To help demonstrate that pods aren't needed here are example charts for a couple of other viable options:

10 SEC games: 5 rivalries + 5/10 rotational

AL: OM TA MS LS AU + GA TX VB AR KY
AL: OM TA MS LS AU + FL OK TN MO SC

AR: TA OK LS TX MO + AL FL OM TN SC
AR: TA OK LS TX MO + AU GA MS VB KY

AU: GA MS VB FL AL + TA OK TN AR SC
AU: GA MS VB FL AL + LS TX OM MO KY

FL: LS TN GA AU SC + AL TX OM MO KY
FL: LS TN GA AU SC + TA OK MS AR VB

GA: AU SC FL TN KY + AL TA OK MS VB
GA: AU SC FL TN KY + LS AR TX OM MO

KY: TN MO SC VB GA + AL LS TA OK MS
KY: TN MO SC VB GA + AU FL AR TX OM

LS: FL AR OM AL TA + GA TX VB KY MO
LS: FL AR OM AL TA + AU OK TN SC MS

OM: AL TX LS OK MS + GA AU AR VB KY
OM: AL TX LS OK MS + FL TA MO TN SC

MS: OK AU TA AL OM + FL LS MO TN SC
MS: OK AU TA AL OM + GA TX AR VB KY

MO: TX VB KY OK AR + AU GA LS MS TN
MO: TX VB KY OK AR + AL FL TA OM SC

OK: MS AR TX OM MO + AU GA TA TN KY
OK: MS AR TX OM MO + AL FL LS VB SC

SC: VB GA TN KY FL + AU LS TX OM AR
SC: VB GA TN KY FL + AL TA OK MS MO

TN: KY FL SC GA VB + AL TA OK MS MO
TN: KY FL SC GA VB + AU LS TX OM AR

TA: AR AL MS TX LS + GA OK AU TN KY
TA: AR AL MS TX LS + FL OM MO VB SC

TX: MO OM OK AR TA + AL FL LS SC VB
TX: MO OM OK AR TA + AU GA MS KY TN

VB: SC MO AU KY TN + AL GA LS TX OM
VB: SC MO AU KY TN + TA FL AR OK MS

--------------------------------

8 SEC games:1 rival + 7/14 rotate yearly

AL: AU + GA TA OK TN MS AR VB
AL: AU + FL LS TX KY OM MO SC

AR: MO + AL FL LS OK OM TN SC
AR: MO + AU GA TA TX MS KY VB

AU: AL + FL LS TX OM KY MO SC
AU: AL + GA TA OK MS TN AR VB

FL: GA + AU TA OK MS AR KY VB
FL: GA + AL LS TX OM MO TN SC

GA: FL + AL LS TX TN OM MO SC
GA: FL + AU TA OK KY MS AR VB

KY: SC + AU GA TA OK OM AR VB
KY: SC + AL FL LS TX MS MO TN

LS: TA + AU GA TX OM KY AR VB
LS: TA + AL FL OK MS TN MO SC

OM: MS + AU GA LS TX KY AR VB
OM: MS + AL FL TA OK TN MO SC

MS: OM + AL FL TA OK TN MO SC
MS: OM + AU GA LS TX KY AR VB

MO: AR + AU GA TA OK MS KY VB
MO: AR + AL FL LS TX OM TN SC

OK: TX + AL FL TA MS KY AR VB
OK: TX + AU GA LS OM TN MO SC

SC: KY + AU GA TA TX MS AR TN
SC: KY + AL FL LS OK OM MO VB

TN: VB + AL GA TA TX MS AR SC
TN: VB + AU FL LS OK OM MO KY

TA: LS + AL FL OK MS TN MO SC
TA: LS + AU GA TX OM KY AR VB

TX: OK + AU GA LS MS TN MO SC
TX: OK + AL FL TA OM KY AR VB

VB: TN + AL FL LS OK OM KY MO
VB: TN + AU GA TA TX MS SC AR

It won't surprise me if this last option (8 SEC games, 1 annual rival, 7/14 teams rotating annually) is what we end up with.

This post was edited on 1/4/22 at 4:12 pm

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Posted by TidalSurge1

Ft Walton Beach

Member since Sep 2016

36467 posts

Posted on 12/22/21 at 10:45 am to TidalSurge1

Debating Pods is wasted time and energy.

14-team/8-game model: 6 in-div + 1 cross-div fixed rival (AL-TN, AU-GA...) + 1 of 6 cross-div rotating every other year; requires 12 years to rotate all 6. Is fixing that flaw priority #1, and are four 4-team pods a good way? Pods make 80% of all SEC matchups rotate and sacrifice many rivalries and their big financial benefits. Maybe that's why the 14-team/8-game model isn't already 3 fixed rivals, rotating the other 10 teams in 5 schedule slots (like pods).

SEC 16-team structure & scheduling solution with more rivalries + more frequent rotation:

SEC--East (8): AL, AU, GA, FL, KY, TN, SC, VU
SEC-West (8): OK, TX, TA, LS, AR, 0M, MS, M0

This not only facilitates more SEC rivalries, it ends the need for fixed cross-div rivals, which frees a 2nd schedule slot for more rotations.

SEC schedules = 3 non-SEC + 9 SEC games;
7 in-division + 2 cross-div rotating yearly:

4 Rotations - #1, #8 | #2, #7 | #3, #6 | #4, #5
2 E teams --- AL, VU | GA SC | KY, FL | TN, AU
2 W teams -- LS M0 | 0K MS | AR TX | 0M TA

All 8 cross-div teams rotate in 4 years, playing 2 per year once, and then the home/aways flip (as often as all 12 cross-pod teams rotate).

Consistent SEC schedule format: 7-8 homes; aligns rotationals; limits post-bye opponents.
Sep: non-SEC & cross-division games
Oct: in-division games & bye (mid-season)
Nov: in-division & non-SEC rivalry games
Dec: SEC Championship game

Benefits include balanced divisions, equitable schedules, more frequent cross-div rotations, and a net gain in high-value annual rivalries: AL-LS, FL-LS rotate, but added annuals include AL-GA, FL-AU & SEC-W games vs TX, OK, MO.

Facts: With four 4-team pods (or 3 fixed rivals), the SEC would play only 48 yearly games and thereby less high-value annual rivalries. But with 8-team divisions, the SEC would play 112 yearly in-div games and thereby more high-value annual rivalries. Both options resolve the 14-team/8-game model's 12-year rotation flaw; but pods' financial impact is negative, while divisions' financial impact is positive.

Not only do the new 8-team divisions enable more financially beneficial scheduling (twice as many high-value yearly games as pods), they also offer more intrinsic value, such as division winners earning opportunities to compete in the SEC Championship game.

This post was edited on 1/25/22 at 3:11 pm

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