It doesn't sound like the SEC wants to play a 9-game football schedule

Where the SEC stands on playing a ninth conference game on its football schedule, according to commissioner Greg Sankey.

SEC leaning towards keeping its eight-game conference football schedule. | USA Today Sports | Imagn

SEC football fans hoping to see their teams play a ninth conference game in the near future may have to wait a little longer, or perhaps never see it.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the conference is satisfied with its current model of playing eight conference opponents on the schedule every season, and defended the rigor of its regular season in justifying playing one less league opponent every year.

“It is absolutely, fully 100 percent correct that in the SEC, we play eight conference games while some others play nine conference games,” Sankey said at SEC Media Days.

“It’s also correct that last season, all 16 members of the Southeastern Conference played at least nine games against what you would label power opponents. 

“We had several that played 10 of their 12 games against power opponents. Some conferences have that. Some don’t.”

One interested party hoping to see the SEC add that ninth game is the Big Ten.

This offseason, a plan emerged to expand the College Football Playoff and award both the SEC and Big Ten four automatic bids.

But the SEC appeared to back off that idea after some backlash, chiefly from the ACC and Big 12, which were set to get just two bids each as part of that plan, and favor the so-called “5+11” model that awards five places to conference champions and 11 at-large bids.

The Big Ten — which, along with the SEC, has outsized voting power in designing the future playoff — is less inclined to support the 5+11 model if the SEC plays eight conference games, while its own members play nine.

The thinking from the Big Ten is that SEC teams would get what amounts to an artificial bump in their win-loss column by playing a perceived pushover team late in the season, while Big Ten schools still have to play a conference opponent.

Anticipating that line of argument, Sankey affirmed the SEC’s quality of competition as a justification for not adding another intra-league game to the schedule.

“I handed out a bunch of stats and created a stir and dust in this show,” Sankey said, referring to a document the SEC created and circulated during spring meetings that purports to prove the “gauntlet” of the conference’s football schedule.

“There’s a rigor here that is unique in the SEC. We’re not lacking for quality competition among our 16 football teams, but we’re going to continue to evaluate whether increasing the number of conference football games is appropriate for us.”

He added: “As I’ve said repeatedly, understanding how the CFP will evaluate strength of schedule, and even strength of record as critically important in our decision making.”

The SEC has debated adding a ninth conference game to its football schedule for a few years, but stayed at eight amid financial and competitive concerns about playing another league game.

The SEC has played eight conference football games since the 1992 season, although the addition of a ninth game has been gaining traction.

Arguments for and against adding another conference game have dominated the conversation across the league.

Those in favor believe another game would mean more revenue for schools and the conference and would allow schools to play more often in a league that has expanded to 16 members.

Those against another game contend that the SEC schedule is already the most difficult in college football and would be made tougher still by adding more to the plate.

There is also some concern that introducing another game would make it more difficult for some SEC teams to reach the required six victories needed to become eligible for a non-playoff bowl game.

Sankey declined to make any firm commitments on the matter, leaving the door open for further consideration, but any final decision will depend on what the College Football Playoff looks like.

“I don’t believe there’s anyone looking to swap their conference schedule and its opponents with the opponents played by Southeastern Conference teams and our conference schedule, be it eight or nine,” Sankey said.

But as it stands now, it appears the SEC is happy with its current football schedule, regardless of what anyone else has to say.

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