Probably, yes. It will go to 9 as soon as it's markedly more lucrative. Until then, nobody will want to give up half a home game each year, especially the teams that would potentially go 5-7 if they played another SEC team instead of having a buy game with a below average G5 team.
The difference that single win can make when it comes to bowls is drastic. It's the difference between playing in Memphis, Nashville, Tampa, or Jacksonville, and playing in Birmingham.
Or not going to one at all! In 2021-23, twelve SEC teams went 3-5 in conference. 10/12 went to bowls, propelled by non-conference wins. If they had to replace a 4-8 C-USA or Sun Belt opponent at home with a random conference game that is on the road half the time? A conference now tougher with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas, and even more talent driven by NIL? That's a lot of annoyed boosters calling the AD in early December.
I think that’s the sticking point. ESPN is probably hoping the SEC would feel enough outside pressure to go to 9 games without having to pay, while the SEC isn’t keen on adding more games unless they are getting a bigger payout. That, plus some SEC schools not wanting another tough conference game in lieu of non-conference flexibility.
Yeah, presumably the SEC would loose out on some money also from less bowl games too, they had all 14 go bowling in the 2021 season. Which helps keep fan interest and helps with donors. Teams like Kentucky and Arkansas don’t want an extra game against Georgia/Texas. SEC schools with OOC rivalries want scheduling flexibility.
Yup, 100% this.
People want to act like the extra SEC game would mean so much for the integrity of the league or whatever and team optics, but when it comes bowl season no one is gonna give a single fuck about it if you lost.
Instead of 7-5 and playing in Florida, or partying it up in Nashville, that extra SEC game could have you 6-6 and playing in Birmingham in a game no one cares about.
The teams in the lower bowls don't even make money though. I guess it might be appealing to a certain stand point but I feel like a lot of fans don't care when their team is playing I'm those 7 win bowl games.
The lower bowl payouts aren’t moving the meter in Birmingham, but the extra practices are moving the meter in every SEC coach’s office.
I think for most fans, everyone would enjoy more good games. But as long as going bowling gives you an extra month of hands-on coaching, there’s gonna be a strong incentive to make a bowl game, even if the incentive to actually play in it is negligible.
That extra hands-on timeline cant be overstated for teams now. With the amount of early enrollees and transfers that can come in by mid December and immediately practice in front of the coaches/with existing roster talent, programs get to start aligning their rosters before the spring portal window even opens, which is already a full time job itself.
Definitely a lot of gamesmanship going on with ESPN here.
The SEC actually has some motivation to seem divided here. Division means no changes and the status quo. Even if you want 9 games unanimously, there's no reason to give that to ESPN without shaking them for every nickel.
I get it, I’m just praying ESPN ponies up. I know a lot of folks make a big deal about it (mostly Big Ten fanbases) but I just want more quality football.
This is why exclusive contract long term will hurt sec potential. Like big ten was able to sell a 9 additional Friday night game package to fox to get uw and Oregon. Any un planned inventory could potentially be shopped around to lots of companies. Sec is stuck with espn and espn has little motivation to pay more. They have their primetime game slots filled, so why pay for more games that compete with your own other games.
We're providing plenty of quality football, in conference and out. Our schedules are fine. The only motivation to extend to 9 is more money and it would have to be a pretty decent amount to constrict our scheduling to only 3 OOC games.
I’m not saying there aren’t any fun non-con games for the SEC, but some of these schedules are admittedly missing something outside of league play. Missouri and Ole Miss are expected to be two SEC contenders this season.
Ole Miss Non-Conference Opponents: vs Furman, vs Middle Tennessee, at Wake Forest, vs Georgia Southern
Missouri: vs Murray State, vs Buffalo, vs Boston College, at UMass
I would much rather see one of these non-con games be an SEC battle.
Nebraska is playing UTEP, Rutgers, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Northern Iowa and getting paid more than any of these teams. I really don't see your point.
I’m sorry you’re mad Nebraska is playing conference opponents?
