Four Power 5 conferences have announced their preferred programming models, as the SEC teams up with Big Ten and Pac-12 to go with conference-only games. The SEC now plans to play a 10-game season beginning September 26. The Big 12 are expected to decide next week. What do all these decisions mean for the college football season? Here are the most urgent questions answered.
What does this mean for ACC-SEC rivalry games?
The SEC’s decision to play only conference games took the ACC by surprise, just a day after the league announced that it would play 10 league enemies plus an opponent without a conference.
Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack, on the ACC subcommittee that examined programming models, said the league decided to play a game without a conference as a nod to ACC’s four teams with SEC rivals. “Those games are important to Clemson and Florida State and Louisville and Georgia Tech,” he said. “I think in an environment like this, where frankly it may not be directly beneficial to Syracuse, but if you can do things like a collective body and a group that can benefit schools where it’s important, I’m inclined to try to be a good partner and support that. “
Wildhack added that the ACC would not change its format because the SEC chose to go to the conference alone.
“Clemson aggressively pressured the ACC to include an additional non-conference game with the primary goal of maintaining our long-standing rivalry game with South Carolina,” said Clemson’s AD Dan Radakovich. “We are disappointed to hear the SEC’s announced scheduling decision as we know how important The Palmetto Bowl is to the State of South Carolina. We will work to fill the opening on our schedule right away.”
The four ACC-SEC clashes are in-state rivalries that mean a lot to fans of those schools and determine bragging rights within the state for the next 365 days.
“It is unfortunate that we are not going to play Clemson this season, but that was not our choice, it was a league decision,” said South Carolina coach Will Muschamp. “That is a game that is important to our program, our institution and our state and one that the President [Robert] Caslen and coach [Ray] Tanner pushed hard to make it happen. I hope to renew the rivalry in 2021. “
Clemson and South Carolina have played each year since 1909, making it the second longest continuous rivalry on FBS, behind only Minnesota-Wisconsin, which began two years earlier. Georgia and Georgia Tech, which have played 114 times, have met each season since 1925. Florida and Florida State began playing in 1958, and Louisville and Kentucky have played 32 times because the series was not played for 70 years between 1924 and 1994.
“Each conference is doing what they think is best for them,” Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra said before the SEC officially announced its decision. “We are aware of the decisions Pac-12 and Big Ten made, but ours was different. Each conference is thinking about that in relation to its own conference.”
How will the SEC expand its schedule from eight conference games to 10?
One of the most debated proposals on how to add the two conference games this season would be to use the rotating cross-division opponents for the 2021 and 2022 seasons and simply add those two enemies to the existing eight-game conference rosters for each school
Each SEC school typically plays eight league games, including six games against all divisional opponents, one game against a permanent cross-division opponent, and one game against a rotating cross-division opponent. Under this proposal, Alabama, for example, would add Florida and Vanderbilt from the SEC’s Eastern Division this season, while Georgia, for example, would add Arkansas and Mississippi State from the SEC’s Western Division.
Notably, this proposal would also mean that Alabama would face both Florida and Georgia during the 2020 regular season. Florida would face Alabama, Georgia, and LSU.
Another proposal that has strong support is for the league to design a ranking system using the force of the schedule and add the two additional league games based on that system.
The league’s athletic directors would still have to approve any schedule format.
“I’m sure it will be fair and equitable,” said Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin. “I’m sure we will be able to find something that everyone feels good about.”
What does this mean for the college football tie?
The College Football Playoff is evaluating a new schedule for its selection committee meetings, and will reconsider its protocols for the 2020 season, CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock told ESPN on Thursday.
“Since there will not be as many games outside of the conference as normal, certain tools used by the committee, such as the results of head-to-head matches and results against common opponents, will have limitations this year,” Hancock said. “Assessing the strength of the schedule will also be different.
“I don’t see the potential difference in the number of games teams play as a significant factor,” he added. “The fact is, the committee has successfully dealt with that almost every season.”
Regardless of what the season is like, Hancock believes his committee will be ready.
“The fundamental mission has not changed, that is, to classify the four best teams according to the schedules that the conferences play. And that is why the committee is made up of these 13 soccer experts.”
