020.
If it was all about winning the SEC, the 10 game conference schedule would be great. But, it’s not. There are multiple other factors to consider. Teams that don’t compete for the title are looking for bowl eligibility. That’s important to those fans. The elite teams in the conference want the opportunity to play for a national title. Beating each other up isn’t the best way to get there. I don’t think the SEC goes to more conference games until the playoffs expand. If they don’t expand, we may not do it at all. The new deal with ESPN pays a ton. Unless they up that, why would we change?
Have you seen the story on Guice being accused of raping two women while at LSU? Have you heard anything coming out of Louisiana? Just curious as in these times it may bring some unwanted attention to LSU…
I read that this morning in my news feed. The article was from USA Today. I haven’t seen anything else related to this. I’m sure LSU will have to comment today.
I read an article about it on B/R. It is interesting that LSU did nothing and that coach O allegedly said some dismissive remarks. One of the girls’ tennis coaches even told her father that she didn’t believe her allegations at all. I wonder if the comments section will be turned off for that one?
I tried to respond to you, but this sissy site hasn’t connect under moderation. That just means it will never be seen.
To be fair, I don’t think this site fear comments coming from fans like yourself who can articulate a point of view thoughtfully. This site is getting extremely cluttered with budding sociopaths. Since they aren’t regulating their comments, why allow the inevitable to happen on these types of subjects?
I understand, but they forbid words that are in the article. Vic tim and ra pe are not allowed. They don’t review anything, just say the comment is awaiting moderation and are done.
Very true, LSUSMC. I don’t believe this site actually has a moderator.
And I do agree with Bamalicious in that this site has its share of nutjobs. I think most are the same guy though. I keep coming back because it also has a collection of real good posters. We don’t always agree, but there are a ton of opinions that I respect here.
I just wish they would do away with the divisions. Pick two permanent rival games and rotate the rest. Going 6 years without playing a team is way too long.
Oddly, this is one of the things that the NCAA is managing to impose on major college football. They require divisions once a conference reaches 12 teams (this is why the SEC became the first team to play a conference championship game, because they were the first to reach that size).
We were the first P5 conference to do that. I don’t think we were the first conference to get to 12 teams.
I don’t think it’s required… I think you have to have a certain amount to be able to do a Championship game but don’t think it’s mandated you must..
It wasn’t required to split into divisions once you reached 12 teams, but in 1987 they passed a rule that allowed you to split into divisions if you wanted to. SEC took advantage by adding Arky and Scar and created the SEC Champ game.
Have arkansas and South Carolina do any good in football? Like winning their conference?
I think that, if we are fortunate to even see the entirety of the remade schedules played out, that the conference may feel more confident about going to more conference games (probably the 9-game schedule since that is what two other conferences already do). But they could still feel unmoved about this at all due to how the CFP already perceives SEC contenders.
Nine games would be the best compromise. Ten is too many. Have “cup cake” week to open the season. The Group5/FCS depend on that money. Play nine SEC games. That’s leaves room for the traditional rivalries and another Power 5 opponent.
Ten league games would probably cause teams to cancel many of the marque games already scheduled. UGA has Clemson, Oregon, OSU, FSU, Texas, and UCLA already scheduled. I would hate to lose those.
The SEC won’t go to a 9 game schedule unless the new ESPN deal that hasn’t even started yet gets redone. Schools aren’t giving up a home game and the millions of dollars that come with that (Vandy excluded) unless there is some sort of payback. There is simply no reason to do that. Fan interest really doesn’t count.
The current playoff contract expires in 2026. Probably see an expansion to eight teams. That is when the SEC may consider it.
Of course anything can happen. Contracts and money are easily negotiated.
The SEC could go to a 10-game conference schedule once the Playoff rules change. When the Playoffs expand to 8 or 12 or 16 teams, then P5 champions will receive automatic bids. Thus, if Florida wins the SEC one year with a 7-3 conference record, and many others have 6-4 conference records, Florida would receive an automatic bid, and one of those 6-4 teams would probably get an at-large, just like in March Madness, a team that’s 18-14 with a schedule full of Quadrant 1 games gets into the Big Dance, while a 27-6 team from a Mid-Major that lost in their conference tournament hopes to get a home NIT game in the first round.
