Comments on: USC Prez Talks Schedules Again; SEC Says Presidents Already Involved In Process; Looks Like 8-Games With Yearly Rotations

By: Will Texas A&M or Missouri - VolNation

Will Texas A&M or Missouri - VolNation — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:55:50 +0000

[...] Couldn't tell you how much is certain yet, here are some articles about it back in Feb/Mar though: USC Prez Talks Schedules against SEC, Says Presidents Already Involved in Process New SEC Permanent Rivals, That's News to Mizzou Petrino Points Out that Arkansas-Mizzou Would [...]

By: SEC Rules

SEC Rules — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:29:55 +0000

@redhog If you read their fan’s comments from the poll, they come right out and say it.

By: Fayetteville Georgia | Latest The Citizen Newspaper Fayetteville Ga News

Fayetteville Georgia | Latest The Citizen Newspaper Fayetteville Ga News — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:14:54 +0000

[...] USC Prez Talks Schedules Again; SEC Says Presidents Already Involved In … Since then, the league's ADs have — most of them anyway — have run from the idea of a nine-game schedule like the citizens of Tokyo from Godzilla. Most want no part of such a tough slate of games — they want extra nonconference patsies to insure … Read more on MrSEC [...]

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 04:27:16 +0000

Guest…

Our take has zip to do with “sensitivity” to other conference’s complaints. We simply know how the system works — polls and votes — and how anti-SEC’ers will use a “weaker” schedule against the league to keep it out of future championship games.

You’ve been warned.

John

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 04:25:37 +0000

sfprman…

Interesting that MU officials initially asked for A&M as their permanent rival… if “this presence in Texas thing is overblown.”

Thanks for reading,
John

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 04:24:13 +0000

MrRealistic…

What you don’t seem to grasp is that I could give a flip what other fans say. I’m just telling you what the poll voters are going to say. And when an SEC team gets left out of a BCS title game or Plus-One playoff because of strength of schedule issues, I’ll be here to say “told ya so.”

John

By: MrRealistic

MrRealistic — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 03:30:38 +0000

Agree MrSEC is way off base on the 9 game conference schedule. As a fan i would rather bowl instead of playing USC. And does anyone really care what the ESPN talking heads say about SEC scheduling? When the ACC and BigMedia10 win consecutive NC’s and start creating an advantage because of it then we’ll be forced to reconsider. Until then MrSEC let it go – you’re on the wrong side of this one.

By: m_Ag

m_Ag — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:58:56 +0000

A quick example of what a schedule with the SEC playing every ACC and Big 12 team might look like:

Florida: FSU, (national);
Georgia: GT, WVU;
SC: Clemson, NC State;
Tennessee: UNC, (national);
Vanderbilt: Wake Forest, Syracuse;
Kentucky: Virginia, (Louisville);
Missouri:Kansas, Oklahoma State

Auburn: VT, Pitt;
Alabama: Miami, (national);
MSU: KSU, Duke;
Ole Miss: Baylor, Boston College;
Arkansas: TCU, ISU;
LSU: Oklahoma, Maryland;
A&M: Texas, TT

Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama would be required to schedule a quality team from Notre Dame, BYU, or the Big Ten and Pac 12 conferences. Kentucky would continue to schedule Louisville (who might join the Big 12 anyway).

Some of these matchups could certainly rotate after awhile, but I think this is a pretty solid menu for the SEC’s TV contract (the SEC would get TV rights to whichever team was home, while the other conference would get the rights to the school that is away).

Missouri gets 2 Big 8 rivals; Arkie gets an old SWC rival; USC gets 2 old ACC rivals; A&M gets 2 in-state rivals.

By: sfprman

sfprman — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:02:38 +0000

@SilverKracker This is only remotely possible if Arky would be willing to play in KC at Arrowhead. That said, I think Mizzou wants to play ALL conference games on campus. This “presence in Texas” thing is overblown when every game is televised. Plus, Mizzou can play SMU, Rice, Houston, North Texas…even Texas St. and UTSA when they are fully Div. 1. I suspect that’s what they were trying to do this coming season yet with many schools in flux with scheduling, it was probably not possible. MU did have a series scheduled with SMU (or at least a return game in Columbia after playing 10 year ago); however, I believe SMU canceled it.

