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November 8, 2011

SEC saying it will stick to 8 league games

The SEC's PR folks said today there has been no discussion about moving to nine conference games. You can take from that one of three things:

A. The SEC really doesn't want to schedule tougher games and South Carolina's president didn't know what he was talking about when he said 9 games was the end destination.

B. The SEC wants to push for 8 games and give the 9th game up in contract renegotiation with its TV partners. Basically, the talk is just negotiation tactics.

C. Option B is true, and the SEC will end up at 9. However, it wants 8 games for the next two years to lessen the buyout requirements for future previously scheduled future games.

I'm going with option B. If we play 8 league games next year, we're almost definitely dropping Bama for a road game at Missouri. The only way that wouldn't happen would be as part of a larger reshuffling which moves our "home" game vs. UF to odd numbered years from its current even numbered years. That sounds easy, but it's a change that would involve more than just UGA and UF.

PWD

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought we may end up cashing out Florida Atlantic, and put Missouri in that spot.

Anonymous said...

Already posted this elsewhere, but holy crap look at this potential schedule for next year:

Sep 1 - vs. Buffalo
Sep 8 - @ South Carolina
Sep 15 - vs. Florida Atlantic
Sep 22 - vs. Vanderbilt
Sep 29 - vs. Tennessee
Oct 6 - @ Missouri
Oct 13 - @ Kentucky
Oct 20 - bye
Oct 27 - vs. Florida (Jacksonville)
Nov 3 - vs. Ole Miss
Nov 10 - @ Auburn
Nov 17 - vs. Georgia Southern
Nov 24 - vs. Georgia Tech

-Hobnail_Boot

Dawgaholic said...

B is the likely answer. It will be about the money. Even if you lose a bowl game each year the lower level bowls pay less than 2 million per year. Further, most teams won't lose home games - you could still play 8 in your 5 home game years if you schedule like Auburn often does. We could still play 7 in years where we play Tech at home.

While you would lose an inventory of intersectional games, most of these are home and home where the SEC TV contract holder only gets one of the two and many SEC teams never play these games.

You've got to think their will be more money in it for TV in an extra SEC game than in not having one. Also, it means one extra SEC home game every two years - I'm sure these avg. bringing in more money than cupcakes.

Anonymous said...

The ADs and Presidents will support the 9th game. The coaches will not. They might postpone the move to 9 games for 2 years to placate the coaches.

matt b. said...

Adding a ninth game virtually eliminates any chance of an SEC team going undefeated during the regular season.

Think of the undefeated SEC teams over the past 15 years. Each team had at least one really close SEC game that could have gone either way: UT vs ARK in 1998, AU vs LSU in 2004, BAMA vs TN, AU in 09, and AU vs Bama in 10.

In a way, it would hurt the SEC. Agree/Disagree?

Anonymous said...

I want 9 games and get rid of the garbage. Coastal Carolina doesn't prove anything.

Besides, it is patently absurd to play most of the teams from the West twice every 10 years. Keep Clemson and OSU on the schedules and drop the FCS teams.

Unknown said...

Anon 5:28,

I think you'd see us keep the Div I-AA game because it's the easiest and cheapest to schedule. You'd instead see us drop a Sun Belt, CUSA, MAC, WAC type team.

Anonymous said...

Your right Paul. My biggest fear is that we would drop Clemson or Ohio State. And I understand the AD's position when we play 2 BCS OOC teams while 2/3 of the conference mulls over even playing one. Still, I long for real games instead of some of the garbage that everyone is now playing.

And having an unbeaten SEC team is about as low on my priorities as it can go. I want to play legitimate games because those are the heartbeat of the game. Coastal Carolina was a yawner.

Dawgnoxious said...

The 12th game has given a lot of leverage to small schools to demand more money or return games. Schools with self-respect pay the $$. The others play @ Middle Tennessee (lookin' at you Tech). if we add a 9th game, schools will only need to schedule 3 non-conference games, so it makes life easier.

Aladawg said...

I've already sent a letter to McGarrity on this. Anyone not wanting NMSU and Coastal Carolina need to make themselves heard constantly. The only alternative, if it's 8 conference games and not 9, is to get out of Jacksonville. One thing is sure, based on where this is heading the need for those "extra 2 season's tickets" is almost nil. Take next year's schedule for example:
Buffalo $10.00 tickets easily found if patient(I gave away 6 to NMSU and Coastal Carolina because nobody wanted them).
Florida Atlantic $10.00 Ditto
Vandy - That's a premium ticket $20 apiece.
Tennessee - You might sell these for $60 provided Tenn isn't 2-2(Very possible)when they come to town.

OLE Miss - Another premium for $20 apiece
Ga. Southern $15 to some Geo southern Tix holder.
Tech By this time Tech is done and we sell our extras for $40. The way I count it I get$175 max for that season ticket that cost me $200(GEEF donation) + $280 = $480

I think I take my chances on scalping for any tickets above my 4. So much for the 8 I have now.
Aladawg

 
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