What is Big 12 doing now?
For now, the Big 12 are still waiting for a 12-game schedule, but the presidents will look for alternatives during their Monday meeting. A source from the conference told ESPN that a model of nine plus one (nine conference games, one non-conference) has garnered significant support from athletic directors.
Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby told ESPN that his athletic directors will present four or five different programming models for conference presidents to consider.
“We are going to arm them with all the information they need to make a decision if that is their wish,” Bowlsby said.
So when does the season really start?
From now on, there will be no uniform start date for the college football season. There are currently five games scheduled for “Week 0” on August 29, including the state of Missouri in Oklahoma. The ACC will begin the weekend of September 12, while the SEC will begin on September 26. The Pac-12 is expected to announce its start date and time on Friday. Sources told ESPN.com that the Pac-12 will go with a 10-game conference schedule scheduled to begin on September 19. Of course, all of this is still tentative.
What marquee games does this remove from the calendar?
One of the most anticipated SEC conference games, Alabama vs. USC at the AdvoCare Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, was canceled when the Pac-12 chose to play only conference games. The Tide was looking for a potential replacement, but it became a moot point with the SEC vote.
In addition to traditional rivalry games, two other ACC-SEC games: Georgia vs. Virginia and Auburn vs. North Carolina at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta are gone.
Other cool games that won’t play: Texas at LSU, Arkansas at Notre Dame, Tennessee at Oklahoma, Missouri at BYU, Vanderbilt at Kansas State, and Mississippi State at NC State.
These join a list that included the state of Oregon-Ohio, the state of Oregon-North Dakota, USC-Notre Dame, Michigan-Washington, and many more.
What does Nick Saban think about all this?
I’m glad you asked. Alabama released a statement from the head coach that said, in part, “We are pleased to have a plan for the Southeast Conference this season. We believe it is the best option to keep players and staff safe while still maintaining the integrity of the season. The safety of our team will be our top priority throughout the season, but we are also excited that our players have the opportunity to compete and play this season. “
What’s next for the SEC and the rest of Power 5?
Rather than setting a date to see if the season needs to be delayed, commissioners, administrators, and medical advisory groups will continue to monitor coronavirus outbreaks and trends in all regions as a starting point to determine if it’s safe to play. There is no doubt that August will be crucial for several reasons.
First, teams will begin physical contact practice next week, a key indicator of whether it will be safe to play. Second, the student body on most campuses will also return to campus, and administrators still don’t know if this will affect infection rates on their athletic teams. Athletics managers and coaches stand firm because they emphasize education about mask wear, hand washing, social distancing, and staying away from large gatherings with their players on a daily basis. It’s impossible to keep players in a bubble, but trying to emphasize the importance of following all security protocols is one way they can try to limit infections. There have been outbreaks within athletics departments across the country, but there is also hope that they can be used as teaching moments. Because if there are infections and they spread during the season, the games will be jeopardized.
What does this mean for the Group of 5?
The Group of 5 has been waiting for the Power 5 to announce their plans, so now those conferences have to decide whether they want to go to the conference alone or fight to fill the gaps that remain in the vast majority of their schedules with another Group. of 5 or FCS teams.
UCF, for example, had a game completely canceled (Florida A&M) and will not be able to play in both North Carolina (home) and Georgia Tech (away). Since the SEC will not play non-conference games, this opens the door for UCF to keep the Georgia Tech game, but that decision will be in the hands of the Yellow Jackets.
There are many other programming losses for Group 5 schools that need Power 5 games in a typical year. Boise State will not play Florida State. Memphis will not play at Purdue; Cincinnati loses Nebraska. Houston loses Washington state. The Navy game against Notre Dame is in the air. It’s safe to say that the slim hopes of breaking into the college football playoff would not exist without the Power 5 games on the 2020 calendar. But the top-ranked Group 5 team is guaranteed a New Years Six game without matter what, so overall The conference record and strength would be the determining factor in the standings.
ESPN senior writers Heather Dinich, Chris Low and Mark Schlabach contributed to this report.
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