Well, this list of suggested changes the SEC should pursue — some excellent, like making referees available to the media postgame, and some silly/tongue in cheek (I’m looking at you, dodgeball) — got me to thinking, so I’ll ask: if you were the god-king of the SEC for a day and could enact one change that would bind the conference going forward, what would it be?
I’ll get the ball rolling with the obvious one of moving to a nine-game conference schedule, combined with the mandate that every school had to play at least one P5 opponent as well. That still leaves room for two cupcakes a year, which is enough.
What would you guys pick?
Get The Picture 
I’d open up an athletic department free zone on campus for the common fan
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Nine game schedule, jettison Missouri from the conference, bring in HBCU school Norfolk State University as affirmative action replacement for Missouri and to put an SEC foothold in Virginia.
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Effective post game traffic patterns.
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9 conference games with 1 mandatory P5 out of conference is an excellent place to start, but I would add no more FCS games (but I do understand why they are there).
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Grading the referees on their performance and penalties and expulsions for serial violators.
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Yes!
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Yeah, the last 3 are never going to happen or aren’t good but there’s some decent ideas there
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Move to a nine game schedule in addition to moving Auburn into the east in exchange for Missouri. It obviously makes sense geographically, but also historically and positively impacting the league today.
Historically, the only downside would be that the conference would lose the Third Saturday in October which isn’t even held on that date anymore and has lost most of its luster anyway and would be offset by a return to the Auburn vs. Florida and Tennessee games.
It’d also even the balance of power between the two divisions and in theory should tip the balance towards the east as it would put 4 historically good programs in the east against 3, and that’s including AM, in the west.
The biggest downside for us would be that we’d have to play Missouri every year, which on the other hand would give us a much easier yearly opponent. And we’d still be better off in terms of cycling through western teams than we are now since we’d have the extra conference game.
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If the SEC didn’t want to move to a 9-game schedule, then I would: Get rid of divisions, have every team play 3 permanent rival teams and then rotate the other 10 teams (first 5 would be home and home first 2 years, then other 5 teams the next 2 years). The 2 teams with the best record play in the SECCG.
There’s just no reason for UGA to play Vandy, Missouri, and Kentucky every year. And there are many other examples of teams that play each other annually who shouldn’t have to. On the flip side, UGA will play in Baton Rouge this year and then not go back again in, what, 12 years? Under my plan, every player who stays 4 years at an SEC school would play in every stadium in the conference (or have the opportunity to).
And it also makes for a better SECCG. Sometimes the East/West divisions get it right (1992, 2012 immediacy come to mind and there are others) but we’ve often had years where one team is in over a more deserving team from the other division. And it’s produced some lopsided results.
It’ll never happen but if you ask me my ONE wish for the conference, that would be it.
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Immediately not immediacy. Damn autocorrect.
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I’m assuming your system would have the two teams with the best record play in the SECCG. How would you decide who gets to play in Atlanta if three teams have the same overall record and each has 1 win and 1 loss vs the other two?
Just curious, not trying to be a jerk.
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It’s this system that Bill Connolly proposed two years ago, and is still my favorite option for how to rearrange scheduling so the variety each year isn’t just a box of pastries: https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/6/14/11895556/sec-football-schedule-format-divisions-rivalries-rotation
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Not bad, first time I’m seeing it….
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Well, I think there are plenty of ways to break that tie-breaker. Just depends on what the SEC decides is most important – score differential in those games, score differential in all SEC games, CFP ranking, etc. Those are just a few that come to mind.
I’m not overly concerned with tie-breakers to be honest. As long as the schools agree to what those are, based on what they deem to be the most relevant criteria, then everyone knows what the rules are and only have themselves to blame if they wind up #3 at year-end after the tie-breakers are worked out. I’m more concerned with improving the SECCG and balancing the schedule for players & fans. We go way too long in between games with LSU, Bama, etc. on the current rotation. A&M has been in the league since 2012 and we still haven’t played them. In that same timeframe, we’ve played Missouri, Kentucky and Vandy 6 times EACH.
And some people don’t even realize this but 2017 was the first year since 2008 that an East team won the SECCG. The West has dominated the previous decade. That may change now that Kirby is at UGA, Mullen has moved to UF and UT may finally have a real football coach (jury out, obviously). While UGA has enjoyed being on the weaker side for several years (and yet still couldn’t really take advantage of it under Richt), what if the pendulum swings the other way toward the East with the changes in both divisions, even factoring in Bama’s domination?
No system is perfect and I’m not saying mine is. Just think everyone involved would enjoy the setup much better than what we have now.
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Release A&M and Missouri back into the wild.
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And Scar and Arkansas, and go 9-game round robin Thunderdome!!!
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NINE TEAMS ENTER BUT ONLY ONE TEAM LEAVES
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MASTERBLASTER IS NOT CALLED MATH-STERBLASTER FOR A REASON TEN TEAMS ENTER ONE TEAM LEAVES
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nice save!
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Ha! This wins the thread, for sure.
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Release them and stay at 12 or bring on two other teams more suited for the SEC?
