Tag: SEC expansion

SEC expansion: Sports Illustrated predicts Auburn Football’s permanent rivals

This option would provide small relief to Auburn’s customary schedule.

Now that we know that Oklahoma and Texas will join the SEC in 2024, the biggest question on every Auburn fan’s mind regarding conference expansion is who will Auburn’s permanent opponents be?

Once the news broke, we at Auburn Wire tried our hand at predicting which teams would end up on Auburn’s schedule permanently, but it appears now that a prominent figure in college football media has submitted his picks for every SEC program’s permanent rivals.

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated is one of the few national writers to make his prediction for each SEC team’s permanent opponents. His prediction reveals that Auburn will play two of their longest-tenured rivals, plus a bottom-tier program which will provide relief for Auburn’s usual tough schedule.

Here is what Dellenger predicts Auburn will play every season beginning in 2024:

  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • Vanderbilt

Alabama and Georgia appeared to be obvious from the beginning, as the Tigers have played those two programs more than any other from the conference, but Auburn had a “wild card” option for its’ third opponent.

Most fans felt that it would be an older rival in Florida or Tennessee, or that a fellow SEC West power in LSU could be the winner. However, this prediction provides Auburn with a more even playing field to go along with playing two of college football’s most powerful programs on a yearly basis.

Here is a look at how Dellenger sees the SEC’s three-team permanent schedule format shaking out:

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College football insider predicts LSU’s future permanent SEC opponents

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger preserves three SEC West rivalries in his prediction for the Tigers.

We know the SEC is in for a major change after the 2023 season with Oklahoma and Texas set to join the league in 2024. What, precisely, those changes will look like remains a bit of a mystery, however.

One thing is for sure: The current divisional setup will be a thing of the past. Many expect the league to move toward a similar setup as the ACC, which is scrapping divisions beginning this fall in favor of a permanent vs. rotational opponent setup.

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, who has been on top of many stories regarding this current batch of realignment, released his predictions for each SEC team’s three permanent rivalries. For the Tigers, Dellenger expects them to draw Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Alabama every year.

It’s hard to argue with the logic here. The Alabama-LSU contest is one of the SEC’s premier football rivalries, and it should be protected at all costs. The Ole Miss rivalry has historic value, while the TAMU one is budding and has featured some thrilling contests in recent years.

Of course, it’s not perfect. This would mean the Tigers lose traditional annual rivalries in Auburn and Arkansas, as well as the yearly game against Florida.

It’s worth noting that this is just a prediction, but given Dellinger’s track record on this subject, it’s likely based on some reporting. Per Dellinger, the SEC is also considering an eight-game format instead of nine, which would feature just one protected annual rival.

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Which SEC teams have the best chance of being Auburn Football’s permanent opponents?

The talk of scheduling formats is running hot through the SEC. Which teams does Auburn have the best chance of playing on an annual basis?

The new-look SEC will come one year earlier, as it was announced earlier this month that Oklahoma and Texas will join the conference in 2024 instead of the original plan of 2025. The move will take place after both schools agreed to pay $50 million each to offset media rights fees.

Now that the question of when is Oklahoma and Texas coming over? is settled, now the question that everyone wants to know is which teams will Auburn play on an annual basis?

Scheduling will be a hot topic around the SEC until the spring meetings take place in May in Destin, Florida SEC commissioner Greg Sankey tells Trey Wallace of Outkick.

“We ultimately said if we wait we can learn a lot about (College Football Playoff), other conference media deals, look more deeply at tiebreakers if we’re in a single division,” Sankey said. “We’ve learned an immense amount. We’ve seen some conference membership movement, the CFP format change and that’s going to help us make a better decision.”

Until then, there will be plenty of speculation about what model the SEC will use. No matter the result, there will be plenty of cases made as to which teams will land on permanent schedules, including Auburn.

While we wait on the final copy, Auburn Wire’s Taylor Jones has taken time to explore the possibilities of Auburn’s potential future schedules, and which teams have the best shot at playing the Tigers on an annual basis.

