The SEC has long claimed it just means more, but after the league chose an eight-game schedule over nine, it’s hard to see that as more than empty rhetoric.
The Consequences of an Eight-Game Schedule
By choosing not to go to nine, the league leaves crucial rivalries unprotected. Under this system, each school only gets one rivalry game protected. If a school’s got more than one rival, a great game gets lost. Consider Alabama: The Crimson Tide must play the Iron Bowl with Auburn, but now they lose Tennessee just as the Volunteers are getting good.
That rivalry was the main reason Auburn couldn’t move to the East and we put up with the absurdity of Missouri sitting west of the Mississippi yet in the SEC East for a decade. Now that Tennessee can compete with Alabama, suddenly it doesn’t matter?
Overlooked Rivalries and the SEC’s Dilemma
You can go down the line. Georgia loses Auburn. Kentucky loses Tennessee. Texas and Texas A&M are finally reunited, but they’ll only play every two years because Oklahoma-Texas must be protected.
To A&M’s credit, it’s one of five schools that voted to go to nine games. Georgia, Florida, LSU and Missouri did the same. Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee have some explaining to do, especially the Volunteers. Their protected rival will be Vanderbilt; they can afford to play Alabama too.
Balancing Power 5 Matches and Tradition
The one positive is the league mandated a Power 5 non-conference game. But that can’t replace conference action. Rivalries are what make college sports fun. If you’re going to say it just means more, that means you need to play more.
If not, it’s just empty words.