I would guess that a 10-game Conference schedule might force Vanderbilt to decide to leave the league. They would have to go 4-6 in the league and win both out of conference games to ever be bowl eligible. In 60 years, they have won 40% of their SEC games in 1974, 1982, 2012, and 2013. They would also need a perfect non-conference record, and they have been perfect out of conference in 40% conference record years in only 1974 and 2013. If they would be bowl eligible twice in the 60 years following, their program would be worse off than Sewanee when the Tigers left the SEC.
Vandy is only in the SEC for the money. They don’t seem to care about much else as it relates to football. They do have a heck of a baseball program though. They could go 0-10 ten years in a row in football and not consider leaving the conference.
Exactly. Vandy wouldn’t be consistently competitive in football in any major conference. They’re happy just receiving the large paycheck distributed by the SEC, and we’re all glad to have them so our own teams can have an easy-ish conference game every year.
Actually, after all the books are cooked, Vanderbilt in the SEC still shows an 8-figure deficit for athletics. Dropping scholarship athletics entirely would be a better financial choice, and they appear to have no active plan to do so at this time, although that has been on the table in the past.
If the SEC went to 10 games, Vanderbilt would not have the depth year in and year out to be any more than the equivalent of an FCS program. The roster is thin and it has 2-star and 3-star talent. I can see a scenario where 10-conference games plus at least one extra P5 opponent could be a non-sustaining situation.
The inside dope at Vanderbilt is that the athletic program is to be tolerated but only if it stays out of the news and does not embarrass the university. The inner cabal could care less if the program loses every game and serves as a second home to the opponents. However, eventually, the program will not be able to sustain this paradigm. Over time, even the 3-stars will look elsewhere. The hard-core fans that once numbered 25,000 to 35,000, and have dropped into the hundreds, will eventually see the light and stop supporting. It’s crazy, but the school eliminated its sports information department to be run by personnel responsible for publishing quarterly scholarly newsletters. The sports website is a mess. It might as well be a free Wix site. Try locating their stats from their last good year, 2013. If they can’t keep a simple website up to SEC standards, how can they have media information ready? One thing that was top-rate in the past was gameday operations. With all the issues of broken plumbing, a scoreboard in need of repair, and limited resources, the gameops personnel were darn great workers. For their heroic efforts, they got pink-slipped.
The real reason why Big Ten membership doesn’t make sense for them is that Big Ten fans don’t travel like SEC fans. They will come to Nashville for the bowl, but they don’t travel every week. Of course, many of their fans are already here, but there would be no 98% opposition team ticket buyers like Georgia and LSU did last year. If Vandy leaves the SEC, it would almost have to be to drop to D3 and go non-scholarship, playing alongside former SEC member Sewanee.
Yes, they are cooking the books.
Might want to check the record. Not such an easy win for Auburn. All time record is 21-21-1. Lol
I just hope the TV stations schedule things so that the more entertaining games aren’t being aired simultaneously. I would hope we get to see all the big games throughout any given Saturday.
For example in week 1 – It would be a shame to simultaneously broadcast the UK v. AU and UT v. USC.
Or week 2 – Hoping for different start times for AU v. UGA and USC v. UF.
Or say week 3 – I hope they don’t have the same start times for UT v. UGA and UF v. TAMU.
And so forth and so forth……
I would assume with the Big10 not playing at all (Pac12 is never aired anyway), ESPN will pick up more SEC games. So, hopefully, you’re right and they don’t schedule those games at the same time or else I’ll have to buy a second tv!
I’m just trying to be realistic here. I would love for the SEC to see the error of their ways and bump it up to 9 conference games and let’s get rid of at least one of our “cupcake” games. I don’t think that puts such a heavy burden on our conference that we can’t compete for NCs and heaven knows it puts muscle in our SOS and livens up the season considerably for the fans and players.