By: btlh2oguy

btlh2oguy — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:28:24 +0000

I support the 9 game schedule. I’d much rather see Bama play 3 SEC East teams. Two cupcakes is plenty to open the season. The other conferences are going to nine games and aren’t exactly looking to add SEC team( outside of state rivals) to their schedule. Its not the SEC’s place to fund the Sunbelt, C-USA & MAC and the lower divisions athletic departments.

By: sfprman

sfprman — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:26:18 +0000

Missouri’s history of finding talent (after those bypassed by UT, OU and A&M) from Texas and making them successful will have lasting impact, regardless of how many times Mizzou plays in the state. And EVERY SEC game will be seen on TV there, whereas Big XII games were sometimes not televised. Plus, Missouri can always schedule non conference games/series with SMU, Houston, Rice and North Texas to keep a presence in Texas. A game with A&M could still have some even w/o a permanent rival designation. And then there’s possible kick-off classic-type games in Dallas. And bowls: Cotton, and perhaps a future tie in with the SEC at games in Houston, San Antonio or El Paso. Further, Mizzou is already developing recruiting pipeline to Florida (and plays two games there this year).

As long as some conferences don;t play 9 conference games OR worthless conferences like the one boise State is in does — yet that doesn’t compare to the grueling strech SEC teams go through — then keep it at 8 games. If 9 games every becomes universal then change it.

By: SilverKracker

SilverKracker — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:25:43 +0000

You know if Missouri wanted to keep a recruiting foothold in Texas, they might want to think about having there Arkansas game in Cowboys Stadium (similar to the Southwest classic).

That way, Arkansas still has a football game in Dallas, Missouri gets a foot in Texas soil, and A&M can play at College Station against the Razorbacks.

By: Mith242

Mith242 — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:52:13 +0000

Over all sounds like a good thing. I imagine South Carolina will like playing in Texas every other year for recruiting purposes. And an Arkansas-Missouri match up just makes sense for a good rivalry. Fayetteville is by far the closest school to Missouri.

By: Mith242

Mith242 — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:49:41 +0000

@RussH It’s AR by the way, AK is Alaska. : )

By: redhog

redhog — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:06:09 +0000

@dbracy007 Exactly….They are tired of getting smoked by the razorbacks every year when it counts….seriously believe this.

By: Guest

Guest — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:07:54 +0000

A lot of baloney. I would much rather continue to see games like LSU-Oregon, Georgia-Boise St, Alabama-Michigan. Even Ole Miss is playing Texas out of conference. These type games would go away with a 9 game league schedule. Mr. SEC is just too sensitive to what the other leagues say about the SEC. They’re always going to have criticisms (excuses) directed toward the SEC because they haven’t found an answer to their problem of SEC dominance. You’ll never please them, so why try? The SEC has had too much fixing lately of a model that was never broken. Don’t make it worse by trying to please outsiders.

By: AGator

AGator — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:04:46 +0000

The SEC only needs about three interesting games each week for ESPN and CBS. The other teams can play cupcakes and the networks won’t care. An eight game schedule has benefits. For example, last year when Florida played Alabama both teams were undefeated. Two undefeated teams probably drew a lot more viewers than it would have if Florida had already lost an extra conference game. People probably watched the whole first half before they figured out that Florida wasn’t very good. Better records draw more casual fans to watch TV games. Beefing up records on cupcakes makes teams more interesting when they finally play a tough game. I think the SEC can rearrange things to have some interesting games in weeks 1, 2 and 11.

People attending games may say they want more competitive games but I don’t think they spend their money the way they talk. They are more likely to renew their season tickets to watch a team that wins games rather than a team that loses tough games. If Florida had just played SEC East teams and FSU last year and could have scheduled cupcakes for all other games UF would have finished the regular season 9-3. I think Gator fans would be spending more money on season tickets and merchandise this year. Instead UF finished the regular season 6-6 with ugly losses to Bama and LSU and fans were disgruntled.

Kentucky basketball is a good example. People pack their huge arena to watch non-competitive games against SEC teams.