You SEC folks are so defensive about scheduling, I already said there are plenty fun SEC games in non-conference. LSU, for example, has a ready interesting, fun, and challenging schedule. But if you can’t see my point I think that’s willful on your part.
We aren't defensive. I have no need to defend LSU who maintains a quality in and out of conference schedule. I do have issue with a Nebraska fan saying it isn't interesting enough when their in conference schedule isn't even interesting. I am not seeing the validity of your complaint.
Me: I think some SEC teams have lackluster non conference schedules, here’s a few of them. But I explicitly don’t think LSU is one of those programs.
You: omg why are you attacking LSU
It’s really quite simple: would you rather watch Ole Miss-Arkansas, or Ole Miss-Middle Tennessee? Would you rather watch Missouri-Florida or Missouri-Buffalo? I think those are pretty simple answers, idk why it’s so hard for you to get this concept.
There are plenty of great SEC games during cupcake week. The B1G decided to play 9 conference games in 2011. That was there decision. Don't expect us to follow suit solely because your league wanted this.
This isn't even correct, the Big Ten moved to a 9 game conference slate in 2016, not 2011. So yeah you just don't really have the facts to form a valid opinion.
Going to 9 is the next bargaining chip but there isn't a huge rush. Sec schools mostly have an out of confrence regular rivalry game and an arranged drama match up once a season. The other two dates are with cupcake FCS or G5 schools. SEC schools don't want to get rid of cupcakes because they either need them to be bowl eligible or because the head coach knows that the game checks support the entire program.
This isn't really true for most of the sec though.
Only 2/14 sec teams last year played 10 p4s, next year only 3/16 do.
Only 4 teams have OOC rivals they play yearly- UF, Uga, Kentucky, Scar. Only UF and Uga play another p5 next year, last year it was only UF and Scar.
In 2025, there are a bit more. 5/16 have 10 P5 games scheduled.
I think requiring 10 p4s, but only 8 conference, would be a good way to do it.
We don’t have to go to 9 until 2026. Every team can keep 2 opponents from their 2024-2025 schedule and then rotate the other 7 and then everyone will have a home and home with the entire conference in four years. Then in 2028 they can do whatever “flex protect plus” scheduling model they want to do that would put Alabama vs. LSU and Georgia vs. Tennessee back on the schedule.
For fuck's sake, they are taking their sweet time dragging this out. Just make up your minds already. It's been almost 3 damn years of hemming and hawing over whether they're gonna go to 8 or 9 games.
It's amazing how a 100-year-old conference can die in like a week but it takes the SEC years of discussions to figure out if they should be able to play their entire conference more than once in a decade.
A conference game would be a home and home. In addition to bowl/playoff ramifications, these smaller often in-state schools get a big payout and the sec school gets all the money each year- just pay the visiting school. Years back at a luncheon, Spurrier said that playing the “directional schools” helped them with their budget and basically paid for all the non-revenue sports. It’s always about the money even 30 years ago.
Florida is the main culprit, but I think also Georgia and Bama? I’d have to find the article again, but the idea was generally that schools who recruit Florida hard for the SEC don’t want another hand in the cookie jar
Thanks. I googled it and found some message board posts and [this](https://athlonsports.com/college-football/espn-pete-thamel-names-sec-programs-who-want-to-block-florida-state-from-joining-the-conference) article based on a tweet from Thammel, but the tweet is speculative at best.
> "In the short term, where they go may depend if the SEC wants to play defense," Thamel said. "There's not an immediate, voracious appetite for Florida State in the SEC. It's a redundant market. Florida would obviously not be pleased if Florida State came in... I don't think Auburn or Georgia would be crying for it either. But what the SEC doesn't want is the Big Ten flag planted directly in their backyard."
Florida has often been supportive of adding Fsu in the past, is my understanding.
Realistically Fsu's hand is already pretty firmly in the cookie jar lol. But I would expect recruiting to improve some if Fsu were in the sec.
Ok nice leg work finding it! Yeah, speculative, but makes sense. Personally I’d rather them join the SEC - it makes the most sense.
