What Oklahoma, Texas early exit from Big 12 means for SEC schedule format in 2024

Oklahoma and Texas are leaving the Big 12 for the SEC a yr sooner than anticipated. 

That means 2024 goes to be a landmark yr in school soccer’s most-successful convention. The SEC will welcome in applications that rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in all-time wins. The tv scores and income shall be predictably large – and Sooners and Longhorns had been keen to pay a $100 million exit payment to the Big 12 to get began in their new convention. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey launched a press release Thursday: 

What does this transfer imply for Oklahoma, Texas and the SEC? It’s time to begin planning now for the 2024 schedule. Let’s have a look at the potential fashions, everlasting opponents and the way which may look in 2024: 

SEC schedule for 2024 

This would be the first precedence on the SEC spring conferences. Sporting Illustrated reported that there are two formats the conference is considering, and neither one has divisions. The first is an eight-game format with one everlasting opponent and 7 rotating opponents. The different is a nine-game format with three everlasting opponents and 6 rotating opponents.  

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The nine-game convention debate has been on the desk since Texas and Oklahoma had been added. It’s only a matter of whether or not that shall be put into motion for 2024 and past. 

SEC protected opponents for eight-, nine-game schedules

Here is what the everlasting opponents may seem like for each eventualities: 

The eight-game mannequin is clear and would obtain fewer complaints.  Tennessee won’t be thrilled with this situation shedding Florida and Alabama yearly, however these are the most-logical pairings in that setup.

However, can you actually do a 16-team league and an eight-game convention schedule? That goes to be the pushback realizing the Big Ten already rolls with a nine-game schedule and is bringing UCLA and USC into the fold. The Big 12 and Pac-12 have additionally been enjoying 9 league video games per season.

The nine-game mannequin will create some hitches. SI requested the query: “If the conference moves to a nine-game conference schedule, will ESPN give the SEC additional revenue?” 

Assuming the reply is sure, then the convention ought to take that additional sport in a rush and stability these three everlasting opponents even when it impacts some traditional rivalries. 

Take Auburn, for instance. You might load the Tigers up with Florida, Georgia and Alabama – all traditional rivals. But that schedule can be brutal on an every-year foundation. Some rivalries can be taken away, and this setup assumes that Texas and Texas A&M will play yearly. Will they comply with that? 

Which mannequin makes extra sense? The nine-game mannequin is best, particularly if you’re going to do a convention with out divisions. That additional sport can create extra separation and depart much less room for difficult tiebreakers, at the very least in concept. The Pac-12 went to a division-less format final yr, and it created one of the best convention championship between USC and Utah. 

What SEC transfer means for Oklahoma, Texas

The Longhorns and Sooners aren’t going to be handled like royalty in their new environment. For instance, there have been 4 SEC video games that had been among the many top-10 most-watched games in 2022.

The Red River Rivalry didn’t crack the highest 10 this yr. The Sept. 10 matchup between Alabama and Texas drew 10.6 million viewers, which made it the most-watched non-conference sport of the season. 

Would the SEC lean into that and make Alabama and Texas an every-year sport and a new-aged rivalry? It’s price a dialogue, however the more-likely situation is the Longhorns play Oklahoma and Texas A&M yearly. The Aggies and Longhorns haven’t performed since 2011. Would you moderately see that sport each different yr or yearly? Both fan-bases possible shall be wonderful with the second possibility. 

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Oklahoma, in the meantime, leaves some choices for protected opponents after Texas. LSU is sensible, however the Sooners must take into account an every-year sport with Florida, particularly for recruiting functions. Oklahoma has been a extra profitable program than Texas for the reason that BCS period began, however that has netted one nationwide championship apiece. The Longhorns are nonetheless extra of a glam program. 

That goes to be difficult in this transition. The Sooners had been 6-7 beneath first-year coach Brent Venables. The Longhorns had been 8-5 beneath second-year coach Steve Sarkisian. Both colleges did carry in top-five recruiting classes in 2023, and that should proceed as soon as they get into the SEC in the event that they need to be aggressive. 

Three simple SEC predictions for 2024 

Texas’ first sport is … 

If Arch Manning is the beginning quarterback for the Longhorns (and he needs to be), then there isn’t a approach they cross up a “Manning Fest” towards Tennessee, the place Peyton Manning was a star, or Ole Miss, the place Archie and Eli had been stars. 

SEC with at the very least 4 playoff groups in 2024

The first yr of the 12-team playoff shall be an experiment of types in relation to choosing at-large groups. If the SEC goes to a nine-game convention format, then the default shall be to take SEC groups primarily based on that power of schedule inside a 16-team league. If you suppose the notion of “SEC bias” will get traction now, then simply wait for 2024. 

The nine-game format shall be incredible

The 10-game, all-conference slate in 2020 in the course of the COVID-19-impacted season was large for the convention. Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and Florida all completed in the top-10 in the ultimate CFP rankings. The Crimson Tide gained the nationwide championship. As lengthy because the SEC continues to play for nationwide championships – they usually have put at the very least one staff in the CFP championship every of the final eight seasons – then neither the schedule format nor variety of groups in the CFP will matter. The SEC – with Texas and Oklahoma on board – can anticipate extra of the identical.

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