SEC to play 8-game conference football schedule in 2024; long-term model still TBD
1 year, 6 months ago

SEC to play 8-game conference football schedule in 2024; long-term model still TBD

Associated Press  

DESTIN, Fla. — The Southeastern Conference will play eight league games in 2024 when it expands to 16 teams with the additions of Oklahoma and Texas, but beyond that the schedule model is still to be determined. Commissioner Greg Sankey said Thursday, the second-to-last day of the SEC’s spring meetings, that the conference’s university presidents unanimously voted to implement a short-term solution to a scheduling conundrum that has been debated within the league for more than a year. SEC leaders have been trying to decide between a nine-game conference schedule that would include three annual rivalry games and an eight-game model with one annual rivalry game. He also said, confidently, a long-term scheduling model would be hashed before the conference returns to the Florida Panhandle this time next year. Some SEC athletic directors cited College Football Playoff expansion from four to 12 teams in 2024 and the need to re-arrange already-booked nonconference games as reasons to stick with an eight-game schedule — at least for another year.

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History of this topic

2024 College Football Playoff guide: What to know about the new 12-team format, at-large bids
2 weeks, 2 days ago

2024 College Football Playoff guide: What to know about the new 12-team format, at-large bids

New York Times  

College football entered a new era Sunday with the unveiling of the first 12-team Playoff bracket. For most of its century-plus existence, college football had a “mythical national champion.” The sport’s season champion was determined after teams played in bowl games by various polls and rankings, which, of course, led to significant debate. The four quarterfinal games and both semifinals …

Georgia vs. Texas: How to watch, picks, odds for SEC Championship Game
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Georgia vs. Texas: How to watch, picks, odds for SEC Championship Game

New York Times  

After facing each other in mid-October, Texas and Georgia will run it back on Saturday afternoon in the SEC Championship Game from Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. 5 Georgia is making its fourth straight SEC Championship Game appearance and seventh overall in coach Kirby Smart’s nine-year tenure. Georgia vs. Texas odds Expert picks against the spread The Pulse Newsletter Free, daily sports …

What are the matchups in college football’s conference championship games?
3 weeks, 2 days ago

What are the matchups in college football’s conference championship games?

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! 12 Clemson at Charlotte, North Carolina What to know: The Mustangs completed a sweep of their first ACC schedule with a 38-6 win over California, making them the only team in their new league that didn’t lose a conference game; SMU has a 17-game conference winning …

Final week shows expanded Southeastern Conference just means more chaos
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Final week shows expanded Southeastern Conference just means more chaos

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One thing is sure as the newly expanded Southeastern Conference wraps up its regular season: Two new teams has just meant more chaos in a league that seemingly had settled in formation behind Georgia and Alabama. Going bowling Auburn snapping a four-game skid …

College football Week 14: Longhorns-Aggies among the high-stakes rivalry games to end regular season
3 weeks, 6 days ago

College football Week 14: Longhorns-Aggies among the high-stakes rivalry games to end regular season

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! It’s the final weekend of the college football regular season, which means rivalry games take center stage. With seven at-large bids for the first 12-team College Football Playoff up for grabs, not to mention spots in next week’s conference championship games, some of these games take …

Chase for spots in SEC championship game still up for grabs with two games left in regular season
1 month ago

Chase for spots in SEC championship game still up for grabs with two games left in regular season

Associated Press  

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — With two games left in the regular season, No. “There’s been no time ever where Texas A&M has been in the SEC, in the last two games controlled their own destiny to go to Atlanta. It’s the opportunity that you’ve trained for.” But a loss would create more chaos in an already tight race that could …

What we learned about the CFP in Week 12: Georgia’s still alive, an SEC-Big Ten debate looms
1 month, 1 week ago

What we learned about the CFP in Week 12: Georgia’s still alive, an SEC-Big Ten debate looms

New York Times  

There are two weeks left in college football’s regular season, and there appear to be more teams hanging around College Football Playoff contention than falling out. Big 12 CFP and title odds Team CFP bid B1G title Record Oregon 99% 51% 11-0 Ohio State 99% 45% 9-1 Penn State 93% 1% 9-1 Indiana 89% 4% 10-0 Welcome, Sun Devils Arizona …

How 30-plus College Football Playoff contenders and their conference races collide in the weeks ahead
2 months ago

How 30-plus College Football Playoff contenders and their conference races collide in the weeks ahead