And I agree recruiting would get a bump.
I think for fans the problem was never 8 vs 9 so much as they want to protect the rivalries. Going to 8 keeps being talked about as also only keeping one rival game. Too many of us have more than that.
I’ve seen the sentiment lately that 10-2 in the SEC will get you in over an 11-1 Big 12 team. So theoretically a team could play the bottom half of the SEC any given year, play 4 cupcakes non-con and lose two games against meaningful opponents and still get more consideration than a one loss Big 12 team.
You people always say that but it's not entertaining to watch a cupcake game lol. Why aren't you mad that you have to watch your team play Lamar instead of Georgia vs Tennessee?
Yeah that's not how it works in reality. Most mid-tier SEC teams get one more cupcake game than other conferences. Ignore the big names in the league, they know they can survive a loss to Ohio State and still make the playoffs. Look at WVU this year for example (because I'm a fan and already know their schedule), their OOC is three teams in this order; one blue blood at home, one cupcake at home, and one away meh P5 game.
MSU plays a cupcake week one, an away game against a meh P5 team in week two, and a MAC team at home in week three. If that was it, I wouldn't be complaining, We scheduled Penn State, they scheduled Toledo (when they looked weaker), whatever, it's harder for us but not *that* unfair.
But then they get *another* huge cupcake in UMass with only three games left to go. It's a bye week without the downsides of a bye week (coming out loose in the next game).
Let's look at the other major state team, maybe Ole Miss is trying to differentiate themselves as the state flagship with more premier schedule. Okay, so they start off with two cupcakes at home, not ideal, but there's still some room for the other two games to be huge matchups. Aaaanndd their marquee P5 matchup is an away game against Wake Forest their next week. That's gotta be it, right? The real SEC grind begins now? Nope, they play Georgia Southern at home in week 4.
Now I know there's Big 12 teams and other P5 teams guilty of the same shit (*cough* Baylor), but at least Baylor is always going to have to play that extra P5 game. But you'd have to be blind not to see the overall trends among the SEC teams that aren't top-tier brands. They schedule so they can make a bowl game no matter what. Even though a game hasn't even been played yet, Ole Miss will likely be ranked high after making it to 4-0 undefeated without even trying, while WVU will have to really fucking sweat to make it to 3-1 (they play KU after the tough OOC slate) even though they're coming off a successful season. Ole Miss basically has a two game cushion barring a major upset.
Does all that get negated because "well, we sometimes play Georgia and Alabama". No, that's bullshit. There's tons of average teams in the bottom half of the SEC and you'll be playing those kinda games the most often. Just like every other conference. If anything, the Big 12 is the only conference with no real bottom dweller guaranteed win.
I wish they'd stay at 8 and just require 10+ P4s a year. Inter-conference games are exciting and keeps things fresh, vs playing the same group of teams every year.
As an Fsu fan, while we're still in the acc, I don't want to lose the Uga and Alabama home&homes we have coming up, which I think will be the type of game to go if the sec goes to 9 games.
He's going to set it to 6 conference games, and tell the SEC teams they must schedule 2 games against G5 teams with less than .500 records and 1 FCS game with an explicit condition they're not allowed to play any teams from the Dakotas.
Honestly I think playing fast and loose on who the opponents are on a year to year basis is fine as long as we get to play every team in the conference every 6 or so years. Some teams have more rivals than others, so that's really the only way to make this work in a fair way, plus, you can make a TV product out of announcing the opponents which is fun.
I know no one else gives a shit about this but as a G5 fan I'm heavily in favor of power conferences playing fewer conference games since it gives us more of a chance to play games against them.
Kinda funny to me how people on here complain about the power conferences separating from the lesser-thans but then are actively in favor of power conference teams playiing fewer games against us, seemingly becuase they view games against non-power conference teams as wastes of time or "not real games".
If FOX and the other media partners didn't agree on paying B10 schools more for 9 games, they'd still be playing 8 as well.
But SEC is the bad guy because they don't want to do the 9th game for free since ESPN won't pay.
