re: As SEC moves to 16 teams & 3 permanent rivals, who plays who?

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he only thing I disagree with is not classifying LSU v. Florida as a traditional rivalry that should be preserved. LSU has played Florida for 50 consecutive seasons. There have been a lot of classic games, especially over the last 20 years. There is appropriate vitriol between the fans regarding the 2016 hurricane game and the Tom Petty Flex. Finally, the color clash of the two best uniforms in college football is second to none. I'd hate to lose the annual LSU v. Florida game to have a forced rivalry with 8&forfeit.

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I don't disagree. I love the LSU v. Florida game. But you and I appear to be in the minority. This board has been bitching for DECADES about LSU having to play Florida each year.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution to save all of the rivalries. The 4 division proposal preserves most of the traditional ones.

The whole idea of the permanent cross-division rivalries we've been playing for all these years is a farce. No one cares that Alabama and Tennessee play every year except those two schools. Same for Georgia and Auburn.

If they're so intent on preserving those rivalries, they can schedule them as non-conference games. Of course, that would make their schedules more difficult, so they balked at that.

The result is fans being treated to such great "rivalry" games as Ole Miss vs Vanderbilt and Mississippi State vs Kentucky every single year.

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eta It makes more sense to swap A&M and Arkansas but it's been speculated the SEC may throw A&M a bone and keep them away from Texas every year.

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It would only make more sense that way for A&M and they don’t want it that way. It wouldn’t make sense to separate Arkansas and Missouri and geographically Arkansas and Oklahoma are a better fit as well. It only seems to make sense because of the brief window in time during which the Big 12 existed. Historically, A&M has no real connection to Oklahoma or Missouri.

Based on the last 30 years or so, switching A&M and Arkansas would create an imbalance in the strength of the pods. LSU, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Miss St would be by far the weakest pod.

If 8T4 had any cash leftover from this year's recruiting class, they'd be trying to make Vandy their permanent rival 3 times a year.

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any way to play 6 common opponents every year (our pod) and rotate 2 or 3 (if playing 9 conf games from the other pods? I would hate to lose Bama and UF as permanent teams

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They could match up every team with one permanent foe in each of the other pods, but that would be artificial in most cases and would be difficult to maintain fairness in scheduling strength.

Selfishly, I want LSU, A&M ,UT and OU to be in a pod so that I can have an away game close by in Texas every year. But think the North, South, East, West breakdown, as previously mentioned, is the most logical.

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This board has been bitching for DECADES about LSU having to play Florida each year.

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i think most people love playing UF every year. I know i do, and i can't stand them.

what people are bitching about is how shitty Tennessee is every year for the last 15 years, and how Alabama gets an easy win most years while we have to play a top 20 team most years.

Screvv the permanent cross sectional rival. They did the whole thing because of the 2 Bama schools. I am fine with the Faggies, the Cowbells, and the Grovers every year.

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1. I doubt the SEC will end up in pods. It is easier to simply keep 2, 8-team divisions, East and West. 2. Put Bama and Auburn in the SECE, Mizzou, Texas, and OU to the SECW. That division situation preserves the necessary historic rivalries, makes determining an SEC championship game participants less complicated. 3. The only question is will we go to 9 SEC games or stick with 8.

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Do you really want LSU in a division with only 2 other schools that were in the SEC prior to 1992 with half the teams having joined in the last 10 years?