Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Welcome to the summer of 2023. Happily, the Southeastern Conference slate of football games for this fall will begin in a little more than two months.
This year will be the final season for the SEC’s current West and East divisions. The 14-team league will expand to 16 beginning in 2024 with the addition of two Big 12 Conference teams. The University of Oklahoma (referred to as “OU” by fans) and the University of Texas (referred to as “Texas University” by former students of a school located in College Station) will jump into the SEC football pool in 2024.
The SEC recently released the new conference schedule for their 16-team league beginning in 2024. Without an East or West division anymore, the conference scheduling brainiacs were put to the test.
The SEC officials met in Destin, Florida in late May to discuss how many conference football games to play. Should the league increase the conference football schedule from eight to nine with the addition of these two new schools?
A wise gentleman by the name of Nick Saban recently gave his opinion on the issue, and (gasp!) the SEC decision makers listened to him. The SEC expansion would have justified going from the current eight game conference schedule to nine beginning in 2024.
There was hidden danger lurking. What happened if one of the top-ranked SEC teams lost an extra game during the 9-game conference schedule? By playing an additional conference game, the SEC would risk losing one or more spots in the upcoming expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs. Most top teams in the other major conferences will (generally) play a softer conference schedule.
More playoff spots going to SEC universities means greater revenue for all of the conference schools. Money talks. So, the newly expanded SEC will continue playing just eight conference games when OU and Texas come aboard in 2024.
If any SEC school sweeps through its four game non-conference schedule and happens to go 5-3 within the conference, that team could display a 9-3 resume for post-season playoff consideration.
The key to a good season will be to schedule as many lightweight opponents as possible during your team’s four game SEC non-conference schedule. A 4-0 start is almost mandatory due having such a difficult conference schedule.
This newly expanded SEC Bakery will be searching far and wide for additional cupcakes to schedule beginning in 2024!
With large stadiums and a huge network television contract, the SEC’s Bakery will be paying top dollar for future cupcake purchases. Louisiana public school universities such as UL-Monroe and Louisiana Tech will rake in more cash for their athletic programs. A half-day bus trip to Baton Rouge, College Station, or Austin, Texas may pocket a net profit of $1 million or more.
No one disputes that the eight game SEC conference schedule in 2024 will be tougher for every team with the addition of OU and Texas. Any participant which emerges with a conference record of 8-0 or 7-1 is a lock to be a part of the expanded College Football Playoffs. Teams which go 6-2 in the SEC will still have a shot at making the field, too.
The SEC has been devouring increasingly weaker non-conference cupcakes for several years.
In 2022, the SEC Cupcake menu included these smaller division football treats:
Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Washington, East Tennessee State, Elon, Mercer, Samford, South Carolina State, Southern University, Tennessee-Martin, and Youngstown State all cashed big paychecks by traveling to play an SEC football opponent during 2022.
Welcome to the SEC Bakery, Texas and OU!
Last year, Oklahoma and Texas played only three non-conference games as the Big 12 (just ten teams) played each other during a nine-game conference’s schedule. To their credit, neither of those schools scheduled a FCS (smaller division) school in 2022 as a non-conference opponent. Texas played Alabama, UL-Monroe and UTSA, while Oklahoma played at Nebraska and hosted mid-majors UTEP and Kent State.
Fans in Norman, Oklahoma and Austin, Texas will now fork over money to watch their team play one additional “cupcake” opponent as part of their 2024 SEC schedule.
OU and Texas will learn from the best (the SEC – where it just means more) on how to schedule softer cupcakes to fill-out their four game non-conference schedule. The Sooners and Longhorns must get out there and compete with the other 14 SEC schools for the right to schedule the lowest quality opponents available. It is important to start the season with an unblemished 4-0 record (which is why most polls before October 1 are worthless).
The eight game SEC conference schedule will feature two full months of incredibly tough games.
With the expansion of the College Football Playoffs to 12 teams (Can you detect that I am not a fan of that change?), there is zero incentive for SEC teams to schedule any moderately tough opponents for their four game exhibition season. Why take chances and slip on an unnecessary banana peel?
