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November 9, 2011

The problem with an 8 game SEC schedule

I think it was Tony Barnhart who originally said a year or two ago that a 14 team league playing 8 conference games wasn't really a conference at all. It was two federations with a title game.

By going with a 6-1-1 rotation where we keep the Auburn game alive every year, Georgia would play Alabama twice every 12 years. We'd only get them at home once over that period.

Consider our series with Clemson. In 1987, Georgia stopped playing Clemson on an annual basis. We booked two year deals with them in '90-'91, '94-'95, '02-'03 and '13-14. Let's ignore the future dates for a moment.

From 1988-2011, we faced Clemson six times (3 at home) over a 24 year period. Applying the 14 team, 8 league game model to the past would mean that we would have faced Alabama 4 times during that same period. Only twice at home. Same with LSU.

Rotational Models:
  • 5-2-1: Used by the SEC from '92-'01 while at 12 teams. This model meant your four non-permanent opponents only came to Athens once every 8 years.
  • 5-1-2: Used by the SEC from '02-Today. Your five non-permanent opponents come to Athens once every five years.
  • 6-1-1: Proposed model for a 14 team league playing 8 games. You get the 6 non-permanent opponents at home once every 12 years.
  • 6-1-2: A 14 team model that brings non-permanent opponents to Athens once every six years. Not noticeably different than today.
PWD

7 comments:

Bernie said...

That comparison to the Clemson series really brings it home. While some point to how much easier the schedule will be with an "extra" trip to a Columbia, when you lose a trip to Tuscaloosa...ugh.

Those feelings aside, I think in '13 we get to the 9 game schedule. Surely right? I keep going back to the SC President's comments Sunday, and then his banishment from future meetings.

Unknown said...

Given McGarity's comfort level with scheduling Sun Belt, CUSA type opponents in Athens...I have a high degree of interest in the 9 game league schedule.

Some would point to McGarity scheduling that Ohio State series as evidence that I'm wrong...but I'd lay 4 to 1 that those games never take place.

The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac 10 will all be in 9 game schedules shortly. The Pac10 and Big 12 already are. So it's really not a competitive disadvantage in terms of total W/L record.

I'd love to get it done.

I suspect by 2013 that we'll get there.

For Richt's sake, I'd wager he's hoping for a breather to restock the roster before heading back ove to Tuscaloosa.

Tony Waller said...

I agree with you that the 9th game is a TV bargaining chip. It'll also get CBS into the season at least one more week, in all likelihood.

That'll be worth the extra money over the course of the contract.

Anonymous said...

Does CBS really want to start televising Second football Labor Day weekend? It has not because it has the US Open tennis that Saturday and has for over 35 years. CBS considers the US Open to be a valuable property and it has preferred to not televise football on Labor Day weekend all these years when it could have. Could CBS add another doubleheader game? I guess so, but that affects the SEC network contracts for the noon to 3:30 window or affects ESPN's exclusive evening window. Currently the ESPN contract allows CBS to have 1 prime time game. CBS isn't the only moving part to worry about.

sUGArdaddy said...

Not necessarily. They wait to start because of the us open. It would prob mean more CBS dbl headers

Dawgaholic said...

CBS could just televise a night game and still show the US Open during the afternoon. September is good for night games in the south anyway.

It is somewhat perplexing why this has not already happened.

Mr. Sanchez said...

I think y'all hit on the issues.

One, we can negotiate a better pay out if we hold off on a 9 game schedule and make it part of the disucssions reworking our contracts now that we added two large markets with A&M and Missou. So there's that financial aspect.

The other is current obligations to non conference opponents. By delaying a 9 game schedule for a year or two, teams can let games work off their schedule so they don't have to buy out any cancelled games, and when a 9 game schedule is implemented in the future, they can have the extra game fill whatever they haven't already signed yet.

 
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