Where things stand with SEC football scheduling format as decision time nears
New York TimesFor 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, the conference has been down to two options: a nine-game conference schedule where every team has three annual opponents and rotates the other 12 teams, or an eight-game schedule where everyone has one annual opponent. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey’s conference is working through scenarios for an eight-game or nine-game conference football schedule. • The Iron Bowl and the Cocktail Party also would be preserved in an eight-game format, but secondary rivalries — Alabama–Tennessee and Auburn-Georgia — would only happen twice every four years. But SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has preferred more consensus before a decision is made, and if enough money from ESPN isn’t forthcoming, some of the nine-game votes might switch back to eight.
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