Reading this Aaron Suttles/Seth Emerson ($$) revisit of where the SEC goes with conference scheduling once it grows to sixteen (prompted by the upcoming SEC spring meetings in a couple of weeks), I do think Greg Sankey will announce that the conference will do away with divisions.
I believe that to be the case because of two primary motivators: a genuine desire to have programs face each other more often than is the current case and a genuine reluctance on the part of some coaches and ADs to adopt a nine-game conference schedule. There is simply no way to reconcile those goals in the context of two eight-team divisions. (As the two put it, “… it appears the conference office is expected to present to athletic directors that it’ll be a choice between keeping divisions or having scheduling variability.”)
I don’t know if that means pods or three permanent opponents or what, just that it will be something other than divisions. And whatever they come up with, it’s important to recognize that the solution will come with its own set of tradeoffs. Doesn’t mean it won’t be better or worse than the status quo, but certainly different.
I’m a two-division, nine conference game-schedule guy, because I do think it’s an easier sell to fans, but regardless of what they’re selling, we’re not the primary factor here. Though, if there’s one silver lining to the dark cloud, it’s that we don’t have to worry about Greg McGarity’s scheduling concessions this time.
Get The Picture 