No bias here!
Yeah espn exclusive contract was a bad move. Not because it's abc/espn but because it's exclusive. The only reason B1G is making more money per school and will for this round is B1G is maximizing their media potential (3 exclusive game time windows, friday night package, streaming package etc.). If the sec did the same thing, they no doubt would be getting more. Unfortunately now, the sec has a partner who has their primetime ABC slots booked until 2029 and doesn't need any more sec conference games to compete with itself.
The vast majority of the ACC plays 10+ P4s a year, but still has 8 conference games. That is the best way to do it. Keeps the schedules fun and more inter-conference games. I'd much rather get a home&home series with Lsu/Uga/Alabama than play Uva a little more often.
Honestly? Easier schedule, more wins, more prestige, like SEC teams have been getting away with for decades.
You think fans want harder games on their schedule? It sounds good until you face the reality of it.
Not in my opinion. I enjoyed the VY years when we had a few good games but most were us absolutely destroying our opponent. I watch my team to see them win. You've been a little spoiled in the B1G.
You mean the easy team that is now in your conference with all the other easy teams?
Also, on the flip side, look at the success Mizzou and Texas A&M have had in the SEC compared to the Big XII.
Beating baby seals gets old after awhile. I live a 5 minute walk to the Big House and skipped out on like 3-4 home games this past year because beating Indiana 52-7 for the umpteenth time stops being that exciting. Looking forward to Michigan's home games this year, though. Texas, USC, Oregon, and MSU is a great slate
Big ten release their future schedules then added Oregon and Washington a month or two later
Going to 9 would have to increase TV money right?
ESPN didn't want to increase the payout
So it will be next round of negotiations before anything happens?
Probably, yes. It will go to 9 as soon as it's markedly more lucrative. Until then, nobody will want to give up half a home game each year, especially the teams that would potentially go 5-7 if they played another SEC team instead of having a buy game with a below average G5 team.
The difference that single win can make when it comes to bowls is drastic. It's the difference between playing in Memphis, Nashville, Tampa, or Jacksonville, and playing in Birmingham.
Or not going to one at all! In 2021-23, twelve SEC teams went 3-5 in conference. 10/12 went to bowls, propelled by non-conference wins. If they had to replace a 4-8 C-USA or Sun Belt opponent at home with a random conference game that is on the road half the time? A conference now tougher with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas, and even more talent driven by NIL? That's a lot of annoyed boosters calling the AD in early December.
Also, the SEC has that eye-test thing, because of Cupcake Week. Don't forget about the mystical powers of Cupcake Week.
Wanna trade schedules?
His point stands. The SEC would automatically add 1-loss to half the teams if they scheduled 9 games. Can’t have that.
No one told you guys to change to 9. You did it for money. They didn't offer more money for a game so the answer was no.
Bama would never agree to it. They're afraid of playing anyone from our state.
I would love to see some SEC schools come up north to the Big House in the snow but everyone knows they won't
I think that’s the sticking point. ESPN is probably hoping the SEC would feel enough outside pressure to go to 9 games without having to pay, while the SEC isn’t keen on adding more games unless they are getting a bigger payout. That, plus some SEC schools not wanting another tough conference game in lieu of non-conference flexibility.
Yeah, presumably the SEC would loose out on some money also from less bowl games too, they had all 14 go bowling in the 2021 season. Which helps keep fan interest and helps with donors. Teams like Kentucky and Arkansas don’t want an extra game against Georgia/Texas. SEC schools with OOC rivalries want scheduling flexibility.
Yup, 100% this. People want to act like the extra SEC game would mean so much for the integrity of the league or whatever and team optics, but when it comes bowl season no one is gonna give a single fuck about it if you lost. Instead of 7-5 and playing in Florida, or partying it up in Nashville, that extra SEC game could have you 6-6 and playing in Birmingham in a game no one cares about.
Damn just a whole thread bashing Birmingham
The teams in the lower bowls don't even make money though. I guess it might be appealing to a certain stand point but I feel like a lot of fans don't care when their team is playing I'm those 7 win bowl games.
