Greg Sankey, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, shared the latest details on the SEC’s future scheduling format on Tuesday.
Sankey said the league is focused more on a single division model and eliminating the two-division format, according to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger. Rebels coach Lane Kiffin confirmed that the conference narrowed its scheduling models to eight- and nine-game formats but declined to reveal more details.
The commissioner followed that statement with the expectation that the new format will happen "sooner rather than later."
Dellenger: The SEC Is Getting a New Schedule Model, but Which One Will Win Out?
In an eight-game format, teams in the league would have one permanent opponent and face seven rotating opponents (1-7 model). The nine-game format would allow teams to have three permanent opponents and six rotating (3-6).
Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban stated that he was in favor of the nine-game format, saying he is eager to play more league games.
“I’ve always been for playing more conference games, eliminating some of these games that fans, players, supporters are not really interested in,” Saban said, via Brett McMurphy of the Action Network. “What is best model? That’s the issue. Are other conferences going to play more conference games?”
Currently, the conference plays eight conference games per season. The difference between the proposed eight-game schedule to the league's current schedule is that teams play against six teams from their respective divisions and two teams from the opposing division (one permanent opponent and one rotating opponent).
