For Tech, the repercussions are unclear, as college football plans to play a season through the coronavirus pandemic are affected on a daily basis. The SEC’s decision drew more attention Wednesday night, after the ACC appeared to shoulder the SEC’s responsibility in approving its 10-game schedule model plus a non-conference game. The format left room for all four league teams with rivals within the SEC (Clemson (South Carolina), Florida State (Florida), Louisville (Kentucky) and Tech) to continue their series this year.
But the SEC, which appeared to have been on a conference-only schedule long before the ACC move, stayed on course.
“While it is certainly disappointing for our student athletes, coaches and fans that we do not have our annual Georgia rivalry soccer game this year, I also understand and respect the SEC’s decision,” said athletic director of technology Todd Stansbury in a release. . “We look forward to finishing our non-conference opponent for the 2020 season in the near future and look forward to meeting Georgia on the grid again in 2021.”
“I am disappointed that our players don’t have a chance to play our in-state rivalry game this season, but they respect the SEC’s decision,” coach Geoff Collins said in a statement.
It is also possible, certainly, that the season is not played at all. The plans that the conferences are preparing are nothing more than that, plans. The season could well be canceled in the coming weeks if the teams begin pre-season practice and realize that the pandemic cannot be prevented from spreading on campus and in locker rooms and practice fields.
Tech has two other out-of-conference home games scheduled for next season: Central Florida and Gardner-Webb. The Jackets could decide to play either game and cancel or attempt to move the other game to another year, with the previous option potentially costly.
With 10 games scheduled against ACC opponents, including Notre Dame, who will play as a league member this year, Tech can go for a less competitive opponent at FCS Gardner-Webb. (The Knights finished 10-3 last season and believe they are a top 25 opponent in the preseason.)
Or, Stansbury and Collins may be able to choose to try and pull out of the UCF and Gardner-Webb games and play with an in-state opponent like Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Mercer, or Kennesaw State. Or, the ACC could follow the SEC’s lead and choose not to play non-conference games, although Stansbury’s statement did not indicate such an intention.
Georgia Southern AD Jared Benko, whose team has a short game since it was to play Ole Miss, is waiting at the Sun Belt Conference to make a decision on how he will structure his season.
“I would love to play Georgia Tech and Georgia every year,” Benko told AJC. “Especially Georgia Tech, being in Atlanta because the last time we played there (2016), we had a huge crowd. We have a lot of fans up there. We think it would be a great game. “
As for the 10 ACC games Tech will play, the Jackets’ conference strength is tougher than most, as the Jackets are slated to play with both Clemson and Notre Dame, who would be the two best options for win the ACC in this most unusual season. The Jackets are one of six to play against the Tigers and Fighting Irish, although the two remain at home.
The Jackets avoid North Carolina, a likely preseason Top 25 team with the return of quarterback Sam Howell, and Virginia Tech, which went 8-5 last season and returns an experienced roster. If the season is played, it will be the first time that the Jackets have not played the Tar Heels since 1979.
Based on opponents’ Sagarin rating average at the end of last season, Boston College has the toughest schedule in the league. The Eagles’ 10 ACC opponents had an average rating of 49.1, including Clemson, Notre Dame, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech.
Wake Forest is second with 49.8. The remaining 13 are grouped between 55.8 and 61.5. Tech is fifth at 56.4.
The timeline is certainly made easier by not having Georgia on it.
“I will miss him,” Anderson said. “Of course, I’ll do it.”