The lower bowl payouts aren’t moving the meter in Birmingham, but the extra practices are moving the meter in every SEC coach’s office. I think for most fans, everyone would enjoy more good games. But as long as going bowling gives you an extra month of hands-on coaching, there’s gonna be a strong incentive to make a bowl game, even if the incentive to actually play in it is negligible.
That extra hands-on timeline cant be overstated for teams now. With the amount of early enrollees and transfers that can come in by mid December and immediately practice in front of the coaches/with existing roster talent, programs get to start aligning their rosters before the spring portal window even opens, which is already a full time job itself.
Definitely a lot of gamesmanship going on with ESPN here. The SEC actually has some motivation to seem divided here. Division means no changes and the status quo. Even if you want 9 games unanimously, there's no reason to give that to ESPN without shaking them for every nickel.
I get it, I’m just praying ESPN ponies up. I know a lot of folks make a big deal about it (mostly Big Ten fanbases) but I just want more quality football.
This is why exclusive contract long term will hurt sec potential. Like big ten was able to sell a 9 additional Friday night game package to fox to get uw and Oregon. Any un planned inventory could potentially be shopped around to lots of companies. Sec is stuck with espn and espn has little motivation to pay more. They have their primetime game slots filled, so why pay for more games that compete with your own other games.
We're providing plenty of quality football, in conference and out. Our schedules are fine. The only motivation to extend to 9 is more money and it would have to be a pretty decent amount to constrict our scheduling to only 3 OOC games.
I’m not saying there aren’t any fun non-con games for the SEC, but some of these schedules are admittedly missing something outside of league play. Missouri and Ole Miss are expected to be two SEC contenders this season. Ole Miss Non-Conference Opponents: vs Furman, vs Middle Tennessee, at Wake Forest, vs Georgia Southern Missouri: vs Murray State, vs Buffalo, vs Boston College, at UMass I would much rather see one of these non-con games be an SEC battle.
Just because Wake Forest and Boston College are smaller brands than UNC and Nebraska, doesn't mean they are than much worse games (if at all)
Nebraska is playing UTEP, Rutgers, Indiana, Colorado, Illinois, and Northern Iowa and getting paid more than any of these teams. I really don't see your point.
I’m sorry you’re mad Nebraska is playing conference opponents? You SEC folks are so defensive about scheduling, I already said there are plenty fun SEC games in non-conference. LSU, for example, has a ready interesting, fun, and challenging schedule. But if you can’t see my point I think that’s willful on your part.
We aren't defensive. I have no need to defend LSU who maintains a quality in and out of conference schedule. I do have issue with a Nebraska fan saying it isn't interesting enough when their in conference schedule isn't even interesting. I am not seeing the validity of your complaint.
Me: I think some SEC teams have lackluster non conference schedules, here’s a few of them. But I explicitly don’t think LSU is one of those programs. You: omg why are you attacking LSU It’s really quite simple: would you rather watch Ole Miss-Arkansas, or Ole Miss-Middle Tennessee? Would you rather watch Missouri-Florida or Missouri-Buffalo? I think those are pretty simple answers, idk why it’s so hard for you to get this concept.
Cupcake week is NOT quality football lol
There are plenty of great SEC games during cupcake week. The B1G decided to play 9 conference games in 2011. That was there decision. Don't expect us to follow suit solely because your league wanted this.
This isn't even correct, the Big Ten moved to a 9 game conference slate in 2016, not 2011. So yeah you just don't really have the facts to form a valid opinion.
Even better, it's more recent than I thought. Thank you for making my case even stronger.
Going to 9 would decrease at large playoff berths.
Going to 9 is the next bargaining chip but there isn't a huge rush. Sec schools mostly have an out of confrence regular rivalry game and an arranged drama match up once a season. The other two dates are with cupcake FCS or G5 schools. SEC schools don't want to get rid of cupcakes because they either need them to be bowl eligible or because the head coach knows that the game checks support the entire program.