New York Times  

As November approaches, more and more programs’ College Football Playoff hopes are dropping like autumn leaves from the trees. Key games before first CFP rankings: BYU at UCF, Oct. 26; Cincinnati at Colorado, Oct. 26; Texas Tech at Iowa State, Nov. 2. A failed drive for a last-second field goal cost them at Oregon, but games against Penn State, Indiana …

TV ratings and a Big Ten alliance could get SEC to 9-game schedule
2 months, 3 weeks ago

TV ratings and a Big Ten alliance could get SEC to 9-game schedule

New York Times  

Alabama and Georgia played another instant classic Saturday night, and 12 million people watched, making it by far the highest-rated college football game of the 2024 season. That’s according to Nielsen, and its list of the dozen most-watched games this season has a theme: The seven most-watched games, and 10 of the top 12, have involved at least one SEC …

SEC contenders handling early schedule of beefier foes instead of cupcakes to boost playoff resumes
3 months, 1 week ago

SEC contenders handling early schedule of beefier foes instead of cupcakes to boost playoff resumes

Associated Press  

One unknown to scheduling non-conference opponents years in advance is whether those future foes are as attractive when game day finally arrives as they were when the contract was signed. So, I’m certainly glad we were able to play a really good team, a good program like Clemson.” Even with a field featuring the five highest-ranked conference champions and seven …

Expanded College Football Playoff will begin with 1st-round game on Dec. 20 in prime time
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Expanded College Football Playoff will begin with 1st-round game on Dec. 20 in prime time

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The first year of the 12-team College Football Playoff will kick off with a first-round game on Dec. 20 and conclude with the title game one month later in Atlanta. ABC and ESPN will televise games on Friday and Saturday night with an 8 p.m. EST …

SEC still looking for more ESPN money to go to 9 conference games
6 months, 3 weeks ago

SEC still looking for more ESPN money to go to 9 conference games

New York Times  

DESTIN, Fla. — The SEC office hasn’t given up trying to get more money from ESPN in exchange for adding a ninth conference game. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the conference had “conversations with ESPN’s leadership a couple weeks ago just to re-engage” on the schedule, including to “help them understand that if we stay at eight what’s absent from …

What’s on tap for SEC meetings: 4 storylines to keep an eye on in Destin, Fla.
6 months, 4 weeks ago

What’s on tap for SEC meetings: 4 storylines to keep an eye on in Destin, Fla.

New York Times  

DESTIN, Fla. — The SEC convenes Tuesday for its annual spring meetings, and the good news for those involved is the future football schedule is not the main topic. Whether to go to nine conference games or stay at eight seems quaint now compared with the heavy reality that SEC presidents, athletic directors, coaches and commissioner Greg Sankey must confront …

TNT will begin airing College Football Playoff games through sublicense with ESPN
7 months ago

TNT will begin airing College Football Playoff games through sublicense with ESPN

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! TNT Sports will begin airing College Football Playoff games this upcoming season through a sublicense with ESPN. “When we look at the landscape and what can really bring in massive levels of audience that is in the popular culture and must watch, the College Football Playoff …

TNT will begin airing College Football Playoff games through sublicense with ESPN
7 months ago

TNT will begin airing College Football Playoff games through sublicense with ESPN

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy TNT Sports will begin airing …

ESPN will remain the home of the College Football Playoff through 2031 under $7.8 billion deal
9 months ago

ESPN will remain the home of the College Football Playoff through 2031 under $7.8 billion deal

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The College Football Playoff and ESPN announced a $7.8 billion deal Tuesday that will give the network exclusive rights to the expanded postseason through the 2031 season, with the national championship game moving to ABC starting in 2026. “It’s a significant day for the CFP and …

College Football Playoff finalizes agreement giving ESPN exclusive rights through 2031-32
9 months ago

College Football Playoff finalizes agreement giving ESPN exclusive rights through 2031-32

New York Times  

ESPN and the College Football Playoff on Tuesday announced a finalized agreement granting the network exclusive rights through the 2031-32 season. Two seasons remain on ESPN’s original 12-year deal for the New Year’s Six bowls and national championship game. ESPN, which to this point has aired all CFP games on its flagship cable network, said it will move the national …

College Football Playoff moving toward agreement between conferences needed to complete ESPN deal
9 months, 1 week ago

College Football Playoff moving toward agreement between conferences needed to complete ESPN deal

