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What benefits did SEC get by going to 9 conference games?

Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:38 am
Posted by dstone12
Texan
Member since Jan 2007
39136 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:38 am
I have yet to thoroughly read up on it but was there a win-loss on this as a whole? I haven’t seen the Rant as a whole agree that it was great for the sec.

1. If you go to 9 conf games, did SEC gain additional dollar commitment from ESPN?

2. Can you at least get the committees to agree that a larger percent of the SEC is ranked, making a tougher SOS for consideration in playoffs?

3. More competition means more injuries and wear/tear. Can this explain lack of finals appearances? ***or has the big 10 caught up?


4. Did Sankey move to 9 games just to get the national media off his back?



Feel free to answer or add more questions and I will update OP. It seems like there was only a loss-loss scenario.
This post was edited on 1/29/26 at 9:40 am
Posted by ManBearSharkReb
Member since Dec 2018
5784 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:44 am to
None
Posted by BreakawayZou83
Kansas City, Missouri
Member since Oct 2011
10243 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:45 am to
quote:

1. If you go to 9 conf games, did SEC gain additional dollar commitment from ESPN?


Yes. It'll equate to about $5 million more per SEC school. Seems like it should be significantly more though. This is where the SEC/Sankey dropped the ball.

quote:

2. Can you at least get the committees to agree that a larger percent of the SEC is ranked, making a tougher SOS for consideration in playoffs?


This already happens but the SEC has shite the bed in the Playoffs for the past couple years.

quote:

3. More competition means more injuries and wear/tear. Can this explain lack of finals appearances? ***or has the big 10 caught up?


I think NIL and the Portal have a lot more to do with it. Especially since the SEC hasn't even played a nine-game conference schedule yet.

quote:

4. Did Sankey move to 9 games just to get the national media off his back?


Or... a nine-game conference schedule made more sense from a scheduling perspective, added revenue, and ensured SEC teams play each other more frequently. Half the whining on this Board is about how "x school has only y school twice since 2012". This new format fixes that problem.
Posted by TigerLunatik
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Jan 2005
105612 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:46 am to
I get to see more good games and if my team is good enough to win it, then they will. That's how I am looking at it.
Posted by AlextheBodacious
Member since Oct 2020
3777 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:47 am to
1 more conference game a season that Ole Miss gets to play without Lane as their HC.
Posted by madmaxvol
Infinity + 1 Posts
Member since Oct 2011
21839 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:47 am to
quote:

What benefits did SEC get by going to 9 conference games?


Increases SOS for many programs by adding another SEC opponent.

That's about all I can see for it.
Posted by geauxbrown
Louisiana
Member since Oct 2006
26566 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:49 am to
Sankey overplayed his hand in a weakening SEC.
Posted by molsusports
Member since Jul 2004
37287 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 9:59 am to
I tend to think the expansion to 16 teams and nine games has been botched.

It has played hell with the historical scheduling and hasn't resulted in a windfall.

There's still not a lot of satisfaction with the loss of annual games most fans enjoyed. I'm not against playing Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri but not when it comes at the expense of playing Alabama, Auburn, and Florida
Posted by tide06
Member since Oct 2011
21389 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:03 am to
F'ing terrible idea to go to 9 given what we received and Sankey should be fired as a result.

We agreed to hang an extra loss on half our conference and for what?
Posted by WG_Dawg
Member since Jun 2004
89847 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:04 am to
quote:

What benefits did SEC get by going to 9 conference games?


more money, since you'll get more eyeballs on a SEC/SEC matchup than SEC/scrub U.

That's about it though. It's a major disadvantage overall to every since school actually playing the games.
Posted by thatthang
Member since Jan 2012
8113 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:04 am to
None. Sankey should be fired for bending the knee on this. It's an abomination for the conference.
Posted by higgs_boson
State College, PA
Member since Sep 2014
23536 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:08 am to
The only plus I see is we get to play everyone, which is good for the fans and the campus experience.

It is a travesty so many kids have come and gone without getting to go to the swamp.
Posted by paulb52
Member since Dec 2019
7824 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:10 am to
I just means more. With a 16 team conference and 12 game schedule it makes perfect sense.
Posted by OU Guy
Member since Feb 2022
25779 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:16 am to
Its a bad move.

Those 16 OOC games taken away were likely around 15-1 records for SEC teams.

The extra game means 8-8 SEC record

Rankers and voters don’t watch our games they look at loss records. And in theory we just added 1 loss to 8 SEC teams.

OOC games help show overall conference strength. Also its good for the sport. Most of those OOC games were pay me and those smaller schools depended on that money to help their overall program.

Eventually SEC will stop scheduling stronger OOC games due to how hard Conf play is.

It was a huge blunder IMO.
This post was edited on 1/29/26 at 10:18 am
Posted by BevoBucks
H-town
Member since Dec 2022
6701 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:16 am to
quote:

We agreed to hang an extra loss on half our conference and for what?
We went to 9 game SEC based on the CFP Committees original formula that SOS governed. Now, that they've reversed course and W-L is primary factor, we're gonna get screwed.
Posted by RollTide1987
Augusta, GA
Member since Nov 2009
70328 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:19 am to
I don't have a problem with the nine-game conference schedule. It should have been that way 10 years ago. What I do have a problem with, however, is Sankey mandating that we all play at least one OOC P4 team when the Committee has indicated that they only care about W/L and not SOS.
Posted by A12 Oxcart
On the float out in the Belt
Member since Dec 2022
1080 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:24 am to
quote:

4. Did Sankey move to 9 games just to get the national media off his back?

Probably. 9 games means half the conference gets one more loss instead of a win, which can affect both perception and data points with regards to W/L, SOS, bowl eligible teams, etc.
Posted by TDCat
Louisville
Member since Oct 2013
1320 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 10:54 am to
quote:

It'll equate to about $5 million more per SEC school.


Does that cover a week of payroll in the New Order?
Posted by SammyTiger
Baton Rouge, LA
Member since Feb 2009
78619 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 11:01 am to
i think they adjusted the TV contract for 8 more SEC games.

Which should be a chunk of money.

Posted by cattus
Member since Jan 2009
15767 posts
Posted on 1/29/26 at 11:07 am to
When I look at Miami's, Indiana's, ND's, ect schedules I shake my head. Those teams are already in the playoffs and the season is months away.
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