Here’s a look at Taylor Jones’ take on the probability that Auburn has of adding each SEC program to its permanent schedule.

Pair of teams suggested as ‘permanent rivals’ for Oklahoma Sooners in SEC

As the SEC looks to lock in the scheduling format for the 2024 season and beyond, a pair of teams has been floated as Oklahoma’s permanent rivals.

Oklahoma and Texas are moving to the SEC in tandem and the Red River Showdown will remain intact as a permanent fixture on the SEC schedule. But what should Greg Sankey and the schedule makers do with the remaining opening for Oklahoma’s “permanent rivals.”

The Sooners have several options to consider. Texas A&M, as we suggested last year, seems like the least likely of the options anymore. Though still an outside possibility, it feels like the buzz has gone to the Sooners facing Missouri on a regular basis.

The history is lengthy, with nearly 100 matchups played. As former Big 8 and Big 12 foes, it would make sense to put the Sooners and the Tigers together for an annual matchup. Even if it isn’t a “traditional rivalry,” the border matchup makes a lot of sense for the Sooners.

But it’s the third team that everyone seems to have a differing opinion on. It could be Texas A&M. There’s Big 12 history. It makes sense on the surface, but at this point, the game that makes the most sense is Arkansas. The two states share a border, and Fayetteville and Norman are closer in proximity than Austin and Norman.

But there’s another game that’s being floated by Andy Staples of The Athletic (Subscription Required) as a permanent third rival with Texas and Missouri. Oklahoma vs. Florida.

This game would certainly move the needle for the SEC and ESPN (the conference’s television partner). The buzz in Gainesville or in Norman would be electric and would make for a fantastic College Gameday atmosphere.

The yearly matchup would create a huge rivalry between the fanbases and a fun atmosphere in both college towns. And yet, it still feels like a missed opportunity to pit the Sooners and the Razorbacks together.

From a recruiting sense, it would put Oklahoma on television in a Florida market where Brent Venables and his staff want to be significant players. Of their 26 signees in the 2023 recruiting class, six come from Florida. That’s more than any state in the cycle for the Sooners. So while it may not make as much sense as regional matchups with Arkansas or Texas A&M, there’s a benefit for the Sooners.

Perhaps a bigger surprise came from USA TODAY Sports’ Paul Myerburg, suggesting the Sooners play Texas, Missouri, and Mississippi State.

Mississippi State is one of six Power Five schools the Sooners have never played, along with Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers and South Carolina. OU and Texas will continue to play the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl through at least 2025. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

The unknown isn’t a bad idea. Giving Oklahoma and Mississippi State fans a new foundation to build a rivalry has some potential. However, that game wouldn’t move the needle much for the Sooners or on the national level, and it doesn’t put them in a part of the country that’s a recruiting priority.

It would appear that everyone is in agreement that it’s Texas and Missouri as two of the three permanent rivals for the Sooners. But what people can’t seem to agree about is who that third team is.

Again, for my money, Arkansas makes the most sense given the close proximity and the potential for a “border war” rivalry. But scheduling takes into account a lot of factors and “makes the most sense” isn’t always the highest priority.

The SEC schedule makers have their work cut out for them. But we should begin to get some answers to how the permanent opponents shake out for the Sooners really soon.

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How the addition of Oklahoma, Texas could affect SEC scheduling

Greg Sankey hopes to put emphasis on rivalries and more frequent campus visits in the SEC’s new scheduling model.

In an unforeseen manner, the Big 12 Conference announced last week that has reached an early exit deal with Oklahoma and Texas, allowing the two institutions to bolt for the SEC in 2024, which is a year earlier than expected.

In order to pay for the expected revenue loss that the conference will suffer with the departure of the two programs, both Oklahoma and Texas will pay a combined $100 million in order to depart early.

Now that the move has been announced, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has some planning to do, especially when it comes to football scheduling.

