ESPN will sweeten the pot if SEC adds 9th game.

As long as we go 3+6

Hawg, Ag, + Softball School

This is why Clemson and FSU need to join. Otherwise we're gonna get stuck playing 11 power opponents every year.

Nah, frick FSU, they had their chance

Actually, our permanent rivals should be Vandy, State, and Arkansas. Possibly Tulane.

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Texas, LSU, and Arkansas for Texas A&M?

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That would be too logical.

So, you can bet that the money will be on the low end of the range, and there will probably be other sweeteners for ESPN (maybe moving more programming behind the ESPN+ package). Looks like we'll play 12% more conference games for 5-6% more money.

Now, we will have to have that argument over permanent opponents, again. Do they use the same concept, or even just the same teams, or do they rerun those calculations based upon 2 more years of results (which would change things drastically, if there was even one swap between the upper and lower tier). Frankly, I think that's a fools' errand. Teams will go up and down over time, but you don't want to be adjusting permanent opponents every four years. Just pick the ones that matter most historically, and fill in the rest. You'll never get a "fair" balance if you try to even up the strength.

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We should have gone to 9 games a LONG time ago.

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Preach, brother.
It's embarrasing we only play 8

Waiting on the 9th game makes sense to me. I don't think ESPN is paying those extra dollars for nothing. Making them pay for the 9th game was just good business.

The playoff committee not caring about strength of schedule pushes the need to be paid for 9 games over the top.

I don't mind it, I hope the other 3 conferences follow suit too. We all know they will eventually extend the playoffs to 16 teams.

We would have had 9 already had Saban not thrown a fit at having LSU Tennessee and Auburn

ironic considering bama fans had no problem with unbalanced scheduling when they benefited from it