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SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told reporters on Wednesday that league coaches and athletic directors are actively engaged in discussions about the conference schedule.
The conference plays 8 league games while leagues like the Big Ten and Big 12 play 9. The SEC has long contended that the extra game is a moot point because its teams regularly play another power conference school. Alabama has played an out-of-conference game against another power conference team for 18 straight seasons. Schools like Georgia and Florida play annual games against ACC rivals. Other leagues have argued the SEC is protecting its brand by not adding a ninth game.
Sankey said Wednesday that some around the league who have otherwise been resistant to a 9-game league schedule are starting to re-think their position, per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
No decision has been made yet on the schedule.
Dellenger reported last Sunday that administrators in the SEC want more revenue from ESPN in exchange for that extra league game — a dollar amount that could exceed $5 million annually per school.
The extra game, according to Dellenger, would help pave the way for a scheduling agreement with the Big Ten that would set up annual games between the 2 leagues. For network partners (FOX and ESPN), such an agreement would be a way to drive the additional revenue administrators are seeking.
College Football Playoff changes are also tied into discussions for a ninth game. Fears that additional losses for SEC teams might harm their postseason chances would be assuaged by a new model. According to Dellenger’s reporting, SEC and Big Ten officials are pushing for a 14- or 16-team Playoff model that would guarantee 4 automatic berths for the SEC and the Big Ten.
“If I was just representing the SEC, we’d still have a four-team playoff,” Sankey said Wednesday, per Dellenger.
Nothing concrete was decided during meetings on Wednesday, though Dellenger reported that the SEC and Big Ten will continue to “deeply discuss” the CFP format changes.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
