A day after the ACC decided to go to an all-conference schedule with Notre Dame added, a report the SEC presidents are going to a similar schedule.
BREAKING: #SEC presidents have adopted a plan to play a 10-game, conference-only schedule this fall, sources told @SINow.
League approved kickoff date is Sept. 26. Particulars on the schedule (the two additional games & locations) are unclear for now.
SEC title game Dec. 19.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 30, 2020
The Southeastern Conference has established September 26 as the new kickoff for its 2020 football season to allow its universities to focus on the healthy return of their campus communities and the gradual re-introduction of athletics, as the 14 members of the SEC continue to monitor developments related to COVID-19, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Thursday.
The 2020 SEC football season will be comprised of a 10-game Conference-only schedule and the SEC Football Championship Game will be played December 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, rescheduled from the original date of December 5. The schedule will include one mid-season open date for each school and an open date on December 12 for all schools.
SEC's decision was explained to me this way.
Expecting a possible spike in cases when students return to campus means the season needs to be delayed to give best chance to start. The delay eliminates room for nonconference games.— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) July 30, 2020
BREAKING: The SEC is moving to a 10-game conference schedule and will move back the season start to Sept. 26: https://t.co/JL6h3qeo9D
— John Talty (@JTalty) July 30, 2020
The move to a 10-game conference-only schedule eliminates marquee non-conference games like LSU-Texas, Oklahoma-Tennessee, and Auburn-North Carolina.
The conference released its statement that can be accessed below:
NEWS | @SEC establishes new football start date of September 26 and Conference-only football competition.https://t.co/UhFFOfQ2lK
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) July 30, 2020