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The College Football Playoff is moving toward a revenue-sharing agreement among participating conferences that is needed in order to finalize a new media rights contact with ESPN. Conference officials were meeting separately this week with their schools to consider a deal that would commit them to …

With 12-team playoff set, CFP already discussing possibly more teams for 2026 and beyond
10 months ago

With 12-team playoff set, CFP already discussing possibly more teams for 2026 and beyond

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! DALLAS — Now that the yearslong process to finalize how the 12 teams for the expanded College Football Playoff will be selected for the next two seasons is complete, there are already discussions about maybe adding more teams for 2026 and beyond. The CFP management committee …

How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work
10 months ago

How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The 12-team College Football Playoff is 10 months away from kicking off and the format for it has finally been locked in. University presidents who make up the CFP Board of Managers unanimously approved one last tweak to increase the number of at-large bids from six …

College Football Playoff approves 5+7 format and reduces spots for conference champions
10 months ago

College Football Playoff approves 5+7 format and reduces spots for conference champions

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The field for the 12-team College Football Playoff beginning next season will comprise five conference champions and seven at-large selections after the university presidents who oversee the CFP voted unanimously Tuesday to tweak the format. The original plan for the 12-team format was to have the …

College Football Playoff delays tweaking 12-team format to decrease spots reserved for league champs
11 months, 2 weeks ago

College Football Playoff delays tweaking 12-team format to decrease spots reserved for league champs

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The College Football Playoff delayed reducing the number of spots reserved for conference champions from six to five in the upcoming 12-team format on Monday, though the change is expected to be in place next season. For now, the playoff format for the next two years …

Mandel’s Mailbag: Where’s the respect for Michigan, which teams overperformed?
1 year ago

Mandel’s Mailbag: Where’s the respect for Michigan, which teams overperformed?

New York Times  

It was a bit of a quiet week in my inbox, perhaps not surprisingly given we’ve hit that holiday lull between the regular season and the major bowls. As for Kelly’s proposed 64-team football conference — that sounds neat and tidy, but what incentive do the SEC and Big Ten have to join forces with the less-valued ACC and Big …

Big Ten 2024 football schedule: 10 thoughts on travel concerns, rivalry weekend and more
1 year, 1 month ago

Big Ten 2024 football schedule: 10 thoughts on travel concerns, rivalry weekend and more

New York Times  

There’s a numerical symmetry attached to the Big Ten’s 2024 football schedule, which was unveiled on Thursday afternoon. “Normally, we don’t get out of the late 20s or 30s when it comes to football schedules,” said Kerry Kenny, the Big Ten’s chief operating officer. “We felt like through the lens of both individual schedules, it was an equitable outcome in …

Big 12 football scheduling model for 2024-2027 revealed: Breaking down the conference’s changes
1 year, 1 month ago

Big 12 football scheduling model for 2024-2027 revealed: Breaking down the conference’s changes

New York Times  

By Max Olson, Sam Khan Jr. and Justin Williams The Big 12 revealed its new football scheduling model for the 2024 through 2027 seasons Wednesday, offering a first look at how it will operate as a 16-team conference starting next year. Four protected rivalries will play every year in the new model: Arizona versus Arizona State, Baylor versus TCU, BYU …

ACC releases new football scheduling model to add California, Stanford and SMU in ’24
1 year, 1 month ago

ACC releases new football scheduling model to add California, Stanford and SMU in ’24

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The Atlantic Coast Conference has unveiled a new scheduling model to incorporate new members California, Stanford and SMU for next year, which includes those schools facing each other as annual opponents while staying with a no-division format. But travel miles will pile up: Stanford’s first ACC …

American Athletic Conference adds Army in 2024 for football. Army-Navy to remain nonconference game
1 year, 1 month ago

American Athletic Conference adds Army in 2024 for football. Army-Navy to remain nonconference game

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The American Athletic Conference announced Wednesday it is adding Army as a football-only member starting in 2024. “I think army will be extremely competitive in our conference.” Army will replace SMU, which is moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference, to keep the American a 14-team football …

Eight storylines to know as the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season nears tipoff
1 year, 2 months ago

Eight storylines to know as the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season nears tipoff

New York Times  

Maybe you haven’t thought much about college basketball since the Final Four back in April. Purdue’s 7-foot-4 Zach Edey will try to do what Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe could not: become the first repeat national player of the year since Virginia’s Ralph Sampson three-peated in the early 1980s. GO DEEPER College basketball’s top 20 bigs for 2023-24: Zach Edey leads a …