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Pare back to 12 as it was in the good ole days (i.e. when you could visit every away stadium in the conference in a five-year interval).
That would obviate the need for a nine-game schedule. Moreover, you could mandate two out of conference Power 5 games. That would be delightful.
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God-king? Then no fall weddings except for bye weeks.
University presidents have to shadow for a week, in-season, a student-athlete from that university’s highest profile sport.
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I would put Auburn in the Eastern division and Missouri in the Western division.
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Take soccer players out of the game. Nothing I hate more than watching a 4 hour game come down to a 150 lb. ex-soccer player.
If you want to score, get a td. If you want to kick an extra point (or a FG) you have to use a snapper, a kicker and a holder that played the prior scrimmage down. Otherwise go for 2. If you’ve got a left guard or a qb or a wr that can kick, great. Lou Groza was a guard. Also a really good kicker.
The game should be won or lost by FOOTBALL players not miniature head cases. It’s like having 5’3” free throw specialists in basketball to come out every time there’s a foul or a technical.
I know we’ve had some great ones and some big kicks to win games, but we’ve been on the other end a few times too: at Alabama in 1994, at UT in 1995, tech in 2014 come to mind. Not that good or bad luck with it has anything to do with my opinion, I just want to see the players who sweat and toil and fight determine the outcome of the game. Games shouldn’t be won and lost by idiotic refs OR by non-football personnel like FG specialists.
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I’ve addressed this before. My solution is to make field goals kicked from close in count for more points than those kicked from way out. Inside the 10 gets you four points, between the 10 and twenty five gets you three, between the 25 and forty gets you two, outside the forty gets you one. This would fix it . You would be rewarding a team that can drive the ball deep and not rewarding (so much) a team that can’t get past the 40 but has a kid from Australia that has never made a tackle or a block in his life.
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Better than the current rules I’ll give you that.
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Like it or not kicking is part of the game. That’s why they call it foot–ball.
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god-king? No thanks. I just want to be in charge of turf management at Kneeland every other year.
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The only thing that worried me about that game last year was the effin’ field.
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Unlimited scholarships
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I would open auburn up to a complete investigation of the full power of the office of the SEC.
Ban the color orange from any team in the SEC.
Show uf a map of the USA and tell them they had to play out of the state of Florida once a decade in non-conference games.
Hire Spurrier to write my speeches and get him full green light to make fun of McG in all my speeches.
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Pay the refs and grade performance with incentives for good games and punishments/penalties for bad ones. With all this money coming in, you could literally take 1% of the SEC Network revenue and every ref in the league would have a make more money than just about everyone on this forum. Make them watch tape and put in hours during the offseason going over rules and having meetings so that all can be more on the same page and consistent from week to week. As much flack as we like to give the officials, its a damn tough job with the speed of the game these days and most of the guys doing it have a regular Mon-Fri day job and just head wherever to officiate a college football game on Saturdays.
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Honest question; why would anyone keep cupcake games on the schedule if you had the choice? Even if it meant less games each year, no one is actually interested in us playing Austin Peay in September.
Also – Make the referees’ pay performance based. Blown calls = less money.
Lastly, create a TV timeout rule that regulates the frequency and length of TV timeouts. For instance; no more than 6 TV timeouts per quarter and a maximum of 2.5 minutes each.
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It is a great way to develop depth. Every player on the team needs live action to get better. As for the interest, the tickets will be sold out even though the stadium will not be full and the game will be televised with plenty of viewers. Its hard to say no one is interested.
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Agree with Sides, but those games also give us a pretty good excuse to visit the Classic City.
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3 ideas for me to choose from…further professonialize the refs, 9 game conference schedule, or barring that realignment of divisions into pods.
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Slot machines to play while waiting for my margarita at concessions.
No more bench seating in stadiums.
AI that converts Scott Howard’s call of the game into the sound and word styling of Larry Munson with Lewis Grizzard for color commentary.
Move the WCLOP from Jacksonville (there, I said it). You want a party…errrr…tradition? Pick a better city.
Ban NIck Saban for life.
Ban Auburn for life.
Withdraw from the CFP. Have SEC Champion invite and play the “best” team at large to play a championship game in Atlanta (for a LOT of $$$). Declare that winner “National Champions” and watch heads explode.
Ban reptile and insect mascots.
Ban once per year custom uniforms.
If Kirby takes UGA on a mad-crazy winning streak, declare all football records null and void prior to 2017 except for Herschel’s.
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Legitimately surprised that nobody has mentioned alcohol in stadiums… so I will.
Stadium booze! If people can behave themselves well enough for the University of Texas and West Virginia University (!) not to have burned down after having alcohol served in stadiums, I think we’ll be fine if I can buy an overpriced beer inside Sanford Stadium.
Nine game conference schedule also sounds good, but upon further reflection I don’t think the SEC should do it unless all the other P5 teams do. Witness the fact that the B1G is looking at going back to 8 because of the thought it could be having a negative impact on their CFP chances.
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Oh, and instant replay for onsides/offsides calls on special teams.
