I had heard they wanted the schedules finalized by the May SEC meetings. Would think we would be seeing something any day now.
Oh there are lots of rumors, or guesses. There have been enough leaks from people like Jimbo Fisher that we have some idea about the permanent rivals (which also suggests that the format is 3-6-6).
But IIRC the SEC meetings are in late May, so that’s still almost two months away. I think Greg Sankey envisions announcing the new format at Destin.
One more benefit: With CBS removed from the picture, ESPN/ABC can pin down kickoff times more precisely in the summer, instead of this reshuffling 12 days in advance stuff.
I think you are more likely to hear which teams are going to be permanent opponents this summer than you are the full 2024 schedule.
The SEC wants to have the schedule in place about a year in advance, so it will probably be ready to announce by early September. My guess is the format (3-6-6 vs. 1-7-7) will be voted on at the spring meetings next month — based on the reports, the votes seem to be there for the 3-6-6 — and the schedule will be completed during the summer.
I think Arkansas is most likely to end up with Texas, Missouri and Ole Miss as permanent opponents in a 3-6-6 model, and Missouri would be the most likely permanent in a 1-7-7.
If the SEC goes to a nine-game schedule, I’ll be interested to see how the rotation works. Using Vanderbilt as a hypothetical example of a rotating opponent, I was under the impression a game at Vanderbilt in 2024 would be returned in 2026. But in talking to someone the other day, it might be that Vanderbilt returns in 2025, and a new set of six opponents will play home-and-away every two years.
Once the nine-game schedule is approved, the next step for teams will be to adjust the long-term non-conference schedule. A lot of teams have four non-conference games on the books into the late 2020s. Some of those games are going to be moved around and some are probably going to be eliminated.
Arkansas would have to adjust its schedule for 2024 and 2025.
I sure hope we keep Notre Dame in 2025. First, Michigan cancelled their series with us in 2016 much to the disappointment of some of us that had already planned trips to Ann Arbor. Then the Notre Dame game was cancelled due to the 2020 season being shortened, another game some of us had planned.
1 Like
Yeah either one is possible. Play Vandy back to back, in your example, or split by a year (24 and 26).
It occurs to me that going back to back will put a lot of pressure on to get the rotation right as far as strength of the rotating teams. If you got stuck with Alabama, Georgia and LSU in the same group, you have to plow through that gauntlet two straight years.
I think that’s going to happen. It’s scheduled for September 27, but certainly possible to play an SEC game or two before then. There are nine Saturdays in October and November that year, but I would expect an SEC game in September and an open date somewhere in October or November.
But we already have four NC games scheduled for '25. One of them will have to go if they go 3-6-6. The others? Misery State, ASWho and Tiger High. I know which one of those I want to see go away, and it isn’t a Bear or a Tiger.
Oh one more thing about the '25 schedule. September is basically full. There is no room for a game with the Aggies at JerryWorld. And the September Saturday we do have open, the Aggies are playing … Notre Dame.
This topic was automatically closed after 30 days. New replies are no longer allowed.