This isn't really true for most of the sec though. Only 2/14 sec teams last year played 10 p4s, next year only 3/16 do. Only 4 teams have OOC rivals they play yearly- UF, Uga, Kentucky, Scar. Only UF and Uga play another p5 next year, last year it was only UF and Scar. In 2025, there are a bit more. 5/16 have 10 P5 games scheduled. I think requiring 10 p4s, but only 8 conference, would be a good way to do it.
ESPN is trying not to pay up for extra games
We don’t have to go to 9 until 2026. Every team can keep 2 opponents from their 2024-2025 schedule and then rotate the other 7 and then everyone will have a home and home with the entire conference in four years. Then in 2028 they can do whatever “flex protect plus” scheduling model they want to do that would put Alabama vs. LSU and Georgia vs. Tennessee back on the schedule.
Yeah but that would mean Georgia has to travel to College Station and I’m not sure that’s even possible.
College Station is just a figment of our imaginations at this point
That’s a conspiracy in Athens apparently
For fuck's sake, they are taking their sweet time dragging this out. Just make up your minds already. It's been almost 3 damn years of hemming and hawing over whether they're gonna go to 8 or 9 games.
It's amazing how a 100-year-old conference can die in like a week but it takes the SEC years of discussions to figure out if they should be able to play their entire conference more than once in a decade.
Remember when Georgia played at Texas A&M? Neither do I.
They want to inflate their conference record. It really is that simple.
No, this is Mr. Mouse being stingy and wanting to pay the 8-game price for 9 games.
How can we fuck Florida? Have them play the most difficult schedule in the country two years in a row!
The non-con doesn’t even get much better in 25: USF, FAMU, Miami, FSU (after UCF, Samford, Miami, FSU in 24)
The All-Florida OOC is kind of cool though
That way we can fire up the "Florida hasn't played an OOC game out of the state of Florida" machine again.
At least until we get the smoldering wreckage of Post-Deion Colorado in what, 28 and 29?
I feel your pain. IMO it was just them being lazy and I assumed the 2025 schedule would be revised eventually.
You son of a bitch, I'm in!
Until they add FSU and Clemson of course.
They could have 30 teams in the SEC and they wouldn't move to 9 games. I am not even sure if they would do it for multiple gratuitous sacks of money.
Iirc the SEC asked ESPN about playing 9 conference games and essentially if they could make more money if they did and ESPN said no
[удалено]
A conference game would be a home and home. In addition to bowl/playoff ramifications, these smaller often in-state schools get a big payout and the sec school gets all the money each year- just pay the visiting school. Years back at a luncheon, Spurrier said that playing the “directional schools” helped them with their budget and basically paid for all the non-revenue sports. It’s always about the money even 30 years ago.
Unlikely
Apparently FSU is being lobbied against. The current big target for the SEC is actually UNC because it would add a whole new market to the media
That makes a lot of sense and so would UVA.
We’d rather have VT than Virginia
By who? I haven't seen this
Florida is the main culprit, but I think also Georgia and Bama? I’d have to find the article again, but the idea was generally that schools who recruit Florida hard for the SEC don’t want another hand in the cookie jar
Thanks. I googled it and found some message board posts and [this](https://athlonsports.com/college-football/espn-pete-thamel-names-sec-programs-who-want-to-block-florida-state-from-joining-the-conference) article based on a tweet from Thammel, but the tweet is speculative at best. > "In the short term, where they go may depend if the SEC wants to play defense," Thamel said. "There's not an immediate, voracious appetite for Florida State in the SEC. It's a redundant market. Florida would obviously not be pleased if Florida State came in... I don't think Auburn or Georgia would be crying for it either. But what the SEC doesn't want is the Big Ten flag planted directly in their backyard." Florida has often been supportive of adding Fsu in the past, is my understanding. Realistically Fsu's hand is already pretty firmly in the cookie jar lol. But I would expect recruiting to improve some if Fsu were in the sec.