My argument in support of 9 games would be that Alabama has made the playoffs multiple times without a loss. Having 1 loss and being SEC champion wouldn’t have changed that. Maybe they wouldn’t have been the 1 seed, but if we’re being honest, seeding really isn’t that important with only 4 teams in the playoffs. If the SEC thinks an extra conference game would hurt their playoff chances, they’re just being stubborn.
The SEC’s SOS is already the best. Playing another conference game would cost schools millions of dollars. I fail to see the advantage for the conference or the schools to add that other game.
I believe ESPN’s TV contract with the SEC is on a per game basis, so if the SEC were to add more games, ESPN would give them even more money.
While I’m excited for the 10-game season (provided it happens), I fear moving to it permanently would dilute any chance of seeing in-season games against other Power 5 schools. If you’re already playing 9 or 10 SEC teams, why on Earth schedule an Oregon, USC, Wisconsin, etc.?
Adding another SEC team to the schedule would be okay, if we add another bye week for teams to break up big weeks.
Connor you started out promising with this.. “Say goodbye to Cupcake Week and say hello to 25% more SEC football. What’s not to love?”
then you immediately went back into your lil ten spiel… NOBODY cares! Connor your former conference IS A JOKE. GTFO with it and just realize, you came from a pissant conference, Connor…. CONNOR.
I’m all for 10+ conference games, except I think it puts my beloved Mizzou at a disadvantage. We don’t have the budget or fan base to produce at a top level team. We occasionally have a 10+ wins a couple times a decade, if we had the schedule we have this year every year or close, we couldn’t get close. SEC is the best conference, but outside of the blue bloods we need a few more out of conference games to add to our win total. Playing a Alabama/LSU/Auburn/TAMU combo would be brutal.
That combo is brutal, but if feels real good when you catch a win.
Understand, I think the scheduling is good and hopefully the ACC stays firm with us. With Auburn would moving to East I would’ve though the fans would have welcomed playing the Hogs and Aggies again. also the access to Texas for recruiting y’all would have
All Power 5 Conference should have 14 teams like the SEC (Roll Tide), ACC and Big Ten. What makes the Big 12 and PAC-12 different? Adding 6 more teams into the mix…..more power 5 teams available to play? As for Texas, well they can do like ND has done with their football team. The SEC needs to fix itself. If It Just means more in the SEC, than why is Missouri not in the west continuing on with those schools traditions, rivalry and fan bases, and why is Auburn not in the East! As well continuing to play Georgia keeping that SEC tradition at least 123 meetings and counting going? Roll Tide.
All Power 5 Conference should have 14 teams like the SEC (Roll Tide), ACC and Big Ten. What makes the Big 12 and PAC-12 different? Adding 6 more teams into the mix…..more power 5 teams available to play? As for Texas, well they can do like ND has done with their football team. The SEC needs to fix itself. If It Just means more in the SEC, than why is Missouri not in the west continuing on with those schools traditions, rivalry and fan base. And why is Auburn not in the East! As well continuing to play Georgia keeping that SEC tradition at least 123 and counting going? Roll Tide.
If that happens it needs to be a 12 game regular schedule so a champion would play 15 games total.
12 regular season would allow for a 10 game sec slate, one cupcake (for the small schools payout they need), and one rotating game you could use to play your state rival or another OOC game of some merit/profile.
It’s still bullcrap. It is Florida state law that Florida and Florida State must play each year in Football. I hope Greg Sankey is arrested and thrown behind bars for his felony violation in preventing Florida from playing against it’s chief rival at the end of the season. The rest of the SEC slate is secondary and always has been. I’m sure Clempson and South Caroliney feel the same way although I do not know if it is actually law that they play each other.
there is no such law…..
You’re right Jay, there isn’t. It took a lot of political pressure to get UF to agree to play FSU, but there is no law. There was a floor vote to force the issue, but it failed. The governor had a meeting with the two school presidents and told them that they would get this done. Whatever he said worked.
“The rest of the SEC slate is secondary and always has been”??? I know it’s a big rivalry, but I’ve lived in NE Florida for a long time and I don’t think anything around here takes precedence over FL/GA.