The SEC announced Thursday that it will move to a schedule of only 10 games for the 2020 season.
The first games will take place on September 26, as announced by the SEC. While the league said a full schedule will be announced at a later date, there is already significant development with the schedule change.
Related: SEC opts for 10-game league schedule, delays start of season
For the first time since 1925, Georgia and Georgia Tech will not play due to the conference-only schedule.
“The SEC’s 10-game schedule provides us with the best opportunity to play soccer as safely as possible in a Covid environment,” said Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity. “It is disappointing that the calendar model does not allow Georgia Tech to play; however, we hope to renew that rivalry in 2021. “
The two rivals have traditionally met in the last week of the regular season. Georgia was not the only SEC team to lose a game against a rival in the state, as Florida, Kentucky and South Carolina also had the same fate.
Georgia has beaten Georgia Tech in each of the past three seasons, and the 2019 contest was a 52-7 victory for Georgia.
SEC presidents made the decision to go on a 10-game schedule for the conference on Thursday. Georgia President Jere Morehead also shared his thoughts on the decision.
“It was clear at our meeting today that this delay would be beneficial to our student athletes and would promote a safe and orderly return to campus for our student body in August,” Morehead said. “Having some separation between the previous reopening of our campuses and the subsequent start of the football season should be helpful.”
The SEC is now teaming up with the Pac-12 and Big Ten to go on a conference-only schedule for 2020. The ACC announced Thursday that it will go on a 10-game conference time plus a non-conference game. With the SEC’s decision, Georgia Tech will now have to find another program in the state to play, according to the ACC announcement.
Regarding additional games added to the Georgia schedule, Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger stated that the league office will use the force of the schedule to determine which two teams will be added to the schedule.
He was spitting on the two additional SEC games in 2020.
Now I’m told that a separate programming model, made up of the league office with the force of the calendar, will determine the two additional opponents for 2020. https://t.co/hFWO0Caljp
– Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 30, 2020
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