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Either open up competition for schools to sign players (i.e. allow players to hire agents, pay the players, sign contracts with buyouts, etc.) or allow full free agency where players can change schools without sitting out at all and can go on scholarship immediately at any school of their choice.
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Have a uniform conduct code for every school in the conference. Every violation, including failed drug tests, carries the same penalty no matter the school. Also, pay the student athletes as employees.
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You got it right, Senator.
NINE CONFERENCE GAMES!
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After the last regular season SEC game, each coach has the opportunity to ban two officials from officiating in any of his teams’ games for next year. If a ref is banned by three or more coaches, he’s just fired. If he’s banned by two, he’s on probation for the next year. If hes’ banned by two by the end of the next year, he’s fired.
Yes, I hate them.
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9 games a no-brainer top choice.
Not far behind would be a major commitment to TV changes to reduce game time by 30 minutes. The in-stadium and hell even at home experience has really suffered with all this time creep.
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Bring back POSS BBQ
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If a coach wants to leave before his or her contract expires the AD and college president can restrict where that coach can accept a position. I think y’all covered everything else.
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That’s a good one, paul.
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Well 12 game schedule was Mo’ Money but ( kids are treated better than average students, training table, access to academic consul, fitness counselors, players lounges.etc. ) Limited monies; Coast of living cards. Add 5 more scholarships, Hell add 10 then we run into prop whatever so more scholarship must be given in equal amount to other gender sports. More games more chances for injury. Had a kid play for me sign with UNC on special teams tore up his knee in game. Yet his family insurance had to pick up first and pay even though he was on full ride. Yet the kid at Oklahoma gets drafted 5 mil. baseball, if he signs early and still wants to play QB there will be ruled out by NCAA.
Now we have legal betting. Ya see how much money was spent yesterday; First day in Delaware of legal betting $322,135.00. A mere penny anti to a TV’s contracts.
I remanence, January 8th, 2018, Atlanta, Ga. Alabama -4.5 vs. Dawgs O\U 45 points. Score was 13-0, 9 minutes and change. Facemask missed call, late hit on Fromm, missed blantly ! Then the call, #87 Simmons clearly will be forever be on sides. May I say according to Vegas 88% of all bets were on Roll Tide. Who’s to say the official is making a little book on the side. Again I endeavor you to do a simple search on the betting facts of January 8, 2018. We worry about kids selling their jersey or a $200 handshake. Hell one kid due to NCCA rules was deemed out; Because of a second trip through at a alumni banquet till he paid $10 to get himself cleared.
Exactly why I am getting ready to unplug. Not from being a Dawg Lover had season tickets for 17 years till the fan experience got to $ to drive 3-1/2 hours. Now to watch the Dawgs play I can get up get a cold one and fix a sandwich and still get back and watch a State Farm commercial before the game comes on again. Even TV sets delay till you can’t listen on the radio instead of listening to the talking heads talking about everything but the game. Hell, I am so old, to begin a game TV would actually show the kids face, hometown, major and position. That was for both offense and defense for BOTH teams. God Bless digital technology now where we see previous plays of previous games and even more previous plays of the game that’s on till you can see em while you take a nap.
I understand FCS has a hard time……. but I also remember when they played each other. All season ! They didn’t run their programs off of $1.5 mil to get drilled and lose kids getting beat up. Yup, Western Kentucky, Presbyterian, Austin Peay, East Tennessee State, Wofford existed then and if the FBS….. power 5 chose not to play em. They would still exist, fans of theirs would still go see them play.
Change, Hell what could we change ? Sorry the crap has got so deep I had to get rid of my regular waders. The crap was running in over my legs. Bought a new pai though of chest waders but that crap keeps on getting deeper. Change, what could we change ?
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Adopt Jeff Danzler’s scheduling idea:
https://www.bulldawgillustrated.com/alas-the-perfect-fix-to-the-southeastern-conference-scheduling-conundrum/
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I’d leave it at 8 conference games. The Big 10, Pac12, would love for the SEC to go to 9. Since they can’t beat us, they would love to see us beat each other, that way maybe they could do like the SEC and get 2 teams in the Playoffs.
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Go back to 10 teams and play a 9 game round-robin conference schedule where every team plays every other team each year. That’s the only true way to get a conference champion.
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I’ll see your 9 game schedule plus the P5 mandate, and add another P5 so we can rekindle a permanent Clemson rivalry game. I’m also fully in favor of Jeff Dantzler’s proposed 9 game scheduling format.
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as others have said, 3 permanents and 5 rotators would be epic. I would still build those into divisions, maybe with different names… although, just a few tweaks of that “roommate switch” model could be done to give us the current east v west composition every other year.
Basically, the original “big 6” (UGA/UT/UF/AU/UA/LSU) are in two pods of 3 and the other 8 are in two pods of 4 that rotate together. If we keep a dose of the current system, it basically means UF and UGA (and either UT or AU) swap out vandy, kentucky, usc and mizzou for ole miss, state, ark and a&m either yearly or after 2 years
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