CFP puts off decisions on format tweaks with Pac-12 still in limbo, hears from potential TV partners
1 year, 2 months ago

CFP puts off decisions on format tweaks with Pac-12 still in limbo, hears from potential TV partners

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! The number of spots reserved for conference champions when the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams next year remained open for discussion Wednesday as administrators who manage the postseason wrapped up meetings that mostly focused on potential television partners. College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill …

Big 12 announces 2023-24 basketball schedule: How it shapes up after conference realignment
1 year, 2 months ago

Big 12 announces 2023-24 basketball schedule: How it shapes up after conference realignment

New York Times  

The Big 12 announced its 2023-24 basketball schedule Tuesday featuring the conference’s four new schools: Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and UCF. College basketball’s regular season begins Nov. 6, and Big 12 play opens on Jan. 6. The program also makes for a seamless fit in the Big 12’s Texas-focused footprint and should provide some stellar conference showdowns with home-and-homes against Kansas …

With super conferences and CFP expansion on horizon, 2023 is the end of an era in college football
1 year, 4 months ago

With super conferences and CFP expansion on horizon, 2023 is the end of an era in college football

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! “I’m resigned to it,” said ESPN’s Rece Davis on The AP Top 25 College Football Podcast. “This thing was driven by money and by football and to say these decisions benefit the student-athletes, in most cases, I’m not sure I believe that,” said Brian Polian, a …

Predicting conference realignment’s unpredictable future: 5 scenarios for 2033 and beyond
1 year, 5 months ago

Predicting conference realignment’s unpredictable future: 5 scenarios for 2033 and beyond

New York Times  

Four years ago, The Athletic admirably — and, as it turns out, foolishly — attempted to predict the future of college sports when my colleague Stewart Mandel took a stab at what the conference landscape would look like five or 10 years into the future. “But I also know that the SEC can’t sit still and allow the Big Ten …

SEC’s dominance on display again with Florida and LSU matched up in the College World Series finals
1 year, 6 months ago

SEC’s dominance on display again with Florida and LSU matched up in the College World Series finals

Associated Press  

— LSU coach Jay Johnson remembered scanning the 64-team NCAA Tournament field when it was announced almost a month ago, and he had a premonition Florida would be the opponent if his team reached the College World Series finals. With LSU and Florida playing in the best-of-three championship series opening Saturday night, the SEC is assured of winning its fourth …

SEC’s long-term decision on football schedule unlikely this week
1 year, 6 months ago

SEC’s long-term decision on football schedule unlikely this week

New York Times  

DESTIN, Fla. — A long-term decision on the SEC football schedule appears unlikely this week, based on the comments of several athletic directors during Wednesday’s portion of SEC meetings. “We’re not gonna shrivel up and die if we don’t know what the schedule for the next four years is,” Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yuracheck said. Asked if there was enough …

What SEC football coaches think about the schedule debate
1 year, 6 months ago

What SEC football coaches think about the schedule debate

New York Times  

DESTIN, Fla. — The SEC meetings sometimes can be where football coaches go to get bad news. Florida’s Billy Napier: “Is the strength of schedule going to be weighed in a fashion that would benefit the SEC if we played nine games? “I think Commissioner Sankey makes a good point, we’d be the only Power 5 conference with an eight-game …

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on advantages of 9-game football schedule format
1 year, 6 months ago

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on advantages of 9-game football schedule format

New York Times  

DESTIN, Fla. — SEC commissioner Greg Sankey privately has made his preference for a football schedule format clear to his members. Georgia president Jere Morehead, whose school is seen as favoring nine games, said last week that getting more “compensation” from the conference’s media partner — ESPN — was needed if it would add a ninth conference game. … If …

Schultz: If SEC doesn’t go to 9-game schedule, criticism is justified
1 year, 6 months ago

Schultz: If SEC doesn’t go to 9-game schedule, criticism is justified

New York Times  

ATLANTA — The czars of the SEC congregate this week on a beach resort, and they could begin the first meeting and every annual meeting the same: “Gentleman, we’re all rich and we rule the world, or at least the only part that matters to us. But there’s a lot of media on the other side of this door, so …

SEC should have its cake and make easy choice with football schedule format
1 year, 7 months ago

SEC should have its cake and make easy choice with football schedule format

New York Times  

To truly understand the complexity of the choice the SEC faces in regard to its future scheduling, imagine you’re at a fine, white-tablecloth restaurant, and you’ve just finished your entree. Or the SEC can choose an eight-game conference schedule, which allows for one annual rivalry for each team and cycles the rest of the conference through twice every four years. …

