Eight- or nine-conference game schedule? Kirby Smart don’t care.
Smart spoke about the conference’s schedule options prior to the Regions Pro-Am golf tournament in Hoover, Alabama. When asked if he had a preference between the conference sticking with its traditional eight-game conference schedule or pivoting to a nine-game schedule, Smart explained either option would be just fine with him.
“I can go either way on that. I think either format’s going to allow us to go through the cycle and through the SEC much faster. So there won’t be a four-year window that you don’t play everybody home and away either way” Smart said. “In the grand scheme of things, what are we really talking about? I think people are looking for something to debate about, but if you’re going to play everybody in the SEC in four years home and away, the two methodologies we’re going about are not that vastly different.”
Honestly, it’s a little disappointing to hear him toss aside the Georgia-Auburn game like that, but I probably shouldn’t be surprised, as we’re on the cusp of entering an era when the 12-team playoff renders regular season rivalries just a little less intense. Still, it’s kind of a bummer.
Get The Picture 
If you don’t publicly pick a side you can’t be wrong or disappointed…at least not publicly.
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I think that’s a valid point. If you take a firm stance either way, it’s just another thing for the media to hound you about until it’s settled by the league, not likely to happen anytime soon. I imagine Kirby has a preference but has no desire to repeat/defend his stance at every media appearance in the foreseeable future.
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At least say the final decision to go to 8 is”for the children”. I’ll blow a gasket if they claim it’s for us fans.
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I agree with you. It seems traditions are not important to him. No problem losing TWLOCP or TDSOR. They matter to me and most fans.
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I don’t really have anything nice to say.
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I’m also disappointed about the lack of public support for the Georgia-Auburn game, but Kirby has already shown himself to be much more about the bottom line than tradition and I guess that’s fine. As far as the tradition of the Georgia-Auburn game goes, Auburn already kinda wrecked it by punking out on trying to play two hard games in three weeks and moving the game into the shorts and nut sweat months. If the annual event goes away, I’ll be sad but honestly not as sad as I’ll be when I have to sit in the Swamp every other year.
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I’m not going to Gainesville for a game, ever.
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Been there, done it, DON’T do it!
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For all I love about Kirby between the white lines and building the program, he seems to step in it by either taking the wrong side (the Jacksonville debate especially after being baited into it by the GPOOE at media days last year) or not taking a side (this particular issue – any good Bulldog wants to beat Auburn at any and every opportunity).
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In addition to beating Auburn every chance we can, I can drive there and back without a hotel room. Norman Oklahoma isn’t a fun enough town to want to spend the money to travel out there every 4 years. I am actually less likely to go as a SEC game because I’ll have another chance down the road. However, OOC Norman is once in a lifetime trip with the magic of being an event you’ll likely never have the chance to see again. I don’t see one trip out there making me want to go out there again.
Fayetteville is the same, when have you heard “I can’t wait for Arkansas to rotate around? I’m looking forward to flying into Tulsa to enjoy a game in Fayetteville?” In 30 years, many UGA fans haven’t been to Arkansas and aren’t itching to go.
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Yep … that’s the part of this I don’t understand from some Georgia fans. Why some of us are willing to throw out the DSOR or Cocktail Party (yes, I know Georgia and Florida will continue to play every year, but it won’t be the WLOCP anymore if it goes home/home) in exchange for brisket, gumbo, or the Grove more often baffles me.
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Love the shake up 9 games finally 1 more affordable decent sec home game in Athens to justify the season tickets & enjoy the stadium upgrades.
Since the Jags are kicking us out of their stadium in 2024 & 2025 for construction, should be interesting to see if we make room for the Jorters.
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This was really disappointing to me, and I hope it doesn’t mean that he knows the SEC is staying at 8 conference games.
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I do not look forward to going to the swamp every other year.
I played one game there in 1966 and it was the loudest place I have ever seen/heard. It was not called the swamp then, but it was the same stadium. Also, the UF fans are terrible. We got there one hour before game time, and we were hollered at the whole time. Walk through was a waste of time. It was impossible to talk to team mates on the sideline. The phones from the coach’s box were useless, you could not hear what was said. It was that bad with 30,000 fans in the stands, I hate to see what it is like with 90,000.
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Kirby doesn’t have time for this stuff…he did schedule very strongly OOC, we would probably have to lose some of those if we go to 9.
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Three games I want to see stay on the schedule just to see their seasons dreams crushed AU, FU and GT. If the price for national dominance of the CFB world is letting Kirby decide who stays or gets dropped I’m good.
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Is CFB without rivalries and traditions really CFB?
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In a word, no.
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Those “lost” OOC games are gained back during what will be known as the 12 team CFP playoff” expanded field. If we are not top 4, then we get a bonus game at home!
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We get that many years by being next to Atlanta.
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I’ve said it before, Kirby knows how to coach and recruit, he doesn’t understand what it is like to be a fan.
I want a home and away with the Sooners. I don’t want to go to Norman/OKC every 4 years. I don’t want to be locked into traveling halfway across the country to a flat not much to see town. I do think playing one of the most iconic programs in OU is a once in a lifetime trip.
I’d rather play more national powers or even national name brands (Boulder, Arizona State, etc) in my lifetime than go to College Station, Norman, Austin, or Fayetteville every 4 years.
Also, Vandy may not be iconic but it is a few hours away and I have enjoyed the town.
I haven’t been checking the football news as much lately because this is the kind of stories out there. I can do little about it. I skipped watching more games this past fall than I have since I was in college or fresh out of school. Expanded playoffs making regular season games less meaningful and lost annual rivals. I’ll find other things to do and maybe turn the Auburn UGA game on every couple years, likely while I’m doing other things. Hope Mickey and Sankey enjoy it.
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