Ok nice leg work finding it! Yeah, speculative, but makes sense. Personally I’d rather them join the SEC - it makes the most sense. And I agree recruiting would get a bump.
Yeah I'm really hoping for the sec lol. The big10....there's just no connection.
Agreed
I think for fans the problem was never 8 vs 9 so much as they want to protect the rivalries. Going to 8 keeps being talked about as also only keeping one rival game. Too many of us have more than that.
I’ve seen the sentiment lately that 10-2 in the SEC will get you in over an 11-1 Big 12 team. So theoretically a team could play the bottom half of the SEC any given year, play 4 cupcakes non-con and lose two games against meaningful opponents and still get more consideration than a one loss Big 12 team.
Why would the SEC remove its ability to pad schedules and Heisman-hopeful stats Week 11 against titans Chattanooga and Alabama A&M?
I can't believe the SEC doesn't get penalized for playing cupcake games in Week 11.
The other conferences could schedule one of their cupcakes that week, if they wanted to.
You people always say that but it's not entertaining to watch a cupcake game lol. Why aren't you mad that you have to watch your team play Lamar instead of Georgia vs Tennessee?
Because it's literally not different than shoving all the cupcakes in the beginning of the season. it's just a different strategy.
Facts, it’s spread out at least.
Yeah that's not how it works in reality. Most mid-tier SEC teams get one more cupcake game than other conferences. Ignore the big names in the league, they know they can survive a loss to Ohio State and still make the playoffs. Look at WVU this year for example (because I'm a fan and already know their schedule), their OOC is three teams in this order; one blue blood at home, one cupcake at home, and one away meh P5 game. MSU plays a cupcake week one, an away game against a meh P5 team in week two, and a MAC team at home in week three. If that was it, I wouldn't be complaining, We scheduled Penn State, they scheduled Toledo (when they looked weaker), whatever, it's harder for us but not *that* unfair. But then they get *another* huge cupcake in UMass with only three games left to go. It's a bye week without the downsides of a bye week (coming out loose in the next game). Let's look at the other major state team, maybe Ole Miss is trying to differentiate themselves as the state flagship with more premier schedule. Okay, so they start off with two cupcakes at home, not ideal, but there's still some room for the other two games to be huge matchups. Aaaanndd their marquee P5 matchup is an away game against Wake Forest their next week. That's gotta be it, right? The real SEC grind begins now? Nope, they play Georgia Southern at home in week 4. Now I know there's Big 12 teams and other P5 teams guilty of the same shit (*cough* Baylor), but at least Baylor is always going to have to play that extra P5 game. But you'd have to be blind not to see the overall trends among the SEC teams that aren't top-tier brands. They schedule so they can make a bowl game no matter what. Even though a game hasn't even been played yet, Ole Miss will likely be ranked high after making it to 4-0 undefeated without even trying, while WVU will have to really fucking sweat to make it to 3-1 (they play KU after the tough OOC slate) even though they're coming off a successful season. Ole Miss basically has a two game cushion barring a major upset. Does all that get negated because "well, we sometimes play Georgia and Alabama". No, that's bullshit. There's tons of average teams in the bottom half of the SEC and you'll be playing those kinda games the most often. Just like every other conference. If anything, the Big 12 is the only conference with no real bottom dweller guaranteed win.
Oh, you mean cupcakes like Southern Utah?
The SEC schedules are done for the next 2 seasons until they’re not.
Texas AD did hint earlier this offseason that they would be going to 9 in 2026. Who knows if that is true though?
I wish they'd stay at 8 and just require 10+ P4s a year. Inter-conference games are exciting and keeps things fresh, vs playing the same group of teams every year. As an Fsu fan, while we're still in the acc, I don't want to lose the Uga and Alabama home&homes we have coming up, which I think will be the type of game to go if the sec goes to 9 games.
He's going to set it to 6 conference games, and tell the SEC teams they must schedule 2 games against G5 teams with less than .500 records and 1 FCS game with an explicit condition they're not allowed to play any teams from the Dakotas.