Since the news of Oklahoma and Texas joining the conference broke in 2021, there have been talks of the SEC going to a four-team pod system, while others project a nine-game schedule with no divisions. What ideas does the SEC’s leading man have? He shared them in a recent episode of McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning.

He tells show hosts Greg McElroy and [autotag]Cole Cubelic[/autotag] that he wants to put emphasis on maintaining historical rivalries while building a strong rotation amongst programs to cut down on the gaps between visits. In the latter regard, he referenced last season’s game between Auburn and Missouri, and the strange history between Georgia and Texas A&M as examples of reasons to change the scheduling format.

“We saw games last year, Missouri at Auburn, for example, that hadn’t been played since we added Missouri back in 2012,” Sankey said. “The one that sticks out in most articles is Georgia has not traveled to College Station since Texas A&M has been a member. That shouldn’t happen. We shouldn’t be going 12 years between campus visits.”

Sankey also mentions the importance of rivalry games, but will not have a clear picture of the frequency of rivalry games until the conference decides on whether to play an eight or nine-game model.

“We’ve been intentional about discussing our ability to have annual rivalries played or rivalries played every other year. We haven’t arrived at a destination between eight or nine games,” Sankey said. “The number of games will facilitate the number of annual games that take place.”

Other factors that Sankey is exploring are tiebreakers within a single division and competitive balance. He says that he hopes to have the model ready in time for the SEC Spring Meetings that will take place in Destin, Florida in a few months.

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Oklahoma and Texas reach exit agreement with Big 12, will join SEC in 2024

The schools will pay a combined $100 million to get out of the grant of rights deal a year early.

It turns out the 2023 season will be the last in the SEC’s current format.

On Thursday night, Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reported that Oklahoma and Texas — which initially agreed back in 2021 to join the SEC — have reached an exit agreement with the Big 12 (and, more importantly, its TV partners) that will allow both teams to join their new conference for the 2024 football season.

Per Dellenger, the agreement carries a combined $100 million exit fee.

Both schools were contractually locked into the Big 12 until 2025 based on the current grant of rights agreement. It was initially reported that a deal to get out of that contract early was unlikely, but it seems that both parties were able to come to terms.

 

The 2024 season will be a year of many firsts in college football. In addition to SEC expansion, the College Football Playoff is set to expand to 12 teams while USC and UCLA will leave the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten.

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Statements from OU, Texas, SEC, and the Big 12 on early exit agreement

Big 12 statement on the early exit agreement to allow Oklahoma and Texas to leave for the SEC in time for the 2024 season.

The long-awaited early exit agreement came to fruition on Thursday afternoon. The Big 12, Oklahoma, Texas, and their broadcast partners were able to reach an agreement to let the Red River Rivals depart for the SEC in time for the 2024 season.

The agreement, which will pay the Big 12 a $100 million exit fee was reached after months of negotiations that began to heat up in recent weeks. Now Oklahoma and Texas can begin preparations in earnest for the SEC after their final year in the Big 12 this fall.

The Sooners and Longhorns will become the 15th and 16th members of the expanding SEC in the same year that the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams. All that awaits is a format for the 16-team league, which appears to favor a nine-game non-divisional schedule.

The Big 12 released the following statements from the powers that be in reaction to the agreement.

Report: 2023 will be the last season for Texas in the Big 12

It is finally happening. Texas can prepare for life in the SEC starting in 2024.

After it appeared that the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners would have to wait until the 2025 season to begin SEC play, a report surfaced on Thursday night that states otherwise.

The holdup on the early exit to the SEC from the Big 12 came down to money that Fox would lose with the two top draws in the conference leaving early. Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reported that the Big 12 and TV partners reached an exit agreement.

Texas and Oklahoma would owe a combined $100 million fee and can begin playing in the SEC starting in 2014. One final run in the conference they called home since 1996.