By: m_Ag

m_Ag — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:23:56 +0000

*If they’re staying at 8 games for the long term, then each team will play 3 home, 3 away in their division, and 1 home, 1 away against the other division. All the West teams will have to host their permanent rivals and travel to their rotating rivals 1 year, then flip with the East the next. Otherwise they won’t be able to have a true rotation.

So in 2013, expect some permanent rivalries to be played on the same campus for a 2nd consecutive year in order to align everyone to the same home/away basis.

*As I said last week, I would still prefer the SEC mandate 2 quality non-conference games instead of adding a 9th SEC game, working with CBS/ESPN and penalizing a school with a cut in TV money if they fail to comply. This adds 1 quality non-conference game to most schools’ schedules, getting the TV benefits of a 9th conference game while allowing us to beat other conferences instead of each other.
We could try and get both the ACC and Big 12 to have each of their schools play an SEC school annually (with some East schools doubling up on ACC schools, and some West schools double up on Big 12 schools). It would benefit the TV packages of all 3 conferences (4 SEC schools would still need to add a quality non-conference game to get to 2).

By: News | MrSEC

News | MrSEC — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:05:22 +0000

[...] Georgia’s Greg McGarity was one of four SEC ADs to enter last week’s scheduling talks in Nashville hoping to save “permanent cross-divisional rivals” when the league adopts its new scheduling format.He told The Chattanooga Times Free Press that he feels better about the odds of Georgia-Auburn and Alabama-Tennessee being preserved:“I do feel better. The tone of the conversations that everyone had sort of gave the impression that everyone had a sense, at least the majority had a sense, of liking the rivalry game with an opponent from the opposite division. The tone led us to believe that this has a good opportunity moving forward…I think everything is still on the table. We spent one full day on it, and I’m sure we’ll spend one full day on it in New Orleans once everybody’s had a week to think about it.”From what South Carolina president Harris Pastides says, it sounds like things are further along than McGarity wants to say. [...]

By: RussH

RussH — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:47:19 +0000

This is a good move for Mizzou and AK, both would be well served by the switch. A&M, we dont care and just would assume to not have a rival as the only teams that make sense for a rivalry for us are AK and LSU. No one in the east makes sense so we can take one for the team.

By: FallsChurchDore

FallsChurchDore — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:36:20 +0000

@MiloMoon Sound logic, though history is littered with examples of people/institutions who waited to make a deal because they thought their position would strengthen over time. The SEC blows away the competition in terms of TV ratings right now…while likely to continue, there are no guarantees that this trend would continue, and a variety of external factors could also impact the TV folks’ willingness or ability to pay up. I have no idea what they would be willing to pony up for the extra inventory now…all I hope is that the SEC folks bother to find out.

By: jagvocate

jagvocate — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 17:32:15 +0000

@MiloMoon I vote for Milo to be my businesss negotiator

By: dbracy007

dbracy007 — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:41:33 +0000

Here’s a good reason to drop Arkansas and switch to Texas A&M. Of the 20 meetings since 1992, Arkansas leads the series 13-7, thats SC losing almost 2/3rds of the games.

By: MiloMoon

MiloMoon — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:36:54 +0000

In all of these talks, I always look at the money and see where it can be made. The ACC expanded, added more inventory to the TV deals and will only make about $2million more per team. Why? Leverage – the TV networks have it, the ACC does not. It had already signed everything over to ESPN and had no to negotiate. The SEC is in a similar position with the TV networks of having to really take what the Networks are willing to pay. Yes the SEC inventory is more valuable than the ACC inventory, but still you cannot have networks competing to drive up the value. So for now the SEC is going to keep the extra inventory in their pocket. In a few years the networks will come calling for more inventory because of the ratings the SEC games earn and because they will need inventory for the SEC cable network. Now the SEC will be in the position of power. The SEC has something the networks want to pay for, and depending on how the TV contracts are written, might actually be able to shop around the inventory to the highest bidder. Which means maximizing the TV rights, and more money. The SEC presidents and AD’s will pass off the expanding conference schedule as bringing the conference together more often (which is hooey), just like they did in 2002 when they switched from 5-2-1 to 5-1-2. That switch happened because the networks wanted more high profile games, and rotating the major programs through the league created more high profile games. So relax, the 9 game schedule will happen, but it will happen on the SEC’s terms and when they can maximize the money from the extra inventory. Which right now they would not.