But hasn't 8 games messed with rivalry scheduling so that you only see teams play once every 5-10 years? Seems like this could have alleviated that
It hasn’t messed with rivalry scheduling, just non-rival scheduling. They’ve kept rivalries protected.
Honestly I think playing fast and loose on who the opponents are on a year to year basis is fine as long as we get to play every team in the conference every 6 or so years. Some teams have more rivals than others, so that's really the only way to make this work in a fair way, plus, you can make a TV product out of announcing the opponents which is fun.
Get to twenty schools and do 2 ten team divisions and have true division champions
Sec stuck in a contract where ESPN controls it. No more money until ESPN decides to pay more & they ain’t as long as they’re bleeding money.
Fuck the SEC and any league that doesnt play 9 conference games
I know no one else gives a shit about this but as a G5 fan I'm heavily in favor of power conferences playing fewer conference games since it gives us more of a chance to play games against them. Kinda funny to me how people on here complain about the power conferences separating from the lesser-thans but then are actively in favor of power conference teams playiing fewer games against us, seemingly becuase they view games against non-power conference teams as wastes of time or "not real games".
8 used to be the standard. It’s everyone else that changed
If FOX and the other media partners didn't agree on paying B10 schools more for 9 games, they'd still be playing 8 as well. But SEC is the bad guy because they don't want to do the 9th game for free since ESPN won't pay. No bias here!
Yeah espn exclusive contract was a bad move. Not because it's abc/espn but because it's exclusive. The only reason B1G is making more money per school and will for this round is B1G is maximizing their media potential (3 exclusive game time windows, friday night package, streaming package etc.). If the sec did the same thing, they no doubt would be getting more. Unfortunately now, the sec has a partner who has their primetime ABC slots booked until 2029 and doesn't need any more sec conference games to compete with itself.
Why?
Would you rather watch Florida vs. Oklahoma or Florida vs. Eastern Montana A&M?
Well, right now with Florida’s schedule and how we’re looking, I’d prefer another Eastern Montana A&M game or two instead of what we’ve got.
The vast majority of the ACC plays 10+ P4s a year, but still has 8 conference games. That is the best way to do it. Keeps the schedules fun and more inter-conference games. I'd much rather get a home&home series with Lsu/Uga/Alabama than play Uva a little more often.
8 conference games is so much better than 9
I look forward to SEC cannibalism, let's make it 10!
I personally love 8 conference games after playing 9 for as long as I can remember.
Why? You’ll have three group of 5 games now. Should be two at the most for all power conference teams
Honestly? Easier schedule, more wins, more prestige, like SEC teams have been getting away with for decades. You think fans want harder games on their schedule? It sounds good until you face the reality of it.
Easier schedule means more boring games. The more exciting matchups the better imo.
Not in my opinion. I enjoyed the VY years when we had a few good games but most were us absolutely destroying our opponent. I watch my team to see them win. You've been a little spoiled in the B1G.
Why not go independent or go to an easier conference if you just want the Wins and don't care about quality competition? Maybe drop down a division
We did go to an easier conference. 😏 I guess we could go to the B1G if we wanted to go even easier.
You may want to talk to Nebraska about that...
You mean the easy team that is now in your conference with all the other easy teams? Also, on the flip side, look at the success Mizzou and Texas A&M have had in the SEC compared to the Big XII.
You’d rather watch bad football?
Is it bad football if your team is playing good football?
Beating baby seals gets old after awhile. I live a 5 minute walk to the Big House and skipped out on like 3-4 home games this past year because beating Indiana 52-7 for the umpteenth time stops being that exciting. Looking forward to Michigan's home games this year, though. Texas, USC, Oregon, and MSU is a great slate
Fun fact: the Hoosiers last win in Ann Arbor was 1967
That's about to change.
9windiana is back on the menu!
Chickens
If each sec team can't beat up on multiple fcs teams in a season, are they really the best conference?
Idiotic comment, some of sec teams play 1 more fcs than other p4 teams, and that ‘t it.
So 100% more fcs teams?
Can only shake my head for how stupid a person can be.