Dellenger tweeted, “The $100M exit fee will be distributed to the eight legacy Big 12 members, offsetting what was supposed to be a $5-8M reduction in distribution in 2024. A big win for Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, who aggressively pushed the networks to compromise.”

This is a win-win for both parties involved. The Longhorns and Sooners can prepare for life in the SEC.

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Report: Texas and Oklahoma may depart to the SEC ahead of the 2024 season

Texas and Oklahoma’s move to the SEC may happen earlier than expected. 

Texas and Oklahoma’s move to the SEC may happen earlier than expected.

Brett McMurphy of The Action Network reports the Longhorns and Sooners are “gaining momentum” towards joining its new league ahead of the 2024 season. A whole year prior to the initially expected timeframe.

Texas and Oklahoma’s departure from the Big 12 to the SEC back in July of 2021 sparked a wave of conference realignment across the nation.

The Big 12 Conference went out and acquired BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, leading to a new television deal for the league.

The Big Ten made a splash out west by landing the Pac-12’s most prominent brands in USC and UCLA.

A 2024 move would put the SEC on the same timeline as the Big Ten for expansion. This happens to be the same year the College Football Playoff moves to the 12-team format.

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College Conference Expansion, Realignment Scenarios. What Each League Should Do, What Will Happen?

College Conference Expansion, Realignment Scenarios. What Each League Should Do, What Will Happen?

Really? You want to make sense of all the expansion and realignment in college sports?

Good luck with that.

Even the most connected of college football insiders are trying to put together the shredded papers to create a clear picture as all the rumors, reports, and tidbits fly around. So read this at your own risk – there’s a solid chance this all blows up five minutes from now.

I’m prepared for everything below to soon look totally ridiculous because nothing appears to be off the table.

The Big 12 getting Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF was obvious, but seriously, Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC? Last summer that seemed insane, and then it hit like a ton of bricks. That was nothing compared to the failure of imagination – and the shock – of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten.

And how about the Sun Belt being the most proactive league of the bunch with Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss being snagged from Conference USA?

So be warned, while everything below is rooted in reality to some extent … nah. It’s all changing by the moment.

With all that said, what’s going on in realignment? What are the best and worst case scenarios for all the conference expansion options, what’s a crazy idea that might work for each one, and what’s about to happen – maybe?

Let’s do this.

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ACC Expansion

What’s Going On? Nothing at the moment, but the rumors are flying. The SEC is supposedly interested, and the Big Ten isn’t saying anything – but would LOVE North Carolina. Even so, everything appears to be fine … for now.

Best Case Scenario: The ACC vastly improves its long-term media deal, ends its friends with benefits relationship with Notre Dame and puts a ring on it, and gives some thought to West Virginia joining the fun.

Worst Case Scenario: ESPN – or some crafty lawyer – figures out how to blow up the horrible grant of rights deal that locks the schools into their football media deal until 2036, and the SEC and Big Ten have have an epic battle to see who can get North Carolina, and Clemson, Florida State, and Miami.

– 10 Most Attractive Group of Five School for Expansion

Crazy Idea That Won’t Work, But … READ … THE … ROOM. What did the Big Ten just do? It raided the Pac-12 to go coast-to-coast with its footprint. Who might be out there right now for the taking? Cal and Stanford.

Again, it’s crazy, but academically those two are rock stars, they make it very, very attractive for Notre Dame to join the fun, and even though college football interest is, well, fickle in the Bay Area, it’s still a monster market to totally own.

What Will Probably Happen: The ACC will stay in place as is, but that won’t keep everyone from trying to figure out how to steal the star schools.

It’ll be in discussions with the Big 12 and Pac-12 to try forming an alliance to combat the Big Ten and SEC menaces. In the meantime, it’ll look to improve the current media deal and won’t just sit by and wait for the inevitable defections from schools desperate to leave for more revenue.

Conference Expansion: What’s Going On?
ACC | AAC | Big Ten | Big 12 | C-USA | Ind
MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt

American Athletic Conference Expansion NEXT

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