Where things stand with SEC football scheduling format as decision time nears
1 year, 7 months ago

Where things stand with SEC football scheduling format as decision time nears

New York Times  

For the second consecutive year, the SEC is set to decide on its future scheduling format — eight or nine games — at its spring meetings in Destin, Fla. Talking to several people with ties to the conference who were granted anonymity to speak about the discussion, here is where things stand: The decision to make For a year now, …

New-look AAC releases ’23 football slate with 6 new schools
1 year, 10 months ago

New-look AAC releases ’23 football slate with 6 new schools

Associated Press  

IRVING, Texas — The American Athletic Conference on Tuesday released its 2023 football schedule that includes the league’s six incoming teams. The Green Wave were ranked ninth in the final AP Top 25 for the 2022 season after going 12-2, a 10-win improvement from the previous season that marked the best in major college football history. Navy, also among the …

EXPLAINER: How will College Football Playoff expansion work?
2 years ago

EXPLAINER: How will College Football Playoff expansion work?

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! There are still a few more details to work out, like exact dates of some of the games, but college football is two years away from another dramatic change to its postseason. Flipping the format to 12 with a couple years still left on the original …

College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams in 2024 season
2 years ago

College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams in 2024 season

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Over the past 25 years, college football’s postseason format for crowning a national champion has grown from two teams to four and now, starting in 2024, to 12. “The BCS for the first time gave an opportunity to decide a national champion on the field every …

College Football Picks: AAC title is glimpse into CFP future
2 years ago

College Football Picks: AAC title is glimpse into CFP future

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Green Wave vs. Knights is a bit of glimpse at the future, when conference title games will routinely decided which team gets in a 12-team playoff with the loser left out. The only teams to make the playoff after losing a conference championship were Georgia last …

Rivalry week should bring SEC bowl forecast into clear focus
2 years, 1 month ago

Rivalry week should bring SEC bowl forecast into clear focus

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! Here’s a look at where the SEC stands as teams jockey for postseason positioning: GEORGIA Although the top-ranked and defending national champion Bulldogs have looked vulnerable at times, nothing short of losing to Georgia Tech and then LSU in the SEC title game would keep them …

New-look AAC to go without divisions with 14 teams in 2023
2 years, 1 month ago

New-look AAC to go without divisions with 14 teams in 2023

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! IRVING, Texas — The new-look American Athletic Conference will not use divisions and play an eight-game league football schedule when it expands to 14 teams next season, the league announced Wednesday. The American will continue to go division-less and match the top two teams in the …

College Football Playoff expansion by 2024 ‘not finished’ after commissioners’ meeting
2 years, 2 months ago

College Football Playoff expansion by 2024 ‘not finished’ after commissioners’ meeting

New York Times  

The College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams, but it is still not sure when. “They made progress, but they’re not finished,” Hancock said Thursday, referring to efforts to expand in time for the 2024 regular season. “It is true that time is not on our side, but we haven’t given ourselves a deadline.” The CFP management committee, which …

Could a 12-team College Football Playoff arrive before 2026? Here’s what we know
2 years, 2 months ago

Could a 12-team College Football Playoff arrive before 2026? Here’s what we know

New York Times  

ROSEMONT, Ill. — With a 12-team College Football Playoff format having already been approved for the 2026 season, CFP executive director Bill Hancock said after two days of meetings this week that expansion any earlier would be “icing on the cake.” “We’re going to have our cake in 2026,” Hancock said Wednesday. That’s what we’re working on now.” The CFP …

College Football Playoff expansion: What’s next? The task(s) before the commissioners
2 years, 3 months ago

College Football Playoff expansion: What’s next? The task(s) before the commissioners

New York Times  

The College Football Playoff is expanding its field from four to 12 teams, and it is doing so in time for the 2026 regular season at the latest. Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, who spent two decades working in the NFL, told The Athletic last month that he hoped the league’s new partners — the Big Ten just signed a …

College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams by ’26 season
2 years, 3 months ago

College Football Playoff to expand to 12 teams by ’26 season

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! After 14 1/2 months of haggling over details and questioning motivations, a plan to expand the College Football Playoff to 12 teams was finally approved Friday, setting the stage for a multibillion-dollar tournament as soon as the 2024 season. “This was a very historic day for …

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