SEC Media Days 2023 kicked off on Monday, and the long run SEC soccer scheduling format was as soon as once more a subject of dialogue.
Throughout a query and reply session following his opening assertion, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was requested if the eight-game soccer schedule in 2024 was a results of faculties realizing there can be no extra tv income with a nine-game format.
“No, there have been a whole lot of points,” Sankey mentioned. “When you consider what we’re going to see subsequent yr, now we have enlargement, we add two traditionally distinguished soccer applications in Oklahoma and Texas. And never solely distinguished, however profitable. We’ve the School Soccer Playoff adjustments, lingering questions on what which will or could not imply. Discussions about non-conference scheduling.”
Oklahoma and Texas are set to affix the league in 2024, which is able to convey the convention to a complete of 16 faculties. The SEC may even get rid of the East and West divisions in favor of a single-standings format.
Final month, the SEC introduced an eight-game convention schedule for the 2024 season, which will probably be a single-season format because the league and its members proceed to debate the scheduling format for 2025 and past.
When will that call be made? Greg Sankey hopes to have it made earlier than the spring conferences subsequent yr.
“After I was requested in Destin about timing for the ’25 determination, we might exit to Destin subsequent yr,” Sankey mentioned. “The sooner we try this, the much less ache we trigger for the discontinuation of non-conference video games.”
Relating to the non-conference video games, a number of SEC faculties have 4 non-conference opponents already contracted in future seasons. If the league strikes to a nine-game schedule, many non-conference video games should be canceled.
“One of many greater components was that non-conference recreation problem,” Sankey mentioned. “Now, a part of the motivation, I believe, going ahead is I actually suppose our eight-game schedule is fairly exceptional. Like once we have been going by the ultimate filtering you’d say, wow, schedule A is hard, and then you definately’d be at schedule G and also you’re like, that faculty has obtained a tricky schedule and all through. There are 16 actually difficult schedules.”
Does it sound just like the league is leaning in direction of persevering with the eight-game schedule format? Not so quick.
“However there are some vital, we’ll name them rivalry video games, and we’re going to must have a choice about can we play these yearly or can we play a few of them each different yr,” Sankey mentioned. “The eight-game format we will shield one on an annual foundation and the opposite seven rotate.
“Within the nine-game format we all know we will shield as much as three, rotate the opposite six and obtain each that equity and that steadiness problem.
“That’ll be proper in entrance of us once more.”
