Tennessee AD Dave Hart makes it sound as if the fix is in on the SEC’s conference football schedule.
Q: What would be your input as Tennessee athletic director about expanding to nine SEC games in football and to 18 games in basketball to have more contact in the rivalries?
A: I’m in a minority there. We talked about everything. We didn’t leave anything off the table. We have very open, good conversations. At the end of the day, the great thing about our league is sometimes people have to forego their personal preference for the betterment of the league as a whole. We’re not going to play nine games, at least not initially, and maybe never. I understand why coaches wouldn’t like it. I wouldn’t either. It’s the 5-4 (home-away) that’s so very difficult and I totally understand that. Having said that, I hope that we’ll keep that on the table for meaningful discussion purposes down the road.
They can keep talking about going to nine games all they want, but unless it’s costing them money, I doubt they’ll change it.
Get The Picture 
I hope they leave it at 8 conference games. I think changing it to 9 conference games would be exactly what all the other major conferencs want. They figure if they all do it, then the SEC would have no choice but to follow. None of the other conferences can consistantly beat SEC teams, so they want the SEC to beat up on each other, therefore elimitnating themselves from always playing for national championships.
LikeLike
I may be in the minority, but I couldn’t care any less about whether or not the SEC is at a disadvantage when it comes to a national title appearance. Winning the SEC means more anyway. I want to watch good football, and good football isn’t jockeying to get an advantage in the post season, its playing the teams you’ve played for the last century on a continuing regular basis in the regular season, not once every 10 or so years except when you meet in Atlanta in December. They’ve already added two completely random teams which have absolutely no historical or even geographical significance to any of the current members except Arkansas; the least they could do is add a game to the conference schedule so being in a different division doesn’t become the equivalent of being in a different conference altogether.
LikeLike
In Philly today on Passyunk eating Pat’s Philly Cheese Steak. Scrath one off the bucket list.
Not to mention the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Van Goghs, Monets, Renoirs, Eakins, Picassos, Pizarros, De Gas, and Toulouse La Trecs. Sur Manifique…
LikeLike
and Rocky!
LikeLike
Good news if you like piss poor home schedules like this year. After this Clemson home and home nonsense is over with, we can get down to business and get 3 sisters of the poor games on the slate every single year. The future looks bright for us season ticket holders!
LikeLike
I couldn’t be more disappointed with the direction college football is heading. I feel like I’m watching a perfectly good girl decide to become a stripper because, hey, she’s still hot and you can’t beat the money.
LikeLike
Agreed. But, streetwalker might be more apt.
LikeLike
+1. Slive is a pimp so that analogy fits better.
LikeLike
The Pac-12 and Big 12 already play 9 game conference schedules (granted, the Big 12 doesn’t have a championship game). The ACC is going to 9 when Pitt and Syracuse join either next year or in 2014. The Big Ten is going to 9 in 2017 (I know, 5 years away but still).
Just wanted to get those facts out there because I think most people think all the other conferences play 8 game schedules and are staying with 8. That’s just not true and the SEC will look bad when/if it’s the only one still playing ocho.
LikeLike
My one thought about going to a 9-game schedule… the home-away imbalance could be addressed if every school had an annual neutral site game.
How could this be viable? Use the new ‘second’ Chik-fil-A kickoff game to make an otherwise blah hypothetical matchup between UK and Ole Miss an undercard to a bigger showdown for the Saturday game between traditional heavyweights. A UK-OIe Miss neutral site game is going to bring in more $$ in Atlanta than in either respective college town
LikeLike
A 9-game SEC schedule would benefit only 2 member institutions (UGA and UF). It is also a huge carrot to dangle in front of TV networks. There is almost zero chance of it happening under current circumstances.
LikeLike
Given the story just above this one, i wonder how long the SEC will remain at 14 games. Seems like we will be a 16 team conference before we know it and we will get to have this entire conversation all over again. Perhaps the power that be are just “punting” until the whole conference changes settle down?
LikeLike
typo – 14 TEAMs, not 14 games
LikeLike
Waiting for Delany to do anything is against my Southern nature. If we prefer 9 games, it has nothing to do with him or his schedule. If that silly conference wishes to wait, let’em. It is no skin off my teeth that they play a weakass schedule. How far has it gotten them in the last 6 years? SEC always plays a harder schedule by way of the strength of the remainder of the conference, not so much Delany’s conference. That’s why we end up playing for and winnin g the NC; – because we play tougher competition to get ready to play anyone. Delany’s teams don’t have that advantage.
Let’s play the 9 games for ourselves.
LikeLike
Disgraceful that the other major conferences are moving to 9 conference games and the SEC isn’t. 9 games should be a no-brainer. It means better competition, better games, more butts in seats, better TV deal. Never thought I’d see the day when the SEC (or UGA specifically) goes whining into a corner so it can keep 2 or 3 cupcake games a year. I say let’s vote the only way we can–tune in to the cupcake games on radio (or TV if available) but don’t go to Sanford. I don’t mind one laugher a year, and I love Athens, but it’s a long trip for me, and damned if I’m going to go just to watch a buncha “tune up” games.
LikeLike
Looks like ticket sales caught up to your sentiment.
LikeLike