Let’s now take a look at the current SEC teams’ football opponents in 2024. First, the former SEC West:
LSU – The Tigers will host SEC newcomer Oklahoma in Death Valley in 2024. Their other three SEC home games include Alabama, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt. LSU’s four road games are at Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, and Texas A&M. Gone are former SEC West foes Auburn and Mississippi State.
Alabama – Crimson Tide fans must travel to the Sooner state to play SEC rookie Oklahoma. The other three road games for Bama are LSU, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt. The Tide will host Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, and South Carolina. Bama against Georgia should be fun! Notice that former SEC West teams Arkansas, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M are gone from Bama’s schedule in 2024!
Arkansas – The Porkers received a lucky draw to get a home game against former Southwest Conference rival, Texas. Arky’s other three home games come against LSU, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. The Razorbacks travel for games at Auburn, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Texas A&M.
Auburn – The War Eagles will host newcomer Oklahoma in Jordan Hare Stadium in 2024. Other home games include Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. Auburn hits the road for games at Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, and Missouri. It’s really odd that Auburn won’t play either team from Mississippi – Ole Miss or Mississippi State.
Mississippi State – The Bulldogs will venture to Austin to play Texas in 2024. Other road trips include games at Georgia, Tennessee, and, of course, Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. StarkVegas will host games against Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, and Texas A&M (should we call that the Maroon Bowl?).
Ole Miss – The Grove will welcome fans from Sooner Nation as OU travels to play Ole Miss. Other 2024 home games for the Rebels include Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. SEC road games will include Arkansas, Florida, LSU, and South Carolina. Notice that there is no game scheduled against long-time rival and next door neighbor Alabama!
Texas A&M – At long last, Aggie fans will have the chance to host their eternal arch-rival Texas at Kyle Field in 2024. Texas A&M will have other home games against Arkansas, LSU, and Missouri. The Aggies travel to play at Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State, and South Carolina.
The SEC East will also feature games with the two new SEC entrants, Texas and OU. Let’s review their 2024 football schedules:
Florida – The Gators roll into Austin for a meeting with newcomer Texas. Other road games in 2024 include Mississippi State, Tennessee, and, of course, rival Georgia at Jacksonville. Home games in Gainesville will be against Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. In case you didn’t notice, Florida will be playing four games against former SEC West teams!
Georgia – Like Florida, Bulldog Nation must load up the kennels for a road game at Texas in 2024. Other road trips take UGA to Alabama, Kentucky, and Ole Miss. Home games in Athens include Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and the annual game vs. Florida in Jacksonville. Georgia’s schedule only has three of its former SEC East opponents.
Kentucky – Make it three SEC East teams going to Austin in 2024! Big Blue tailgate parties will also take place at Florida, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. Home games include Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.
Missouri – Home games in 2024 include a visit from nearby Oklahoma. Other Mizzou home games will be against Arkansas, Auburn, and Vanderbilt. Missouri hits the road with games at Alabama, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Texas A&M. Mizzou is only playing two former SEC East rivals in 2024!
South Carolina – Gamecocks fans will travel to Norman to play the new guys, Oklahoma. Other road games will be played at Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt. Carolina’s home schedule in 2024 features LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, and Texas A&M. Note – The Gamecocks will play just three teams from the former SEC East in 2024.
Tennessee – Like South Carolina, Vol fans will bring their tailgating to OU to play the Sooners. Other road trips include games at Arkansas, Georgia, and Vanderbilt. Home games for Tennessee in 2024 will be Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, and Mississippi State.
Vanderbilt – The Texas Longhorns will visit Music City to play Vandy in 2024. The other home games include Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The Commodores (the football team – not the musical group) will tour at Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, and Missouri.
Here are the two SEC newcomers’ schedules:
Oklahoma – Home games against Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas (at Dallas). Load up the Boomer Schooner for road games at Auburn, LSU, Missouri, and Ole Miss. Note to Sooner Nation – Prepare yourself for your first visit to Baton Rouge and LSU’s Tiger Stadium. You’ve been warned!
Texas – Longhorn home games will be versus Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. Rookie season road trips will visit Arkansas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma (at Dallas). The Longhorns definitely got the easier draw of the two new teams in 2024.
In 2024, there will be 16 teams in the SEC. Until there are 18 or 20, that is!